Suns React to Clutch Weekend Win

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns managed to avoid a 26-point collapse in their Saturday night victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, a win that saw the Suns improve to 5-1 on the season.

Members of the organization such as HC Mike Budenholzer, G Devin Booker and F Grayson Allen spoke on the matchup with reporters.

Quotes from the Suns' Media Relations staff:

HC Mike Budenholzer

(On the Suns’ 44-point third quarter…)
“Yeah, the defense was good. I thought we were playing in a great rhythm offensively, kind of getting to everything, everybody was participating, allowed us to get great separation from them. We got to learn to play for 48 minutes. We're not there, but I'm sure nobody is, so it's good to put together stretches like the third quarter. We got to keep building on that.”

(On Grayson Allen’s season high of 18 points…)
“It was great for Grayson (Allen) to have a night like he did tonight. I think there was a little bit of pop defensively, the guys found him, the ball found him and he's a great shooter. He just gives us a ton and he's been through a little bit, but he's going to be great for us.”

(On what the halftime speech was to put up a 44-point third quarter…)
“I think we were a little frustrated with our rebounding and with just some of the effort plays on the glass. I think, if we felt like, we could clean up the rebounding, it would help us get out and play and I thought the third quarter was much better on the glass.”

Guard Devin Booker

(On how it is hard to win in this league...)
“Yeah, exactly. You can't get comfortable. That could have been a game where we sat the second half of the fourth quarter and got some rest, but we were put in a learning experience, which is good. Instead of getting them for the first time later down the season, I think we've been in like three or four close games through our five or six so far. So, we have stuff to learn from.”

(On Grayson Allen’s play tonight...)
“I mean, we're going to need him. We know what he's capable of. He has a quick trigger and people try to run him off the line, he's getting downhill and finishing. Good to see him catch rhythm today.”

(On Bradley Beal’s’ play tonight...)
“Yeah. I mean, Brad (Bradley Beal) is the heart of his team. To have him out there and have his energy out there, it's always needed. He’s still vocal when he's on the bench, but it's a different dynamic when he's out on the court with us. It’s just good to see him healthy. I've seen him grab his elbow after that last free throw, so maybe it’s still bothering him, but we will just get it right, get him back and get going.”

Suns Forward Grayson Allen

(On what was working in the third quarter compared to the fourth quarter…)
“We had a focus at halftime to try to limit their second-chance points and offensive rebounds the first few minutes of the third quarter. They still got some but I feel like we did a better job and offensively we were moving the ball and knocked down shots. I actually thought during the fourth quarter when they made their comeback, I thought we got a lot of good shots. I don’t think we strayed away from the type of basketball we played for three quarters before that. We just missed and gave up some easy ones, but they also had some tough ones to make that comeback. So, some of it was just the flow of the game and missing some good looks.”

(On taking the positive compared to the negative tonight in the fourth quarter…)
“I don’t think that this one was just because we went asleep. I think a good bit of it was going a little cold. We still generated good looks. We generated open looks. We weren’t stalling out, slowing up, like relaxing and not moving the ball defensively. We probably could have done a little bit better job but I don’t think it was like some of those 20-point comeback losses.”

(On getting to a rhythm tonight and hitting shots after six games in tonight…)
“It’s definitely different. Especially just last year starting and playing extended minutes at a time. It’s very easy to be in flow and in rhythm when you’re out there most of the time, and starting the game off that way. So, it’s just a little bit different. I think it’s a little bit harder, but it’s just something to get used to and try to get myself in that rhythm quicker by making some play. It doesn’t always have to be knocking down the first shot or something, just make a play, make a good extra pass, get a block, get a steal, get a rebound, something that helps you get into rhythm and into the flow a little bit better and quicker.”