They eventually got shots to fall, riding 61% shooting in the third quarter to San Antonio\u2019s 30% to find control of the game for the first time in the evening, all while those margins kept providing a cushion.<\/p>\n
A 16-3 Phoenix run in the mid-third quarter and 10-4 opening to the fourth got the lead up to 12. Individual shot-making arrived by closing time, giving enough of a buffer for the Suns to find a victory.<\/p>\n
The margins concluded at 20 more shot attempts for them, which greatly aided San Antonio going +17 in points at the free-throw line. A 19-6 edge in forcing turnovers was also a great equalizer, as was a 19-16 advantage on second-chance points even though the Spurs grabbed a lot of misses too (14-11 in offensive rebounds).<\/p>\n
The Suns (11-6) are now 10-2 since beginning the year 1-4 and sit in a top-six playoff spot out West at the conclusion of play on Sunday. Almost all of that can be attributed to a handful of guys playing their best basketball right now, and while conventional wisdom leans you in the direction of some regression coming, the tremendous contributions are also a direct byproduct of a system that maximizes nearly all of the players on the roster.<\/p>\n
Jordan Goodwin, who was here two years ago and could not look more uncomfortable with the role he was asked to play at the time, has been a revelation off the bench.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe allow him to do whatever your super skill is. \u2026 Even if it wasn\u2019t (a part of our system), you got to allow him to do what he\u2019s really good at,\u201d Ott said of Goodwin and his mentality with all his players.<\/p>\n
Because of four absences \u2014 Grayson Allen (right quad contusion), Ryan Dunn (right wrist sprain), Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Rasheer Fleming (left ankle sprain) \u2014 Goodwin was in the starting lineup and he produced 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists all while starting possessions defending Spurs star De\u2019Aaron Fox.<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-2 guard that over his last two years of college at Saint Louis had the third-most double-doubles in the country, has been fully encouraged to crash the glass hard and cause havoc on a game wherever he can. Goodwin was a key fulcrum in the wild comeback on Friday with that chaos and has consistently brought it to the table all year.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, I honestly don\u2019t know what (it is but) he has a knack for the basketball,\u201d Booker said of Goodwin. \u201cHe\u2019s always in the right place in the right time. He defends at a high level, he makes the hustle plays that we need. He\u2019s been hitting on all cylinders for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
It may have taken 24 shots for Dillon Brooks to get to 25 points (10-for-24) but shot creation has to come from someone besides Booker and he was not dissuaded by missing seven of his first eight shots. While Booker did the same exact thing early and ended up 7-of-18 for 24 points, he took care of the ball much better, with seven assists to two turnovers on a defensive gameplan that was majorly selling out on his drives.<\/p>\n
Collin Gillespie was a member of that club too, starting the night 1-for-6 before closing 5-for-7 to end up with 15 points off the bench with six assists and zero turnovers.<\/p>\n
Gillespie said he\u2019s heard Ott reference someone\u2019s \u201csuperpower\u201d or \u201csuper skill\u201d a few times to different players, and Booker referred to it as \u201cthe blueprint\u201d that Ott has as a coach after his time with Cleveland.<\/p>\n
San Antonio (11-5) did not have Victor Wembanyama (left calf strain), Stephon Castle (left hip flexor strain), Dylan Harper (left calf stain) and Jordan McLaughlin (left hamstring strain).<\/p>\n
Fox\u2019s 26 points were paired by just three assists and two turnovers. He was not able to get the gears of the Spurs\u2019 offense spinning with other guys and shooters finding a rhythm. You could also tell the lack of transition opportunities in the second half really bogged them down.<\/p>\n
Mark Williams played 29 minutes on Sunday ahead of the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, meaning he will likely sit against the Houston Rockets the next day. It\u2019s an interesting example of the strategic choices Phoenix has to make with his schedule.<\/p>\n
Houston is putting up historic rebounding numbers and boasts some gigantic lineups, so you\u2019d want Williams for that matchup. At the same time, the Suns have slim odds winning that game anyway even if Williams plays given how excellent the Rockets have been lately. San Antonio\u2019s unimposing big rotation gave Williams an opportunity to feast, but Phoenix perhaps could have gotten by OK without Williams because of that.<\/p>\n
Ott wouldn\u2019t rule out Williams for Monday, noting how there are certain variables within Sunday\u2019s game that could change his status, and wouldn\u2019t say how much of the decision-making process on which game he plays comes down to matchup versus external medical factors.<\/p>\n
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