Man, was this one an instant classic, as the Suns get their 30th win of the year and secure a nice revenge win for coach Jordan Ott against his former team. This one was once again a great team effort, as everyone stepped up to get this lead up to33 points, which was just astounding to see with no Devin Booker. Once again, you can always count out the Suns, but they will prove you wrong, and that was once again on full display tonight.
The Suns were once again led by Dillon Brooks, who had 27 points and was a big part of both ends of the court in tonight’s success. As I stated, it was a team effort, with guys like Jordan Goodwin hitting five threes and shutting down Donovan Mitchell on defense. You also cannot forget Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie, who each had 4 triples. A season-high 23 makes is what kept this team in the run from the start and never turned back.
The Cavs were led by DeAndre Hunter, who had 17 points, and had a good first half from Jaylon Tyson and Jarrett Allen. Unfortunately for them, though, Allen was basically played out with the Suns’ three-point dominance, something they lacked in the previous matchup on New Year’s Eve.
First Half
Things started hot for Phoenix as Grayson Allen got the scoring going, making his first triple of the night. This then led to both teams trading buckets, with Jarrett Allen for the Cavs starting to get hot on the other end early. He had eight of the first seventeen points, and if he scored easily inside. The Suns took a timeout to switch things up and get Jalen Green back on the floor to seek some redemption.
The Cavaliers had Jaylon Tyson, who also got into his flow early offensively, finding easy points. He has had double-digit points over the last ten games and looks to continue that streak at the beginning of this one.
Following that timeout and the Suns being down, Jordan Ott got to scheming and showed his best work finding different ways to slow down the Cavaliers. He first inserted Jordan Goodwin and then Oso Ighodaro to get the defense in check, and Oso returned that favor with a massive block on Thomas Bryant.
He also inserted Jalen Green, who returned after missing a few games, and made a nice midrange to try to get in rhythm.
We then saw Grayson Allen continue to be the offensive leader, making a nice steal and layup, then following it up with another triple, keeping the hot streak from last night. The Suns closed out the quarter up one, 26-25, after forcing the Cavaliers to have double their turnovers (8-4).
Just like they started the first quarter, the Suns hit a three to start the second, this time made by Jordan Goodwin. Someone who has been streaky and cold recently had a big first stint, making multiple threes and bringing back his signature celebration.
Even though Goodwin was making them for the Suns, the Cavaliers were matching those threes with big man Thomas Bryant making a pair before the first timeout of the quarter.
The Suns did have some nice ball movement on offense and continued to be pests on defense, totaling a bunch of steals that led to some significant momentum swings for the home crowd. This, added to the continued threes made by this team, keeps them afloat.
After trading buckets and keeping it a one-to two-point game, Royce O’Neale decided to get hot and hit back-to-back threes to take the lead to eight.
With a nice three made by Green and winning the first challenge, they continued to have this lead as the clock ended before halftime, 52-47.
In this half, the Suns were scrappy, forcing 15 turnovers and generating 21 points off of those. Having 10 steals and limiting Donovan Mitchell to only 5 points in the first without Devin Booker is a big bonus. That being said, Jarett Allen is dominating in the paint, and the Suns need to limit his presence to eliminate the Cavs hopes.
Second Half
To start the third, Dillon Brooks embraced his Villain mode and scored six of the Suns’ eleven points to start. Just like last night’s performance, he started getting to his spots and finding his offensive groove. Mark Williams also started to get going, getting a big block on Jarrett Allen and finding a nice dunk of his own.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell found some baskets to will his team back in, but the Suns remained the fighting dogs they always are. They continued to pour onto this lead as the third went on, regardless of who the Cavs were using. With Mitchell trying to bring them back, guys like Jaylon Tyson (who I mentioned in the preview) and Sam Merrill struck some fire, but the Suns were trading points.
Big shots from Brooks and even one three-pointer from Jalen Green after having a scary fall that had everyone in the arena gasp for air brought this close game to a seventeen-point lead for the Suns. Overall, with Devin Booker out, this team is surging, showing why this is a team game: everyone needs to carry their load.
This is where the three-point barrage began, as both teams traded make after make after make. Some big shots from Mitchell, Hunter Goodwin, Green, and Brooks had everyone on their feet. In the middle of all this, though, the Cavaliers picked up their third technical foul of the game. Something that usually happens to the Suns was now happening to their opposition.
That being said, of course, there was a stoppage involving Brooks and Cavs forward Nae’Qwon Tomlin that led to a questionable verdict. After that, the quarter was basically over, as the Suns led by as many as 20 and were now in control heading into the fourth, up 97-89.
And the lead just continued to grow as the Suns continued surging into the fourth. This team continues to grind it out, and it’s what makes you love them so much. Jamaree Bouyea starts the quarter with a block, and the bench guard duo of Gillespie and Goodwin continues to strike from beyond the arc.
The Suns also benefitted when Kenny Atkinson saw an early exit, and this fourth technical foul on the Cavs put them in a corner, now down 30 to this Suns squad on a back-to-back. Unfortunately for the Cavs, it was not enough; even though they were able to crawl back into the lead, it was just too big. Both teams went deep into the bench in this one, as Suns fans got to see the wonderful rookies and two-ways get some shine, which is always fun.
At the end of the day, it was great for the Suns to get revenge against coach Ott and his former team. This is their 30th win of the year, which was impressive following yesterday’s big game, 126-113.
The Suns have one more game on this homestand versus the Los Angeles Clippers, and then it’s back on the road once again!