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What We Learned from #SunsAtKnicks

Phoenix continues to find success against the eastern hemisphere of the NBA.

The Suns took advantage of an injury-riddled and slumping Knicks team despite an unusual 11:00 a.m. (Phoenix time) start. Eric Bledsoe led the way with 25 points, 10 rebounds three assists and three steals. Isaiah Thomas added 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting off the bench, and Markieff Morris scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half.

Encouraging signs weren't hard to find, but we'll go with the most important ones here:

3. Isaiah Thomas' ankle is fine

After a easing back into the game following a two-week absence due to a bruised ankle, Isaiah Thomas is playing his best basketball of the season.

Phoenix needed the 5-9 guard's offensive spark after struggling through the second and third quarters. The Suns scored just 46 points combined in the two periods, opening up the need for Thomas in the fourth, especially down the stretch.

He answered the call, particularly toward the end. With two minutes remaining and Phoenix holding onto a six-point lead, Thomas caught a pass and let fly an absolute dart from beyond the arc. It hit nothing but net and served as the dagger that put the game away.

2. Tempo was the name of the game

The Suns scored 18 points in the game's first eight minutes, using elite defense from Bledsoe and solid rebounding from Alex Len (eight boards in 21 minutes) to fuel the fast break game.

New York managed to slow the game to their second-to-last-in-the-league pace after that, essentially putting a dam in front of the Suns' offensive flood.

Once possessions quickened again in the fourth, it was no coincidence that it was Phoenix that took control.

1. Eric Bledsoe dominated the game

Whether it was his three steals in the first quarter or his seven straight points late in the fourth, Bledsoe's fingerprints were all over the game.

The fifth-year guard is simply a terror when locked in on both ends of the floor as he was on Saturday. He wound up being the team-high rebounder, and snagged just two fewer boards than Knicks 7-foot big man Sam Dalembert.