From the gridiron to the virtual hardwood, the Arizona Cardinals spread some #AllAZ love as running back Chase Edmonds took the sticks for the Phoenix Suns on the NBA 2K20 live stream on Twitch Wednesday night. The two-year pro in the NFL tipped-off against Miami Dolphins defensive end Shaq Lawson as the two battled it out between the Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Lawson clearly came ready to play as he dominated the first quarter with the Thunder. OKC scored the game’s first 15 points, taking a 15-0 lead before Mikal Bridges finally got the Suns on the scoreboard after the opening 2:40 had elapsed. Following a Thunder bucket to end the quarter, Edmonds and the Suns found themselves already trailing by 19 points.
In football, they always say to keep pounding the rock because the defense will weaken over time and the running back will eventually break free. As a running back himself, Edmonds kept that same mentality on the court and began breaking down the Thunder’s lead in the second quarter.
The Thunder matched their largest lead at 37-18 before the Suns began eliminating the deficit with a 15-0 run of their own over the final 4:36 of the first half. Edmonds and the Suns outscored Lawson and the Thunder 22-7 in just the second quarter, closing the quarter down by only four entering halftime with OKC leading 37-33.
Mikal Bridges led the way for the Suns in the first half with 11 points, including 9 over the Suns run, showing his versatility with a ‘green’ three-pointer, a left-handed fast break dunk and a Euro step finish.
That momentum shift was all Edmonds needed to get rolling. The Suns picked up where they left off and extended the run to 21-0 to start the second half, taking their first lead of the game at 39-37 on a two-handed Deandre Ayton slam with 4:57 left in the third quarter.
Coaches always advise running backs to never look back until they’ve crossed the goal line and Edmonds kept his foot on the gas, never letting up. It seemed every time Lawson would battle his way for one bucket, Edmonds would respond with two of his own.
Devin Booker and Ayton keyed a 12-2 run to create separation in the final three minutes as Edmonds completed the comeback and closed out the game 75-65.
By erasing a 19-point deficit to win, the virtual Suns matched the real Suns’ 19-point comeback to win on Dec. 30 at Portland for the team’s largest comeback to win of the season.
Devin Booker scored a game-high 19 points to go along with 5 assists and 1 steal.
Ayton dominated in the paint all night notching a monstrous double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds to go along with his 3 blocks. Virtual DA mirrored the real DA who has recorded a 15/15 performance in nearly a quarter of his games this season (seven times in 30 games played).
Bridges scored 17 points on a highly efficient 7-of-8 shooting (87.5%) while also locking down on defense and tallying 3 steals in the victory. Bridges had averaged 15.7 points on 62.1% shooting in his final three games before the NBA’s hiatus and ranks 18th in the NBA in steals per game this season.
The Suns will return to the virtual hardwood on Friday as the team gears up to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Twitch. Stay tuned on Suns social for more information on their upcoming matchup.
Booker: 19 points, 5 assists, 1 steal
Ayton: 17 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks
Bridges: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals
Oubre: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Šarić: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block
Rubio: 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals