The Phoenix Suns continued their virtual season on Monday against the Indiana Pacers, but this time with Frank Kaminsky on the controller.
Decked out with sunglasses indoors and all, Kaminsky was ready to battle as he tipped-off against Pacers’ Brian Bowen II on 2K20, in partnership with Twitch.
A tightly-contested match throughout the entirety of the game, Kaminsky kept the Suns within one to two possessions for nearly all four quarters. However, the Suns found themselves down by four within the remaining seconds of the first half as human Kaminsky took control of his virtual self.
With three seconds left in the second quarter, Kaminsky faked a drive with himself, stepped back and launched a midrange jumper, despite three defenders in his face. The buzzer sounded just before the ball rattled in as the Suns went into the break down just 50-48.
Kaminsky continued to claw at the lead, but Bowen refused to surrender, as the Pacers led the Suns by three at the end of the third. The back-and-forth battle continued all night as the Pacers found themselves up 85-78 with just under two minutes left in the game.
But Kaminsky and the Suns weren’t done yet.
Dario Šarić saw green on a three-pointer that sparked the Suns on a 9-3 run. The run was capped off by none other than the young All-Star himself, Devin Booker.
Kaminsky used the Suns to force a stop and quickly found Booker on the fast break. With only thirty seconds remaining, Kaminsky looked to act fast and launch a three-pointer for the tie. And while the All-Star guard drained the bucket, Kaminsky led him just slightly past the three-point line, bringing the Suns within just one, instead of the tie.
Ultimately, the Pacers closed out the game at the free throw line as they defeated the Suns in Indianapolis 93-87. While the loss may have burned, Kaminsky’s chest was going to feel it next.
Prior to the game, Kaminsky and Bowen made a pushup bet with the player on the losing end of each of the first three quarters owing the other 10 pushups, and the player on the losing of the final score owing the other 30 pushups. Kaminsky ended up owing Bowen all 60 pushups as each of the first three quarters were decided by a single point in Indiana’s favor (25-24, 25-24, 20-19) before the 93-87 final score.
While controlling the Suns, Frank Kaminsky III scored eight points with two rebounds, two assists and one steal (“great defense by a great defender,” commented Kaminsky). Kaminsky scored four of his eight points on the fast break, referring to himself as a “one-man fast break,” before adding, “oh man, I am slow.”
It seemed Kaminsky had better luck using his virtual teammates as Booker led the Suns with 19 points and five assists while Ricky Rubio added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and also dished out five assists.
The Suns next matchup comes Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. PT as the team gears up to take on the Washington Wizards on Twitch. Stay tuned on Suns social for more information on their upcoming matchup.
Booker: 19 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Rubio: 17 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
Šarić: 11 points, 2 assists
Carter: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Kaminsky: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Oubre: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Ayton: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks
Okobo: 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Bridges: 3 points, 1 rebound
Baynes: 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 assist