The Phoenix Suns dominated in their season opener on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, but the common theme in the locker room after the win was that “it was just one game.” The team felt they still had much more to prove and needed to stay focused on the long season ahead of them.
Their next challenge looked to be a massive feat as they traveled to Denver to tip-off against the Western Conference two seed from last season in the Nuggets.
Kelly Oubre Jr. struck first to give the Suns the lead on their opening possession after Aron Baynes won the opening tip against Nikola Jokić. The Suns continued their momentum from their first game as they battled hard on both ends of the court led by the defense of Baynes and Oubre and the offensive playmaking of Devin Booker and Ricky Rubio.
The Suns lead grew to as high as 14 in the first half due in large part to their effort on defense and decision making in transition. The Nuggets trimmed the lead to six by halftime, but the Suns were able to hold one of the highest-powered offenses in the league to just 39 points on less than 35 percent shooting.
After allowing only 35 points in the second half against the Kings, it was the first time they’ve held opponents to below 40 points in consecutive halves since March 19, 2015 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, midway through the third quarter, Jokić hit an and-one to give the Nuggets their first lead of the game. The Nuggets held a slim lead into the fourth quarter, but every time it looked as if they were pulling away, the Suns would once again show their resilience and bring the game back into reach.
It wasn’t until Jamal Murray hit an and-one of his own to put the Nuggets up 87-78 with three minutes remaining in the fourth that the home crowd began to celebrate. Down by 9 with only a few minutes to go, the Suns chances looked slim.
But a chance still existed.
Rubio found Oubre cutting to the basket for the and-one score. Oubre then followed this up with a steal on the defensive end that ultimately led to Baynes knocking down two free throws to bring the Suns within just three with less than two minutes remaining.
Over the next minute and a half, the Suns battled on both sides of the court, forcing turnovers and converting at the free throw line. But with six seconds left, the Suns were down by four and in need of a clutch bucket.
Enter Booker.
The Suns star hadn’t connected from deep all game, but like they say, “Shooters shoot.” The former Three-Point Champion pulled up and drained the three-pointer to make it a one score game.
The Suns instantly fouled Murray on the inbound in order to give Phoenix an opportunity for a final shot. Murray hit both free throws to extend the Nuggets lead to three and the ball would be placed in the hands of Rubio with the game on the line.
Rubio sprinted up court, but as the defensive collapsed on him at half court, pulled up for the three-point shot and drew the foul. He was then sent to the line needing all three free throws to send the game to overtime.
One. Two. Three. Clutch.
The backcourt of Booker and Rubio both converted on the shots needed in the final seconds to keep the Suns alive and send the game to overtime tied at 95. The team closed out the final two minutes of the fourth quarter on a 17-8 run.
The Suns were already without Deandre Ayton and their rotation was about to get even slimmer. Within just the first minute of overtime, Baynes, Oubre and Rubio all picked up their sixth fouls and were out of the game.
But no matter what players Head Coach Monty Williams had available, no matter how big the deficit got and no matter how loud the Denver crowd was, the Suns kept battling.
Frank Kaminsky played a critical role in the Suns second unit and that role only grew into overtime. With one minute to go, Kaminsky grabbed a defensive rebound, was fouled by Murray in the process and knocked down both free throws to give the Suns a 107-106 lead.
It was Murray, however, who would ultimately close out the game. The Nuggets guard reached three free throw line and drained both attempts as Denver defeated the Suns 108-107.
“I think we stuck together and tried to follow the game plan,” Dario Šarić said. “We were there the whole game…At the end, we missed a couple situations and that cost us.”
While the Suns weren’t able to pull off the victory, the effort, resilience and defensive intensity under Head Coach Monty Williams over their first two games has been on an impressive display against two tough opponents.
Oubre scored a team-high 23 points while shooting an efficient 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-5 from three. He also tallied 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists.
To go along with his defensive presence in the paint, Baynes also put in the work on the offensive side of the court. He finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.
Coach Williams asked a lot out of Kaminsky in absence of Ayton and following Baynes fouling out and the big man did not disappoint. Kaminsky alternated between the four and the five, playing interior and beyond the arc while making critical plays all night. He notched a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
To go along with his clutch three-pointer, Booker finished the game with 18 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and a block. His partner in the backcourt in Rubio neared a tripled-double with 9 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
The Suns have a quick turnaround as they return to the Valley tomorrow to tip-off against the Los Angeles Clippers at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Be sure to catch the action on Fox Sports Arizona.