The Minnesota Timberwolves have already won more games this season than they did a season ago, but they couldn’t stop the best in the NBA.
Playing a second straight game with just nine guys, the Phoenix Suns shot 20 of 39 from 3 and seven players scored in double figures in Friday night’s 134-124 win over the T-Wolves (24-25) before a packed crowd. packed 17,071 at Footprint Center.
This marks the 10th consecutive innings home crowd for the Suns, winners of nine in a row for the longest active winning streak in the NBA.
Devin Booker scored a game-high 29 points on 26 shots, Cam Johnson scored 23 while Chris Paul recorded a triple-double of 21 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Suns tied a season high for assists with 36, while Booker had nine assists to go with Paul’s 14.
The Suns (39-9) are one win away from securing Monty Williams a head-coaching spot in next month’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. Here are five takeaways from Friday’s win, as Phoenix is now 30-0 (15-0 at home) when leading after three quarters.
1. Phoenix was already hot from the 3rd, but was only leading by six when Monty Williams called a timeout with 6:54 left in the game.
Anthony Edwards scored out of timeout to cut Phoenix’s lead to four, 112-108, but Cam Johnson responded with a 3
and 3 others
Then Landry Shamet nailed his fourth 3 of the night to put Phoenix up 121-110 with 5:26 left.
Time out Timberwolves.
The Suns needed that cushion because Minnesota fought back to make the end uncomfortable for them.
2. Once again, I can’t leave Johnson open.
Williams calls Johnson a starter off the bench and talks about having the confidence to leave him in the game at the end.
And there was Johnson, in the game down the stretch.
He scored 23 points, one short of tying his career high, hit five 3-pointers to tie his career high for 3-pointers made, and added five rebounds and four assists.
Jae Crowder remains out with a wrist injury but appears closer to a return as he was taking shots before Friday’s game after having a “decent workout” on Thursday, Williams said.
Watch to see if Johnson continues to finish games once Crowder is back in the swing of things, as Johnson has closed games in all three for Mikal Bridges.
3. Anthony Edwards is a talent folks.
Karl-Anthony Towns would be considered the franchise player based on the number of years he has been with the Timberwolves.
D’Angelo Russell sat out due to injury, but he’s also a force on this team.
However, Edwards is the guy who went for a team-high 27 points, a career-high 10 assists, just one turnover, made four 3-pointers and had four steals on Friday night.
This guy is awfully good.
Strong. Fast. He plays with a physicality at guard that will help him get to the line even more in years to come.
He’s like a bigger Russell Westbrook in terms of playing downhill, but he can get up and hit a 3-pointer off the start and knock him down. Playing with increasing purpose on defense.
As the No. 1 overall pick, Edwards is expected to produce, but he’s in Year 2 and not even close to being as good as he’ll be.
Scary.
4. The Suns are not only undefeated when leading after three quarters, they’ve won 30 games when leading by a quarter.
Each result has not been the same either.
Sometimes they fall behind in the quarter and fight back.
Sometimes they get away with the game.
Sometimes they win with defense. Other times, their offense pushes them.
The only thing that has been more consistent in Paul has had a say in the outcome.
Whether it’s scoring or passing, or both, or making a defensive play, he finds a way to make his mark on the game down the stretch.
5. Finally, Phoenix is off to its best start in 48 games.
That’s very impressive, but the Suns always talk about moving on to the next guy.
How about the next two: Sunday against San Antonio and Tuesday against Brooklyn.
The Spurs are 0-3 against them, but they’ve always played hard against Phoenix.
Then there’s the Nets, who will have Kyrie Irving for this one, since it’s a road game.
The return of Steve Nash as head coach. The last time Brooklyn came to Phoenix, they won without Kevin Durant and Irving when James Harden went berserk.
Durant will be out this time with a knee injury, but are you talking about a matchup between two of the best defenses in the game?
No disrespect to the legendary Gregg Popovich, but that Brooklyn-Phoenix game can’t come soon enough.
Do you have an opinion on the current state of the Suns? Please contact Suns pundit Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism