Phoenix Suns Still Looking For Statement Game Despite Win vs. Boston Celtics
By Jacob Troxell
@RantSportsJacob
Gary A. Vasquez- USA TODAY Sports
If you had never seen Tyler Zeller play before Monday, you would think he was one of the league’s best centers. The Phoenix Suns got out-rebounded for the fourth straight game, and if it weren’t for 30 points from Markieff Morris, the Suns would be below .500. But they survived.
Against inferior talent, the Suns have got to find a way to finish teams when they have double-digit leads. They play down to the level of their opponents. Both teams had 66 points in the paint, 18 turnovers and 38 bench points exactly.
This wasn’t the statement game the Suns needed against a now 3-6 Boston Celtics team, who they should have beaten by more than four points. Any playoff team in the west would have put the Celtics away in the third quarter when the Suns had a 14-point lead, and until they start doing that to lesser teams, the Suns are not a playoff contender in the West. Give them some time, however, and they will be.
There were some positives though. T.J. Warren proved he deserved minutes with this Suns team in his NBA debut after averaging over 30 points in two games with the Suns’ D-League team, the Bakersfield Jam. Warren had seven points in 12 minutes and hit some crucial shots in the fourth quarter in replacement for P.J. Tucker, who was suspended for missing the team’s bus to a Los Angeles airport.
Alex Len showed signs of improvement, going 5-of-5 from the field with 10 points and securing three rebounds in the first half. Len also had a coast-to-coast highlight-reel dunk where you could probably hear his post-dunk roar from his homeland of Ukraine. He was pumped and it got the Suns going, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and seven boards.
Whether it was Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Brandon Bass or anyone else on the Celtics roster, they didn’t have an answer for the Morris brothers. They combined for 43 points on 19-of-29 shooting, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and five steals. It’s great to have individuals play well, but playoff teams have all their players fulfill their roles on a nightly basis.
The Suns need that statement game as soon as possible so they can build on it, and perhaps it will be Wednesday against the Pistons.
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