5 takeaways as Rockets stun Suns, snap season-long six-game win streak

Houston Rockets didn't go anywhere Friday night.

They overcame a 16-point deficit and survived the final 19 seconds to shock the Phoenix Suns, 122-121, before a stunned sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center.

Down one, Suns coach Monty Williams declined to use his final timeout after Jalen Green missed the second of two free throws.

The Suns got four looks at the end with Devin Booker hoisting the second one and final one that misfired at the buzzer. Cameron Payne missed the first shot, a corner 3 after cashing from deep to the tie game at 121-121 with 45 seconds left, and Mikal Bridges was unable finish an offensive rebound on the third look.

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Booker finished with 41 points to give him 136 in his last three games, Bridges posted 22 points and Payne added a double-double of 20 points and 12 assists to four turnovers.

Bridges said after the game he believes he hyperextended his right knee late in the fourth quarter, but continued to play and plans to have his knee checked out.

Second in the league in minutes per game this season behind Luka Doncic, Bridges has a streak of 330 consecutive regular season games played dating back to the start of his rookie season of 2018-19.

Green scored a team-high 30 to lead the Rockets (6-16), who snapped Phoenix’s season-high six-game winning streak.

The Rockets made more free throws than the Suns (15-7) attempted in going 34-of-43 to Phoenix’s 14-of-19.

Here are five takeaways from the game as the Suns resume action Sunday at San Antonio in the first of a back-to-back. They play Monday at Dallas.

Why Deandre Ayton is Phoenix's X-factor

Deandre Ayton has said himself he has to come ready to play to start the game.

That didn’t happen Friday night.

He committed three fouls in the first half, scored just nine points for the game, only took seven shots and turned the ball over a team-high five times.

This is why he is this team’s X factor.

Ayton didn’t have to go for 29 and 21 for Phoenix to win Friday, but 18 and 12 would’ve helped plenty.

Now his presence helped the Suns shoot 17-of-37 from 3 as Houston packed the paint, but Ayton didn’t set the tone inside like he has during this career string of seven consecutive double-doubles.

When Ayton has started strong this season, he has usually continued to play with force for the remainder of the game even if he’s not scoring. That hasn’t always been the case in his career.

Having a goal to become an All-Star this season, Ayton has raised his game a level, but it took a step back Friday and not because he didn’t score.

The Rockets lived in his domain all night with 62 points in the paint and 21 second-chance points.

Yes, the perimeter defense was bad all night to the point the Suns went to switching defense and a zone, but as Bridges said after the game, the Rockets were already rolling by then.

Then when he had a chance to score and tie the game, Ayton missed a jump hook with the much smaller Green behind him. The Suns identified the matchup, got him the ball and he missed from in close.

Now should Phoenix have won this game by 20 after leading by 16? Probably, but Houston plays hard all the time and don’t back down.

"One thing about the Rockets, we're hard to play against for sure," Houston coach Stephen Silas said before Friday's game with a laugh. "It's not an easy night when you're going to play against us."

Wow. That's aging like fine wine right now for Houston.

The youthful Rockets hit big shots and forced Phoenix to man up at the end.

Booker did.

So did Payne and Bridges, but with no Chris Paul (heel), Cam Johnson (knee) and Torrey Craig (groin), the Suns needed one more to come through.

Ayton needed to be that guy.

He’s not main the reason they lost. Phoenix got gutted inside and once again lost the free throw battle by a landslide, but Ayton could’ve been the reason the Suns won.

That’s how important he is to this team.

Free throw disparity — again

Booker sat in the corner in disbelief after hitting a contested fadeaway at the buzzer to end the third quarter.

He wanted the foul — and didn’t get it.

Damion Lee came over to help him up and Booker just raised his hands in disgust.

This is nothing new.

The Suns are viewed around the league as a jump shooting team regardless of how many times Booker falls to the floor going to the rim.

He attacks more than anyone on the team, but Ayton had been going to the line more than normal of late.

Not Friday night. Another 0-for-0 night.

That can’t happen. Not in a game he has the size advantage inside.

Now seeing Green, a talented player, but just in his second season, go 12-of-16 from the line and Booker, a three-time All-Star who made All-NBA first team last season and is an early MVP candidate go 7-of-10, is a, let’s say a head scratcher.

However, the Rockets are a team that attacks the rim. They came into the game fifth in the league in free throw attempts per game at 25.3.

Phoenix? Try 28^th and 20.6.

The Suns commit 21.8 fouls a game. Only six other teams commit more.

Friday night? Try 28 fouls called against them.

Payne provide a simple solution to this problem.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to get to the line more or keep (the opponent) off the line,” he said.

If the averages hold up, that’s one thing. When they don’t, then that leads to Williams feeling as if he’s going to get fined for complaining.

He felt that way in Miami when the Heat went 22-of-25 and the Suns shot 2-of-4 as that was second-lowest number of attempts in a game in franchise history.

Phoenix lost by one. Suns GM James Jones called the league to complain.

Four games later, the Lakers registered a 29-of-35 effort from the line while Phoenix finished just 3-of-5, but the Suns won by 10 at home.

So, they’ve been able to overcome free throw disparity before and nearly did again Friday night.

A loss just makes it look even worse.

Timeout or no timeout?

This is tough.

Williams said he didn't want to call a timeout because that would've given Houston a chance to set up its defense and possibly change their personnel.

Payne was cool with just pushing it up the floor.

The Suns got four looks out of that final possession. Ayton and Bridges fought for offensive rebounds and Damion Lee got a steal that led to Booker getting that final look from the free throw line.

This is all hindsight 20/20, but calling a timeout also gives Phoenix a chance to run the play it wants against a young team that may make a mistake.

The Rockets are 28th in defensive rating. Just saying.

Plus it gives Booker a chance to get a quick rest. The Suns have been here and done this and won late in games.

The Rockets are trying to figure it out with young guys.

Now who knows if Phoenix gets a good look out of the timeout and yes, four shots are better than one, but having everyone on the same page for one final play against a young and inexperienced team may have worked out in the Suns' favor.

Last start

Dario Saric made his first start Friday since the last game of the 2020-21 season when Phoenix beat San Antonio, 123-121, May 16 on E’Twaun Moore’s game-winning 3 with 2.2 seconds left in third.

Saric scored 13 points in that game.

So much has changed since then for him.

He suffered a torn right ACL in Game 1 of the 2021 Finals that kept him out of the entire 2021-22 season. Saric entered this season in tremendous shape, looked great playing for the Croatian national team this past summer, but played sparingly in the preseason as a he became a first-time dad.

Saric only saw action in eight of Phoenix’s first 21 games as Jock Landale established himself as the backup five and Monty Williams has been playing Bismack Biyombo in that role of late.

Opportunity

However, Saric got an opportunity to start again Friday as Torrey Craig, who has been starting for injured Cam Johnson (torn right meniscus), missed the game with a right groin strain.

How Saric do?

Well, not good to start.

He didn’t score on 0-of-5 shooting with four of those misfires coming from 3. Defensively, he was a step slow in giving up buckets, but playing the four just didn’t look right.

Saric is best as a five in a small lineup, but Phoenix is pretty chalked up there. So the only spot available is at the four and he’s really a liability on the defensive end there.

With all that being said, Saric always has two things working in his favor. He competes and battles.

Saric did more of that in the second half and found his stroke to hit a corner 3. He’s just not in a rhythm from playing in a little more than a handful of games and is really playing out of position.

Not sure what’s going to change as far as him getting more playing time when Craig returns and especially when Johnson comes back, but what a luxury for the Suns to have some of Saric’s ability and skill set as a pinch hitter when needed.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 takeaways as Rockets stun Suns, snap season-long six-game win streak