Next 5: Suns looking to build off comeback thriller over Pelicans, face West-leading Grizzlies twice
Phoenix Suns aren’t atop the Western Conference anymore, but they didn’t fall out of the top four during a season-long, five-game skid, either.
“With everything that they’ve dealt with, it’s been testament to their ability to kind of stay here,” said Suns coach Monty Williams the day after Tuesday’s loss at Houston to mark a fifth straight defeat.
The Suns have responded with back-to-back victories.
The first win came with relative ease against the short-handed Clippers, 111-95, in Los Angeles.
The second one was anything but easy.
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New Orleans built a 24-point lead in the third quarter, but Devin Booker led a comeback charge with a season-high 58-point performance in Saturday’s 118-114 victory at Footprint Center.
“Unreal,” Suns point guard Chris Paul said.
The Suns (18-12) continue their homestand Monday against the Lakers (12-16), who will be without Anthony Davis for “multiple weeks” with a right foot injury according to an ESPN report.
Can the Lakers top the Suns without their big man who has been putting up MVP numbers? Here’s a recap of Phoenix’s last five games, and a look ahead to the next five.
Last five: 2-3
Prediction: 3-2.
Best win: 118-114 Saturday against New Orleans. Booker set an arena record for most points in a single game while Paul added 18 points, hitting 5-of-7 from 3. The comeback win came after dropping two in New Orleans in a three-day span last week.
Worst loss: 111-97 Tuesday at Houston. Without Booker (hamstring), Phoenix shot a bleak 3-of-24 from the field, going 1-of-14 from 3 in the second quarter against the nine-win Rockets. Plus, Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Cameron Payne (foot) suffered first-half injuries that kept them out the second half.
Best performance: Booker’s 58-point eruption included a 6-of-12 effort from 3, a 20-point third quarter and 25 straight points in the second half. Just an insane performance in a game Phoenix needed to win to finish its regular season series against the Pelicans even at 2-2.
Watch out: Zion Williamson’s 360 dunk at the end of New Orleans’ 128-117 win over Phoenix wasn’t taken too kindly by some Suns players with Payne being one of them. That led to a dustup between both teams with Paul and Pelicans backup guard Jose Alvarado having the most heated verbal exchange.
Quote: “I don’t care about no regular season game. It don’t really count, and at the end of the day, my team and I, we’re working on our damn selves. We don’t have time for this extra s--t. We’re working on ourselves for the postseason. That’s it. Everybody wants to make this a thing about regular season. So be it. Go ahead.” – Ayton after Suns 129-124 overtime loss at New Orleans.
Next 5
Monday vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 13-16.
Record vs. Suns this season: 0-1.
Outlook: Remember what happened when these two teams played each other Nov. 22 in Phoenix? Patrick Beverley body checked Ayton in the back after feeling as he was standing over his teammate, Austin Reaves. The NBA suspended Beverley three games without pay.
Matchup with Suns: The Lakers had been showing signs of life. Russell Westbrook is thriving off the bench, but the Lakers aren’t the same without Davis. They’ll need LeBron James to turn back the clock to have a chance to top Phoenix.
Tuesday vs. Washington Wizards
Record: 11-20.
Record vs. Suns this season: 0-0.
Outlook: The Wizards lost their 10th straight game Sunday against the Lakers in Bradley Beal's return from a right hamstring strain. For a season that started so promising, the Wizards are 1-13 in their last 14 games. Ouch.
Matchup with Suns: It’ll be better with Beal back, but Phoenix should win this one. Then again, the Suns have lost twice to Houston.
Friday vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Dec. 27 in Memphis
Record: 19-10.
Record vs. Suns this season: 0-0.
Outlook: The Grizzlies stand atop the West as they’re 8-2 in their last 10 games. They destroyed the Bucks, 142-101, but lost at Oklahoma City as Ja Morant was ejected in the second quarter.
The All-Star guard received the first tech for “use of profanity directed as an official” and drew the second one for “making a comment questioning the integrity of the officials,” crew chief referee John Goble explained in a pool report.
Referee Ray Acosta handed Morant both techs.
Matchup with Suns: Oh, expect this one to be chippy. Dillon Brooks has a fever for Booker, but beyond that, these are two teams with championship aspirations and have had some battles. Playing each other twice in five days gives this matchup a playoff vibe.
Christmas Sunday at Denver Nuggets
Record: 18-11.
Record vs. Suns this season: 0-0.
Outlook: Jamal Murray is back after missing last season with a knee injury. Been a little inconsistent, but just scored 30 in a Dec. 10 win over Utah. Reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is nearly averaging a triple-double, but the Nuggets are really still an unknown until Michael Porter Jr. (heel) is healthy.
Matchup with Suns: Jokic-Ayton is always fun to watch, but Murray has had his share of big games against the Suns. He hasn’t played against them since Jan. 23, 2021, when he scored 26 points in a double-overtime victory in Phoenix. Murray hit a crazy 3 to force overtime.
Wonder if he still has the magic against Phoenix?
Next 5 prediction: 3-2
Ayton and Payne should be back within these next five games, but Booker is listed as questionable for Monday's game with groin soreness as is Ayton. Payne is ruled out along with Jock Landale (concussion protocols).
Even though they beat the Pelicans, the Suns were down big and needed Booker to go Sonic the Hedgehog to win.
Phoenix should top the Lakers and Wizards even with the latter being the second of a back-to-back. The next three will be more challenging as they’re around and on the Christmas holiday.
The Nuggets are 9-3 at home.
The Grizzlies are even better at home at 13-2.
The Suns are 5-9 on the road.
Phoenix could easily drop those last two, leaving that middle one at home against the Grizzlies to determine whether the Suns go 2-3 or 3-2 in their next five games.
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: Next 5: Suns face West-leader Grizzlies twice, Nuggets on Christmas
