It was a heavyweight fight on Sunday night in downtown Phoenix. The Suns squared up with the best team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and walked away with a 108–105 win, moving to 21–14 on the season.
It ended the only way it could, with a three-point shot from Devin Booker to seal it.
Phoenix dug itself out of an early hole, trailing by as many as 18, and did it on the back of a career night from Jordan Goodwin. Goodwin poured in 26 points and knocked down 8 three-pointers, snapping an eight-game losing streak against Oklahoma City in the process.
Booker, who had 6 points at halftime, closed with 24 points and 9 assists. Dillon Brooks added 22 points, with 14 of them coming in a fourth quarter that felt like trench warfare.
It was a hell of a win by Phoenix.
Game Flow
First Half
The game opened up fast, and before the Thunder even had four points, Cason Wallace already had two fouls. For a team that leans on long, pesky defenders, Wallace sits right near the top of that list when it comes to executing the game plan, yet he stayed on the floor.
The Suns looked like they were doing what they wanted early as the looks were there, but the shots refused to cooperate. That hesitation cracked the door, and Oklahoma City kicked it open with a 10–2 run in the opening stretch. Phoenix was generating quality looks, but when you start 0-of-9 from deep, you are practically handing the Thunder permission to build a lead. And when the Suns finally knocked down their first three, 3:23 left, from the corner, Mark Daigneault wasted no time calling a timeout.
After that three went down, the Suns ripped off an 11–0 run, chipping away at the deficit and trimming it to four points.
It ultimately ended with the Suns closing the first quarter on an 11–2 run. They had trailed by as many as 15 in the period, shooting 3-of-13 from beyond the arc (23.1%) and 7-of-21 overall (33.3%), while the Thunder hit 50% from the field. Luguentz Dort led all scorers in the quarter, and the Suns went into the second period trailing 26–20.
The second quarter opened, and the yips returned for Phoenix. The Suns started 1-of-8 from the field and suddenly found themselves down 10.
The quarter turned into a slog. Oklahoma City did what it does best: jump a team early, sell every bit of contact, and hit the deck. A lot. On the other end, they shot it well enough to keep the pressure on and slowly stretch the gap. A 13-1 run in the middle of the quarter managed to capture their entire identity in one sequence. Between you and me, it is not fun basketball to watch. It’s grifting.
The Suns finally caught a spark late, much like they did at the end of the first. A lead that had ballooned to 18 was trimmed down to seven as Phoenix rattled off another 11-0 run. To that point in the quarter, the Thunder had outscored the Suns 23-11.
Through the first half, Devin Booker had 6 points, 4 of them coming at the free-throw line. Jordan goodwin was 3-of-6 from deep in the half. The rest of the team? 3-of-16.
The Suns were shooting 27.3% from deep, but Oklahoma City was not far ahead at 26.7%. Phoenix had 8 turnovers that turned into 13 Thunder points, while OKC coughed it up 6 times, leading to 11 Suns points.
Heading into the locker room, the Suns trailed 49-42.
Second Half
Devin Booker, much like he did against the Cavaliers, came out aggressive to open the second half, scoring the first four points for Phoenix. The Suns opened the half on a 9–2 run, which, when carried over from the end of the second quarter, stretched into a 20–2 run overall. That surge tied the game at 51–51.
The physicality never let up, as Lu Dort flew around the floor, drawing offensive fouls on the Suns’ possession after possession.
Then the whistle swung back. He was hit with an offensive foul, followed immediately by a defensive one on the next trip. That spiral ended with a technical as he barked at the officials. Apparently flopping around like gravity is optional on one end does not pair well with playing linebacker on the other, at least not without consequences.
The Suns grabbed their first lead since it was 5–4 after ripping off a quick 9–0 run, highlighted by a pair of three pointers from Ryan Dunn.
It was a quarter where Phoenix finally flipped the script. The Suns outscored the Thunder 32–24, and for the first time all night, they outshot them as well, 52.6% to 40%. Phoenix went 5-of-12 from beyond the arc, and Devin Booker poured in 11 points, with 6 apiece coming from Jordan Goodwin and Dunn. The bench provided the spark, accounting for 12 points in the period, and the Suns carried a 74–73 lead into the fourth.
Jordan Goodwin drilled his sixth three-pointer, a new career high, to tie the game at 81–81 as the Thunder opened the fourth by outscoring Phoenix 10–7.
Shortly after that, down two with 7:45 left, Jordan Ott elected to challenge a play where Royce O’Neale was whistled for a foul on Jalen Williams. It looked like O’Neale got ball, or at least enough of it to make the call worth another look, but the challenge was ruled unsuccessful. Williams went to the line for two free throws, and in a game this tight, Ott was left without a challenge the rest of the way.
The Suns ultimately lost the non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander minutes in the fourth. He sat for the first 5:49 of the period, and Oklahoma City still outscored Phoenix 16–13. In those minutes without their star on the floor, the Thunder went 6-of-8 from the field.
For the second time in three meetings with Oklahoma City, Phoenix entered clutch time trailing 94–90 as the clock dipped under five minutes.
With 2:37 left, Dillon Brooks knocked down a 19-footer to tie it at 100–100. After a broken possession, Jordan Goodwin capped a career night by burying a big jumper to put the Suns up 102–101. On the other end, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the line and split the pair. Phoenix could not capitalize, as Devin Booker missed a jumper on the next trip.
Jalen Williams missed a three, and with under a minute to play, Brooks gathered the ball with a one-point lead. He sized it up, stepped back, and drilled a three-pointer with 36.1 seconds left. It was his 14th point of the quarter.
SGA missed his next look, but Chet Holmgren cleaned it up, grabbing the offensive rebound and sticking it back in. On the ensuing possession, Dillon Brooks coughed it up, dribbling the ball out of bounds with 22.6 seconds remaining. Then, with 8.2 seconds left, Jalen Williams calmly drilled a 9-footer to tie the game at 105–105.
The Suns got the final shot. Devin Booker waved everyone off, isolated Alex Caruso, went left, rose up, and buried a deep three. 108–105. Suns win.
Up Next
The Suns head to Houston to play their first of two on the road. As for rest? None. They’ll be playing tomorrow night, so we’ll see you then Bright Siders.
