Unbelievable. This team is unbelievable. I cannot stop smiling. This team does not quit. The game was over with one minute left. The Suns won a game despite committing 27 turnovers. It was one of the worst games of Devin Booker’s career. He was 4-of-18, had nine turnovers, and fouled out halfway through the fourth quarter. The Suns were down 113-105 with 1:09 left to play in the fourth quarter. Anthony Edwards scored 41 points on 14-of-24 from the field. Yet somehow, someway, they won 114-113 on the backs
of Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie and his heroic game-winner.
The Comeback
With 1:09 left to play in the fourth, Royce O’Neal scored a putback layup to make the game 113-107. Then Gillespie stole the inbounds pass, saved it back to his teammate, leading to a Jordan Goodwin three that brought the Suns back to life 113-110 with 43 seconds left. The Suns did not have to foul, and stripped Julius Randle, leading to a Goodwin fastbreak layup. The Suns forced ANOTHER turnover in the backcourt, and as O’Neal was going up for the layup to take the lead, Dillon Brooks was called for an offensive foul.
In the moment, it felt as if the Suns shot to steal the game was over, and the offensive foul had ended it. The Suns fouled Edwards as the inbounds pass missed Ryan Dunn’s fingertips by a fraction of an inch, but miraculously Edwards missed not one, but BOTH free throws. Now the Suns, down one, 113-112, called the timeout, and Jordan Ott drew up a play for this Villain Junior game-winner.
It was the Suns’ bench guards, Gillespie and Goodwin, who won this game for the Suns, not just in the final minute but throughout the entire game; their effort and intensity were undeterred.
Even the best writer in the world could not encapsulate how crazy and how wicked this game was but I will try my best.
The Suns looked incredible for portions of this game. They forced multiple shot clock violations, countless deflections, and a lot of poor shots from a Minnesota team that ranks fourth in the NBA in offensive efficiency. Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn, Jordan Goodwin, and Royce O’Neal led the charge defensively with their efforts guarding Timberwolves players up and down the floor. The Suns led by 18 points in the first half and then began to shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly. It was the Atlanta Hawks comeback all over again, but this time the team had Edwards, who was going bananas. Again, just to make my point clear, Phoenix committed 27 turnovers against a physical Minnesota defense, and still managed to stay in the fight and win this game.
The game was a roller coaster, it was the highest of highs in the first half, the lowest of lows in the second half, the officiating left both teams apoplectic. The final minute was reminiscent of a middle school basketball game, with the ball flying all over the place, and no one able to secure a loose ball except for Gillespie and Goodwin.
This game was out of control; it was out of this world.
The First Half
It was a back and forth affair early as Julius Randle got off to a fast start knocking down his first three shots, including two threes. One of his shots almost hit the ceiling as it bounced off the rim and came back down and in. Then I felt that pit at the bottom of my stomach come back. Was Randle going to continue to torture Suns just as he did last season?
The Suns were unphased and continued playing solid defense, creating turnovers and forcing misses which led to immediate fastbreak opportunities for Dunn and O’Neal to each connect from long range. Tied at 20 a piece with under four minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Suns flipped a switch and turned the defensive intensity up to 10. With Devin Booker and the bench unit in, they closed the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 32-24. The Suns finished the quarter with 12 fastbreak points compared to the Timberwolves zero fastbreak points, the Suns looked like the faster, hungrier team.
Then the second quarter happened. With Booker now resting during his usual stretch, the bench took over for the second straight game. With Oso Ighodaro at center the Suns were pressuring ball handlers and switching every on and off-ball action, harassing the Timberwolves guards and forcing steals and deflections. As chaotic as the defense was, the offense still functioned as Gillespie and O’Neal exploited Mike Conley and Minnesota’s defense to extend their lead to 17, at 47-30.
When the starters came back in, that’s where things got sloppy. Booker had multiple turnovers and missed shots down the stretch to give Minnesota life. Anthony Edwards started to get going to the basket and from long range, showcasing his elite athleticism and skill. The Timberwolves had cut the Suns lead to eight, but Mark Williams scored the last five points of the quarter to push the Suns lead back up to 13, 62-49 at halftime.
The Second Half
The third quarter went about as poorly as you could imagine. The Timberwolves continued their prehalftime surge and immediately took control of the game. They outscored the Suns 20-6 to start the third to take their first lead since the first quarter, 69-68. It was a one man show. Edwards could not be stopped, stepback threes, attacking the basket, whatever he wanted to do, he did it. He had 35 points on 5/10 from three at the end of the third quarter. Jordan Ott tried to find answers, going to his bench and Goodwin earlier than normal, but Edwards was blisteringly hot.
His counterpart, Booker, failed to keep pace as he committed turnover, after turnover, after turnover. The Timberwolves defense was turned up, and Booker’s casualness with the basketball cost the Suns dearly. With Booker struggling, the villain decided to take over and scored five of the Suns final seven points of the quarter to keep the Suns in it, down 82-81 after three quarters of play.
Unfortunately, not much changed for the Suns in the fourth quarter. Even with Edwards resting the Timberwolves ran empty side pick and rolls with Goberto to death and he got open layup after open layup. Even if he missed, the Suns let him tip the ball off the rim to himself until he drew a fifth personal foul on Brooks and finished the three point play. Minnesota’s lead ballooned to nine, up 97-88 with six minutes left after Booker committed his ninth turnover of the game leading to an Edwards fastbreak layup.
Phoenix, as it has all season, continued to battle. After a miserable night for Booker he hit O’Neal for a three to cut the Minnesota lead to three, and on the next possession Booker hit an incredible midrange pullup on the baseline over Randle and Gobert to make it a one point game, 100-99.
Then this game completely came off the rails. A Booker technical free throw and a Mark Williams floater plus defensive stops had the Suns up 102-100. Then Booker boxed out Gobert on the baseline and picked up his sixth foul as the seven-foot Frenchmen fell to the ground. Confused and befuddled with their superstar out for the game, the Suns doubled Edwards late in the shot clock on the next play and Donte Divincenzo knocked down his second three of the game to give his team a 104-102 lead. Then a Gillespie foul on an Edwards three, put the Timberwolves up 107-102.
Then the comeback happened.
The Suns should have won this game comfortably. Unfortunately, it was turnovers, Edwards going ballistic, and the foul trouble that plagued the Suns. All credit to Minnesota for getting back into the game, and at times, it looked like they were punking Phoenix. O’Neal shoved Randle, going up for a layup late in the game to air his frustrations. The Suns’ 18-point lead spiraled into what should have been its most gut-wrenching and difficult loss of the season. This team just had more competitive spirit for 48 minutes and did not quit.
It is only 16 games into the season, but this team is starting to feel special. There is magic and camaraderie around this team that is undeniable. This team may not be a “win a championship” type of special, but it is a team that, as a fan, you cannot wait to watch play night after night.
Why? Because they are never out of the fight.
