In the regular-season finale, the Phoenix Suns battled until the final whistle.
Phoenix sat all but one of its starters Sunday as they hosted the Sacramento Kings. The Kings partially dimmed what was a bright and shimmering season for the Suns as they won 116-109 at the Footprint Center.
With Chris Paul and Cameron Payne out, it was between Aaron Holiday and Elfrid Payton to get the start at point guard and tonight it was Holiday. Holiday has seen an uptick in playing time over the past few games over Payton getting the chance to earn valuable playoff minutes.
Tonight wasn’t his night as he shot a poor 3-17 and 1-8 from beyond the arc.
Playing its second and third unit, Phoenix struggled out of the gate. The team made one of its eight three-point shots in the first quarter.
The Kings, on the other hand, drained six threes in the first quarter.
Cameron Johnson started the game looking to build some rhythm coming back from a thigh contusion costing him 13 games, but couldn’t find his shooting stroke. During the season he was among the top three-point shooters in the league with 42% but since he returned from injury his three-point shooting has dipped to 19% in the last six games since his injury.
Center JaVale McGee was a spark for the Suns on the offensive end. He used his size to dominate the paint as he scored eight points and won three offensive rebounds.
He kept the team within striking distance following Sacramento’s hot shooting in the first quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same. Sacramento kept hitting their threes while Phoenix couldn’t.
Phoenix’s third-leading defensive rating couldn’t stop Sacramento from connecting on eight threes on 12 attempts. The defense also kept putting the Kings at the line as they finished the first half with 13 attempts.
The halftime score of 67-51 was reflective of the Suns’ inability to get stops and make shots from downtown.
One Sun who made his shots was guard Landry Shamet. His ability to make shots kept Phoenix in the game where the Kings shot 50% from the field and beyond the arc. Shamet finished with a new season-high of 27 points on 5-12 from downtown.
Phoenix won the third quarter by seven points as the lead was cut to nine points. The stage was set for the Suns to show why they’ve been the best all season in clutch moments.
Even without the starters, the team put up a tough fight and made the Kings work for the win.
After receiving a new contract to become available for the playoffs, forward Ishmail Wainright battled in the fourth quarter to keep the game alive. Wainright coming off of a 20-point game on April 6th scored nine of his 15 points in the final quarter of the Suns’ regular season.
Eventually, it was former Sun, center Damian Jones, who had multiple 3-point plays which sealed the game. Jones played in 14 games for Phoenix last season and finished with 19 points.
Jones wasn’t the only Kings player to finish with 19 points as guards Donte DiVincenzo and Justin Holiday shot a combined 9-14 from beyond the arc.
The last few minutes provided some hope for the Suns to end on a high note with the lead shrinking to as much as three points before it descended into fouling with the Kings preserving the 116-109 win.
This game’s purpose was to get some playing time for the second and third units to ultimately become deeper in the playoffs. Head coach Monty Williams was still able to maintain a winning culture as they fought hard throughout the game. The spirit was there but the inability to hit threes was a big factor in the loss.
With the regular season in its rearview mirror, Phoenix will wait to see how the NBA play-in the tournament pans out to see who the team will face off in the first round of the playoffs as they seek to return to the finals.
Contact the reporter at noahv822@gmail.com.
