The Phoenix Suns moved to within a half-game of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings after recording an emphatic 133-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, January 2. It was a huge bounce-back win for the Suns, who had lost three of their previous four games.
The Suns managed to pull off the victory despite being shorthanded in this encounter. They are in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak, with four of their players currently in the league's health and safety protocols.
Shorthanded Suns start strong against Hornets
Those who tested positive for the coronavirus were starting center Deandre Ayton, backup center JaVale McGee, starting forward Jae Crowder, and reserve forward Abdel Nader. Phoenix's coaching staff was not spared, with head coach Monty Williams also sidelined because of COVID-19.
After the Suns' morning shootaround, acting coach Kevin Young addressed their lack of physicality in Friday's 123-108 loss to the Boston Celtics. The Suns' players took Young's message to heart as they got off to a terrific start against the Hornets. They raced to a 36-27 lead after the first quarter and extended their advantage to 73-47 at the halftime interval.
Devin Booker played a huge role in the Suns' first-half explosion, scoring 20 points during that period. The Suns as a unit were lethal from beyond the arc, knocking down 10 of their 22 3-point attempts. They continued their scoring assault in the second half, extending their lead to 43 points at one stage. Phoenix finished the game with 17 3-pointers. The Suns also dominated the rebounding battle, recording a 52-35 advantage over the Hornets in the boards' department.
It was not just Booker who excelled for the Suns in this contest. Chris Paul provided the veteran presence in the Phoenix backcourt, racking up seven points, six rebounds, and a game-high 16 assists. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson also thrived in their starting roles, adding 15 and 14 points, respectively.
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Smith, Biyombo step up big time for Suns
However, the night belonged to Jalen Smith and Bismack Biyombo, who delivered quality minutes for the undermanned Suns. Smith stepped up big time in the absence of Ayton, tying a career-high with 19 points. He also was a force down low, racking up 12 rebounds to post a double-double.
The bigger surprise was Biyombo, who played his first game of the 2021 season. The Suns signed the veteran big man to address their player shortage, and he duly delivered in his season debut, scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds in 18 minutes of action.
The Suns improved to 28-8 this season with the win over the Hornets. Charlotte remained in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-18 slate. The Hornets struggled with their outside shot against the Suns, missing 26 of their 35 attempts from deep.
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