Suns surprise going deep into their bag.
The Phoenix Suns head into Denver, surprising fans and pundits alike by going deep into the experimentation bag and mixing up their starting lineup and key rotations for this showdown in the Mile High City.
Starters in Denver ☄️ pic.twitter.com/OsUB298tcP
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 14, 2024
The Opening Quarter
Featuring successful 3-point makes early and often, the Suns set the tempo with a sense of purpose out of the gate. The first quarter featured a Suns squad made up of team depth that got back on defense, showed active hands, and pushed the tempo.
The first quarter ended with the Suns sticking around and keeping the boxscore fairly close:
SUNS 26 | NUGGETS 33
The Second Quarter
Going even deeper into the bench personnel, Royce sat to start the 2nd quarter, with TyTy Washington staying in the game. The Nuggets went to their bench for extended minutes here. Julian Strawther made key perimeter shots, and the Nuggets looked like they would pull away.
Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case.
The Suns kept firing away—with Bol Bol connecting on some timely baskets—and raised the tempo further, resulting in a short stretch that led to a 12—4 run by Phoenix and a Nuggets time-out midway through the 2nd.
At this point, Michael Malone calls a timeout, returns the starters to the court, and steadies the ship heading into halftime.
SUNS 51 | NUGGETS 60
The Third Quarter
The Suns’ theme in this game was established in the third quarter—composure. Defensively, Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neale set the tone. Supported by some sterling heads-up play from Monte Morris, the Suns gained ground as the Nuggets returned to their bench lineups.
Collin Gillespie surprises with some good work, connecting with some baskets and ball movement, and then the head count begins:
Bol Bol
Monte Morris
Collin Gillespie
Mason Plumlee
All of a sudden, the penny drops… Mike Budenholzer is out here playing chess, ensuring all the former Nuggets players get serious court time. And it’s working. Do the Suns have a death line up?
SUNS 88 | NUGGETS 90
The Fourth Quarter
If the Suns were composed to complete the 3rd, they were near-dominant through the 4th. Ryan Dunn continued to put the clamps on, playing physically and effectively on defence. The offense continued to run through set plays and volume three-point shooting. Both teams went to bench lineups throughout the fourth quarter, and Ryan Dunn continued to build on his impressive rookie season, going 6 / 11 from three—capped by the shot of the night—hitting a huge three to seal the game with 18 seconds left on the clock.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Suns strike gold in Denver, capping a solid win built on team depth and composure:
SUNS WIN 118-114 in Denver
Stars of the game!
- Ryan Dunn 20pts 4rebs 4ast 3blks 2stls
- Monte Morris 20pts 7ast 2stls
- Bol Bol 14pts 7rebs
- Royce O’Neale 17pts 4rebs 4ast 2stls
- Collin Gillespie 12pts 6ast
Great work here for Phoenix. This is the kind of game that offers high hopes for the season ahead. The pace, the pressing defense, the three-point volume (the team took 50 threes, hitting 23 for a sweltering 46%!). You love to see it!
And how sweet it is with seven players sitting this one out for Phoenix. At least for one night in Denver—during the preseason—the Suns have a death lineup.