Suns practice report: Chriss out with injury; Chandler to play 2 more years? | 1:08
Suns insider Scott Bordow updates the Suns’ health status ahead of Sunday’s game and reports that Tyson Chandler, 35, is looking to play two more years.
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Jay Triano on Suns’ loss to Rockets | 0:58
Triano: “Getting a rebound was a big thing.”
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Alec Peters on seeing action in Suns’ loss to Rockets | 1:07
Peters: “Coach called my number and I just wanted to make a positive impact.”
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Scott Bordow on Suns’ loss to Rockets | 1:12
Rockets were without 7 players including James Harden
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Charles Barkley on Suns career, Trump comments | 2:56
Former Suns star Charles Barkley on Donald Trump’s comments: ‘I just felt sadness’
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KJ on returning to Phoenix for Suns’ 90s night | 0:00
Kevin Johnson: “We were part of a renaissance here in Phoenix. I think a lot of us here today played some small role in changing the trajectory.”
Sean Logan/azcentral sports
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Majerle on 1992-1993 Suns team | 0:42
Former Suns great Dan Majerle on 1992-1993 team
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Suns greats greet fans with autographs | 0:53
Suns greats sign autographs for fans prior to Friday’s game against the Rockets.
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Scott Bordow on Suns game vs. the Rockets | 0:53
Rockets without James Harden, Suns without Marquese Chriss, Josh Jackson and Isaiah Canaan.
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Scott Bordow with Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley before Suns-Rockets | 0:52
Archie Bradley discusses being a member of the community
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Josh Jackson on his big game vs. Thunder | 1:13
Jackson: “I think I did a really good job just waiting on the defense to make a mistake.”
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Jay Triano on Suns win over Thunder | 1:01
Triano: “This is probably [Dragan Bender’s] most complete game. I thought he was sound defensively, as well.”
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Scott Bordow on Suns win over the Thunder | 1:25
Bordow: Suns’ #TheTimeline shows life as Bender, Jackson bring big games off the bench.
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Triano on Suns’ loss to Spurs | 1:08
Suns interim coach Jay Triano on Friday’s loss to the Spurs.
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Bordow on Suns’ loss to Spurs | 1:09
Suns insider Scott Bordow breaks down the Suns’ loss to the Spurs on Friday.
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Chandler on Suns’ loss to Spurs | 1:06
Suns center Tyson Chandler on his team’s loss to the Spurs on Friday.
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Marquese Chriss after Suns’ loss | 0:58
Suns forward Marquese Chriss discusses the lack of effort in Phoenix’s loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday.
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Scott Bordow recaps Suns’ crazy win over Hawks | 1:14
Suns insider Scott Bordow breaks down a crazy Suns comeback against the Hawks at home on Tuesday.
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The Suns trick play | 2:01
The Phoenix Suns ran a trick play for the ages to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Greg Moore and JJ Hensley from azcentral sports discuss in today’s Shot Clock.
Thomas Hawthorne/ azcentral sports
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Jay Triano on Suns’ game-winning play | 1:27
Suns interim coach Jay Triano explains how Tyson Chandler was allowed to score with 0.4 seconds left on an alley-oop dunk from an inbounds pass to beat the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
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Eric Bledsoe discusses trade from Suns | 2:32
Milwaukee Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe discusses his former team ahead of the Suns vs. Bucks game on Wednesday.
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Devin Booker on incident with Lakers coach | 0:32
Devin Booker discusses an incident with a Lakers coach late in Monday’s loss to Los Angeles.
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Suns fans: What do they know? Do they know things?? Let’s find out | 3:14
azcentral sports’ Chris Cole talks to Suns fans outside of Talking Stick Resort Arena before Phoenix’s season opener on Wednesday. Yihyun Jeong/azcentral sports
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Suns practice report: Chriss out with injury; Chandler to play 2 more years?
Jay Triano on Suns’ loss to Rockets
Alec Peters on seeing action in Suns’ loss to Rockets
Scott Bordow on Suns’ loss to Rockets
Charles Barkley on Suns career, Trump comments
KJ on returning to Phoenix for Suns’ 90s night
Majerle on 1992-1993 Suns team
Suns greats greet fans with autographs
Scott Bordow on Suns game vs. the Rockets
Scott Bordow with Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley before Suns-Rockets
Josh Jackson on his big game vs. Thunder
Jay Triano on Suns win over Thunder
Scott Bordow on Suns win over the Thunder
Triano on Suns’ loss to Spurs
Bordow on Suns’ loss to Spurs
Chandler on Suns’ loss to Spurs
Marquese Chriss after Suns’ loss
Scott Bordow recaps Suns’ crazy win over Hawks
The Suns trick play
Jay Triano on Suns’ game-winning play
Eric Bledsoe discusses trade from Suns
Devin Booker on incident with Lakers coach
Suns fans: What do they know? Do they know things?? Let’s find out
Jan 12, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) guards Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports(Photo: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
As the Suns headed onto the floor for the second half of their game against the Houston Rockets Friday, members of the 1992-93 Suns team that reached the NBA Finals were walking in the opposite direction.
The halftime celebration over, Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle and Kevin Johnson stopped for interviews. As they spoke, the silence inside Talking Stick Resort Arena was telling.
The Suns, after four days off, were dominated by a Houston team that was missing seven players, including point guard and Arizona State product James Harden. Houston didn’t score 90 points in the first half, as it did in November, but the 112-95 loss, given the circumstances, was just as disturbing.
“Tonight, they were better,” interim coach Jay Triano said.
To be fair, Phoenix was missing three of its rotation players in Marquese Chriss (hip), Josh Jackson (hip) and Isaiah Canaan (adductor muscle). But that doesn’t add up to a 17-point loss to a Houston team that was missing so many big men 6-foot-6 P.J. Tucker served as the backup center.
And yet the Rockets outrebounded the Suns 53-38.
Houston’s 3-point heavy offense – the Rockets attempted 47 3-pointers – does spread opposing big men out and make it difficult to chase down rebounds. That helps explain Houston’s 14 offensive rebounds, which were converted into 15 second-chance points. But the Suns didn’t do anything on the other end, with only four offensive rebounds.
Or one less than Houston center Clint Capela.
“It’s definitely different,” said Dragan Bender, who had 14 points and eight rebounds. “They have four or five players on the court who can shoot a 3 and they move really well.”
The Suns actually defended the 3 well – Houston shot 31.9 percent – but when they switched defensively in order to take away the 3-point shot the Rockets guards blew by bigger defenders and got to the basket time and time again. Chris Paul, in particular, tortured Phoenix with 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Houston was 24 of 47 (51 percent) inside the 3-point line.
“That’s on me,” Triano said. “We were switching trying to force a team that wants to shoot 47 3s to shoot twos and they did. That’s on me. That’s our coverage.”
Offensively, the Suns had 27 assists on 37 buckets and shot 46.2 percent from the field but that last number is a bit misleading. Devin Booker (27 points, six rebounds, nine assists but also nine turnovers) and T.J. Warren (21 points) were their usual selves but Phoenix got little offensively from the rest of its roster.
Booker and Warren were a combined 19 of 35 from the field. Their teammates, collectively: 18 of 45.
“They didn’t get a lot of help tonight,” Triano said.
Phoenix started fast and had a 21-10 lead with five minutes and 20 seconds left in the first quarter. Over the next 11:52, however, the Rockets outscored the Suns 37-8. It was a 57-44 game at halftime and Phoenix never threatened after that.
“I don’t think we were shell shocked,” Triano said.
Maybe not, but it certainly wasn’t how the Suns thought they would follow up arguably their best performance of the season in Sunday’s win over Oklahoma City.
“We were just outplayed tonight,” Booker said.
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