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Suns Perform Record-Setting 1st Quarter to Blow Out OKC

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Phoenix Suns Arena Friday night.  This was the second time the teams would face off this season.  OKC took the Suns down in the previous matchup, bringing Phoenix’s record to 8-8.  Since then, Monty Williams – the Western Conference coach of the month for March – has coached his ballclub to a 26-6 record.

“Whenever we struggle or we have some challenges, this group responds,” Williams said about their turnaround. “If it’s a tough loss, these guys bounce back. If it’s a tough stretch of basketball – some mistakes – those guys self-correct. And at the end of the day, they want it.”

Ending the game early

As they often do, the Suns started with a quick alley-oop from Chris Paul to DeAndre Ayton off the opening tip.  Paul was facing his former team, which may have been the cause for his early aggression.  He orchestrated an early onslaught over OKC, helping the Suns jump out to a 24-5 lead midway through the first.

Despite OKC having a down year, the Suns showed why they are respected as a legitimate threat in the West.  They looked like a well-oiled machine that would be difficult for any team to beat.  The team collectively poured it on in the first quarter and got it done on both ends of the floor.  Consequently, they led 43-13 to close out the period – a franchise record for point differential in a quarter.

The Suns were in cruise control through the remainder of the first half, going up by as much as 32.  Although they remained comfortably in control, OKC closed in on their lead for a halftime score of 73-50.  Paul went into the break with 12 points and 7 assists on perfect shooting.

Cruise control

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Trading baskets seemed to be the theme early in the second half, with OKC fighting to get back in the game.  A 12 to 4 run saw the Thunder cut their deficit to less than 20, but only for a moment.  After 5 straight points from Devin Booker, followed by a pretty feed to Ayton for a one-hand jam, it was evident that Booker planned to keep his team in the driver’s seat.

The fourth quarter required little time from the Suns’ starters, as they took their biggest lead of the night early in the frame.  After sending their starters to the bench, Phoenix’s bench players maintained and even extended the lead.

The Suns (34-14) went on to win this game over the Thunder (20-28) handily, 140-103, for their fifth straight victory.

Following a season-high 45-point performance, Booker led the Suns with 32 points and 5 assists in just 30 minutes.  Paul finished with 17 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds in 22 minutes of action.  Plus, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson each added 17 points.

“[We’re] Just getting better, continuing to get better to reach our goals down the line,” Booker said. “We always say we’re not playing against our opponents. We’re playing against ourselves.”

Rookie Theo Maledon erupted for a game-high 33 points for OKC; his season average is just 9.3 points per game.  Aleksej Pokusevski added 20 points of his own for the Thunder, while Justin Jackson dropped 15 off the bench.

The Suns will get the weekend off and travel to Houston to take on the Rockets Monday at 5:00 p.m. PST.

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