Suns pass Wembanyama test, top Spurs.

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00:00Welcome to the story of how Devin Booker and the Suns silenced the crowd with a masterclass

00:05in two-way basketball. Devin Booker is aware of the reason many fans gathered at the Mortgage

00:10Matchup Center on Sunday, and he was determined not to give them exactly what they expected to

00:15see. Instead, he aimed to remind everyone of the true purpose of their attendance each night.

00:21In a commanding performance, Booker and his Phoenix Suns effectively dismantled the San

00:26Antonio Spurs, who are generating excitement around their rookie Victor Wembenyama, with a score of

00:31130-118. This victory marked the Spurs' first loss of the season and demonstrated that a team with a

00:38depleted roster and less talent can still achieve significant success. Several elements contributed

00:43to the Suns' 3-4 triumph, but none were more crucial than Booker himself. He delivered an impressive

00:48performance, shooting 10 of 15 from the field, scoring 28 points, and providing 13 assists,

00:54albeit with 5 turnovers. This game showcased what can be described as a flawless execution

01:00of point-book, for those who may be frustrated by the philosophy of making the right play.

01:06This is an example of how effective it can be when it is fully realized.

01:10A display of beautiful basketball. Booker assisted on six of the Suns' first nine baskets,

01:16and recorded nine of his 13 assists in the first half alone. Some people don't like that sometimes say

01:21I'm overpassing. However, there are nights like tonight when we execute the right plays and

01:26successfully make the shots that I have confidence my team can hit, as I have witnessed them do on

01:31numerous occasions. Booker expressed. The Phoenix team started strong, hitting 12 out of their first

01:3816 three-point attempts, largely due to the plays initiated by Booker. He came into the game having

01:44recorded two of the top three performances in the league for potential assists. And on Sunday,

01:49those opportunities finally translated into successful shots. Booker never seems to tire

01:55of it, Grayson Allen remarked about his teammate. At the beginning of the season, we had games where

02:00our shooting was off, and many of those attempts were set up by his passes. He remains persistent,

02:06continues to make the right decisions, and builds confidence in his teammates. As the game progresses,

02:11that effort pays off. It's the only approach I've known since I arrived here. He consistently makes

02:20the right play, Suns head coach Joden Ott commented on Booker. I think we all feel good about his

02:26decision-making in those spots. Critically, Booker was able to find opportunities to score within the

02:33team's framework. San Antonio's Stefan Kassel, despite being only 21, is a strong defender, yet he struggled

02:40against Booker, who managed to exploit his defensive skills. Towards the end of the game, Booker gestured

02:45towards his head several times after drawing multiple fouls on Kassel, suggesting that he was

02:50getting into his opponent's head. When asked if Kassel was simply a young defender who still has room for

02:55improvement, Booker replied with a simple, yep, and a light laugh. The Spurs have come to terms with

03:01the fact that Wemban Yama often needs to play a deep drop behind ball screens due to his limited

03:06mobility. Despite his impressive agility for someone of his size, this defensive strategy is

03:11one that Booker can easily take advantage of, and he was doing just that. The foundation for this

03:16success was a remarkable defensive performance from the entire team. When Ott was questioned about

03:22the positive developments over the last two games, he highlighted the significant improvement

03:27in their defensive play. During that period, he emphasized Booker's significant role in the team's

03:32strategy. Booker believes that his performance is influenced by the type of player he is defending.

03:37I find it energizing to guard someone who is involved in numerous plays, rather than just focusing on

03:44help defense throughout the game, Booker explained. This was evident on a night when he was primarily

03:50tasked with defending a ball handler. Contrasting with the typical scenario where stars often end up

03:56shadowing off-ball shooters, the Phoenix team executed a well-planned strategy to effectively contain

04:01Wemben Yama. Wemben Yama has achieved superstar status, and a clear indication of this is that

04:06game strategies have shifted from attempting to stop him, to focusing on limiting him, as much as

04:12possible. He often creates a sense of despair for defenders, similar to other elite players, regardless

04:18of how well they approach him. If a team fails to manage the aspects they can control, they are likely

04:23to face a challenging game. In the case of Wemben Yama, the key is to prevent him from gaining momentum

04:29and driving towards the basket. A ball handler poses a significant threat because he can reach

04:34the basket from nearly any position within his two legal steps. To counter this, the defense must

04:40focus on limiting the number of catches, including lob passes, that occur close to the basket.

04:47The screeners on defense need to be precise in their movements to either force the ball handler out of

04:52the paint or create open space at the three-point line. When the ball handler drives into the paint,

04:57it becomes crucial for the Suns players to make smart decisions, as noted by Ott before the game,

05:03since Wemben Yama is ready to block any shot or intercept a pass. Throughout most of the game,

05:08Phoenix utilized a wing player, primarily Royce O'Neal, to defend against Wemben Yama while

05:13employing a strategy of switching on all screens. The Suns' big man would position himself in the weak

05:19side corner, offering additional support in case Wemben Yama managed to get past the initial

05:24defender. Every player on the Suns executed the defensive strategy effectively, focusing on a

05:30anyone-but-him approach to limit Wemben Yama's impact. In terms of switching, there was a notable

05:36possession, where Booker effectively engaged Wemben Yama, adding to the defensive effort.

05:41A rebound can be defined as a combination of effort and discipline in physical activity.

05:46According to Allen, it involves being active and energetic, while also positioning oneself correctly

05:52to avoid fouls. In the first quarter of the game, Wemben Yama experienced his first scoreless quarter

05:57out of a total of 21 possible this season. With less than two minutes remaining, he had only attempted

06:03two shots and had not gone to the free-throw line. Similar to Booker, he seemed to be focused on making

06:07the right plays, but his teammates were struggling to make three-point shots. Meanwhile, Wemben Yama

06:13was not being assertive enough in seeking his own shot immediately after receiving the ball.

06:18His performance for the game included 4 out of 14 shooting, resulting in 9 points, along with 9

06:24rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, and 6 turnovers. Wemben Yama picked up his fourth foul

06:31just 40 seconds into the second half, which was a result of Booker's persistent off-ball pressure

06:36during a post-entry. Although Booker had shown some defensive indifference earlier in the week,

06:41he quickly returned to the high standard of play that is expected of him. The game showcased Phoenix's

06:46ability to perform as a two-way player. In this match, Phoenix continued to create chaos,

06:52forcing turnovers for the second consecutive game, and demonstrating remarkable efficiency

06:56in converting those opportunities into points. They scored 21 points from 14 turnovers committed

07:02by the Spurs. With a superstar like Booker playing at an elite level, making shots, and a defense that

07:09was tightly coordinated, the ingredients for a decisive and unexpected victory were all in place.

07:15The Suns built a lead that reached as high as 31 points, maintaining control throughout most of

07:21the game. However, a 12-0 run by the Spurs in the middle of the fourth quarter narrowed the gap to

07:2714 points, momentarily adding some excitement to the contest. At that point, Booker drew fouls on

07:33Castle, which helped to stabilize the game. He then went to the free-throw line for two shots,

07:38and assisted Ryan Dunn for a three-pointer, extending Phoenix's lead back to 19.

07:42Shortly after, San Antonio opted to bring in their bench players, a move reminiscent of Greg Popovich's

07:49strategy, even though they could have made one last push for the win. Dunn played exceptionally well,

07:54playing a crucial role in both the offensive and defensive strategies. His movements and rotations

07:59were integral to the team's overall performance. The players' contributions on both ends of the

08:05court, particularly in terms of screening and spacing while being defended by a larger opponent,

08:10were significant. He logged 30 minutes of play, during which he scored 17 points, grabbed five

08:16rebounds, provided one assist, and made one steal. Although Dunn experienced a few subpar performances

08:23last week, he maintained the confidence of his head coach, which is a positive indicator for Phoenix's

08:28goals this season. The team finished with a remarkable three-point shooting performance,

08:35hitting 19 out of 33 attempts for a success rate of 57.6%. Allen was particularly effective,

08:44making five of his nine attempts, and ending the game with 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists,

08:51continuing his strong start to the season. Castle delivered an impressive performance with 26 points

08:57on 10 for 16 shooting, along with seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, one block, and two

09:04turnovers. He and Dylan Harper worked hard to keep San Antonio on the defensive, but Harper had to exit

09:10the game in the second quarter due to a left calf injury after contributing 12 points in just 11 minutes.

09:16For the Suns, Jalen Green, suffering from a right hamstring strain, and Dylan Brooks,

09:22dealing with a core muscle strain, were both unavailable. Green has recently participated in

09:29five-on-five practice sessions. During the pregame warm-up, there were two positive indicators

09:35suggesting that he is nearing a return. While Brooks is not quite ready yet, Ott mentioned before the game

09:41that it was encouraging to see him participating in workouts. Green has missed all seven games of the

09:46regular season so far, and Brooks has now been sidelined for four consecutive games. What do you

09:51believe is the key to maintaining such a high level of play on both ends of the court?

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