Analysis: Suns' Bench Emerges as Key Factor in Victory Over Wizards

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00:00Let's take a closer look at the Phoenix Suns' victory over the Washington Wizards.

00:05A major preseason question mark for this Suns team was their performance when Devin Booker sits.

00:10The data from NBA stats shows that concern has been put to rest.

00:14In the first half of games this season with the Suns, at a 24-15 record,

00:19they are actually outscoring opponents by 2.1 points per 100 possessions when Booker is off

00:24the floor. That's a significant shift. This was on full display Sunday in the 1-12-93

00:29victory. The second unit didn't just hold the line, they built the lead. With Booker out for

00:362-0-1 in the first quarter, the Suns went plus 2. Then, over the first 5-35 of the second quarter,

00:42they extended a 4-point lead to a 13-point advantage.

00:46Head coach Jordan Ott praised the unit's energy, loved the way they played in that first stint.

00:51It's a ton of pressure on both ends, they really moved the ball offensively.

00:55And then defensively, we are a switching unit. So not only do we switch,

00:59but, we want to force turnovers and find ways to rebound. The bench production was key.

01:04They scored 25 of their 47 total bench points in that first half. Plays came from everywhere.

01:10A Ryan Dunn tip dunk and 3-pointer, triples from Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neal,

01:15and strong defensive possessions capped by a steal and score from rookie Rashear Fleming.

01:19This has been a season-long trend fueled by the chemistry of Colin Gillespie,

01:23Jordan Goodwin, and Oso Iguodaro. Booker himself highlighted their impact.

01:27They have a lot of chemistry. The ball is hopping around and there's no dip off when we step off

01:32the floor. We understand that's important to go where we're trying to go. On the individual front,

01:37Devin Booker finished with 17 points, 5 of 14 shooting, 8 assists, and just 1 turnover.

01:43Royce O'Neal scored a season-high 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including 5 of 9 from 3,

01:49adding 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. This came after a 3-for-17 stretch over 3 games.

01:57The team shot 17 of 52, 32.7% from 3-point range. Dylan Brooks scored 16 points, 5 of 14,

02:06and picked up his 13th technical foul of the season. He is now 3 technicals away from an

02:11automatic 1-game suspension. With this win, the Suns have now won 9 of their last 11 games.

02:17They sit 6th in the Western Conference, just a half-game out of 5th and 2 games back from 3rd place.

02:25Their cushion for playoff positioning is growing. They are 5.5 games ahead of 9th place Portland

02:31and 8.5 games ahead of the 11th seed. The team now embarks on a crucial 12-day,

02:376-game road trip, starting in Brooklyn on January 19. As for the Wizards, they played without new

02:43addition Trey Young. Young has been injured for much of the season, playing only 5 games after a

02:4822-game absence before being sidelined again. The Wizards, with a 10-28 record, have their own

02:55protected draft pick, top 8, to consider in what is viewed as a strong 2026 draft class. So, Suns fans,

03:03with the bench unit performing beyond expectations, and the team building momentum before a long road

03:10trip. How confident are you feeling about this team's consistency and playoff ceiling as we pass

03:16the season's halfway point?

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