The Phoenix Suns have an interesting matchup on Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. In the midst of the trade deadline, two actively engaged teams in deals will come to blows.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Suns haven’t made any deals yet, though one of their more important roster shakeups came against the Nets. With Devin Booker back in the lineup, the starters were finally back at full strength.
Booker made his impact in the first quarter, and it carried over for Phoenix. The Suns lead 57-51 at halftime.
Booker’s Return
Suns fans will have to be patient with the superstar guard as he makes his way back from a groin injury.
Shot-wise, Booker didn’t appear to miss a beat in the first half against the Nets. The 6-foot-5 guard went 4-of-7 from the field, resulting in 11 points.
He was able to lead the Suns in scoring in the first quarter during his short timespan also. He scored eight points while connecting on three of his first four field goal attempts.
Booker is still on minutes restriction, which makes his scoring during the first half all the more impressive. Even so, he did appear a bit winded at times on defense. Such is expected given his extended amount of time away from the court.
Still, Booker’s presence alone on the court opens up opportunities for other teammates, giving the Suns some breathing room against the Nets.
Cam Thomas Continues to Dominate
The Nets haven’t had the best of luck lately given the Kyrie Irving saga. With Kevin Durant still rehabbing from a MCL sprain, Brooklyn is in need of its younger players in order to maintain some momentum.
Thomas has been just the answer for the Nets in his past few games, and he’s continued to impact the contest on Tuesday.
Thomas was unfazed by the Suns’ defense, knocking down three-pointers at will. He finished the half with 24 points while shooting 8-of-13 from the floor. He also shot 3-for-5 from three-point range.
Deandre Ayton Vs. Nic Claxton
Claxton has certainly made his name known this season. So much has been done by the 6-foot-11 center that he’s widely considered to be on the All-Defense team by season’s end.
On the other side of the spectrum, Ayton has been having dominant performances on a consistent basis as of late. With that, the battle of the bigs was sure to be enjoyable in the first half.
Ayton walked away with more of an impact, though. The seven-footer put up 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. He also grabbed seven rebounds.
Claxton wasn’t a non-factor on his end of the deal either. He was able to go 4-of-6 from the field, resulting in nine points to go with five rebounds and two steals.
Both teams refused to let their foot of the gas in the first half, leading to such a tight knit score.
