CLEVELAND β TheΒ Phoenix SunsΒ needed center Mark Williams to have a huge game to combat theΒ Cleveland Cavaliersβ frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
He didnβt.
The Suns needed to slow down Donovan Mitchell.
They failed to do that, too, but were still in position late in the third quarter to pull out a win to cap a successful four-game road trip with a victory, but they succumbed to a massive Cleveland scoring surge to lose, 129-113, on Dec. 31 at Rocket Arena.
A sellout crowd of 19,432 watched the Cavs (19-16) build a 20-point, first-half lead, nearly lose it as Phoenix chopped that down to two points late in the third, but then went on a 24-5 run to pull away in snapping Phoenixβs four-game win streak.
βOn the road against a battle-tested team, that's a tough deficit to get out of, but we kept clawing,β Suns star guard Devin Booker said.
Booker paced the Suns with 32 points, scoring 19 in the third quarter, while Dillon Brooks posted 20, all coming in the first half, as he only attempted three shots in the second half.
βThatβs on me,β Suns coach Jordan Ott said. βGot to find ways get him going.β
Here are takeaways as Phoenix (19-14) returns home to face Sacramento on Jan. 2 after going 3-1 on the four-game road trip.
βStings a little bit,β Brooks said. βWe couldn't keep the streak going, but we'll make a new streak.β
Cavs have their way inside
Ott saw firsthand last season as a Cavs assistant what Mobley and Allen bring to the table. He knew what Phoenix required from Williams to offset Mobley and Allen to compete against the Cavs. βWe're going to need (Williams) to be dominant and massive inside for us,β Ott said pregame.
Williams and Suns backup big Oso Ighodaro came up small against Mobley and Allen.
The Cleveland duo combined for 32 points and 21 rebounds while Williams and Ighodaro combined for just two points and nine rebounds.
Williams accounted for the two points that came on free throws and Ighodaro managed just one rebound in 21 minutes.
That simply canβt happen.
The 6-3 Jordan Goodwin, wearing a mask due to a jaw sprain, battled for the Suns among the Cleveland trees to grab a game-high 15 rebounds in setting a franchise record for most boards by a guard coming off the bench.
He wrestled away eight offensive boards, but only scored four points on 1-of-11 shooting.
Itβs one thing to grab the offensive boards as Goodwin is a specialist at it for a guard, but he found it challenging trying to finish around Allen and Mobley, who blocked five shots.
Cleveland finished with 56 points in the paint, 20 more than Phoenix generated.
That canβt happen. Simply canβt happen.
Cavs took it from Suns early, late
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson drenched Ott with pregame praises, saying the Suns are the βhardest playing teamβ in the NBA right now and credited his former assistant for that.
Ott worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn and, most recently, in Cleveland last season. Atkinson felt Ott was ready to be an NBA head coach at that time
βHe just took a bigger step,β Atkinson said. βTook on a bigger role with us. I think I stepped back a lot, kind of let him and my other assistants do more. Saw the confidence growing. He was my right-hand man and has been for a while. It doesn't surprise me the success he's having.β
Atkinson later said Cleveland had better come to play or the Suns were βgoing to takeβ the game away from his team.
Turns out, Cleveland snatched it from Phoenix from the start.
As Ott said, βIt was an onslaught early.β
The Cavs won the physical battle to take that 20-point lead in the first half.
Phoenix responded with its usual pressure to rally within two points late in the third, but Cleveland reestablished the physical edge and ran away with it in the fourth.
They also protected the ball better.
Phoenix forced six turnovers in the third quarter that led to nine points, but Cleveland only coughed it up once in the fourth. The Suns are at their best when forcing turnovers, making 3s, getting on the offensive boards and winning the possession game.
The Suns grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, but they only scored 15 second-chance points on 5-of-21 shooting.
Not enough.
They shot 41.7% from 3 in going 15-of-36, but Cleveland also hit 15 3s on 38 attempts.
Phoenix took nine more shots, but Cleveland generated 31 assists on 48 field goals.
The Cavs not only shared the ball, but they also picked apart the Suns' defense with open layups, dunks and 3s off ball movement, player motion and dribble penetration.
Mitchell vs. Booker
Thereβs always been a debate about who is better between two of the NBAβs best shooting guards in Booker and Mitchell.
Pretty even outcome on New Yearβs Eve, but Mitchell attempted 12 free throws to Bookerβs four.
Chalk it up to the style of play, as Mitchell is considered the more physical, athletic player or Booker not getting favorable whistles.
Booker had a cut on his upper right arm that looked like he got tangled up with Marvelβs Wolverine, but how Mitchell handled Brooksβ physicality factored in the outcome.
He didnβt express outward frustration. Kept his cool even after falling to the floor from a collision with Brooks and played through it.
Those who have stayed composed when facing Brooks and the Suns fare much better than those who react with frustration and anger.
