Phoenix Suns

Having lost five of their last six games, Phoenix plays the team that started their skid, Houston, so how will the Suns get right against the Rockets?

[Boston](https://valleyofthesuns.com/2022/12/08/bright-spot-first-quarter-flop-phoenix-suns-celtics/) don’t apply – the Suns have lost the game in the fourth quarter, which started with the loss to the Rockets. [With or without DBook](https://valleyofthesuns.com/2022/12/12/right-move-phoenix-suns-rest-devin-booker/) against Houston, the Suns should have Paul, and now is the time for CP3 to start closing some games again. Ayton is shooting a ridiculous 70.8% from the field over the six games in December, and the Suns need to maximize that hot hand. It was a game the Suns let slip away, and they paid the price. The Suns outshot Houston from the floor, making five more baskets (45 to 40) and shooting a higher percentage (53% to 49%). Since that run, the Suns have lost five of six, including [ four straight](https://valleyofthesuns.com/2022/12/12/third-star-fails-shine-suns-slump-continues-against-pelicans/), as they head to Houston to play a Rockets team who started the Suns down this windy road of losses in Phoenix.

In Part 2 of The Arizona Republic's Q&A with Sam Garvin, the Suns interim governor talks about promoting GM James Jones and team's start.

I love his tenacity, I love his passion and I think he’s going to do well in the right situation with the right team. It’s going to happen when it’s going to happen, but I think Jae is going to go somewhere and do well and I think we’re going to get value for Jae.” They’re all about the ‘we’ and not about the ‘me,’ and so I think they’ve done really well and I have high expectations that we’ll make it to the playoffs.” The turmoil at the beginning of the season in the organization and the front office and then what happened to Cam and some of the injuries, I think they’ve exceeded my expectations and I know they’re always trying to do better. I wouldn’t need anyone’s authority to do it, but I rely on James and our basketball ops staff to do all the negotiations and the numbers, but I like Cam and I’m glad he’s with us and I hope he gets back quickly.” His actual renewal of his contract was handled by James and of course Cam’s agent as is common, but I’ve always been a Cam fan and I rely on James to determine what was the best offer we could make to help retain Cam and keep us competitive. 20, to be the governor, I just kind of sat down with him and I said, ‘I think it’s incredible what you’ve accomplished not only at the Suns, but before the Suns, and you’ve excelled in everything you’ve done. So I said, ‘I’d like to promote you as president of basketball operations.’ He was very humble, and he said, ‘I’m not asking for anything, Mr. He left, pursued his career, went to Miami, went to Cleveland and we just kind of stayed in touch and then one day, Robert called me and said, ‘I want to bring James Jones back to be an assistant GM.’ And I’m like, that’s the best deal I ever heard, I said, because he knows the basketball side of the business cause he lived and breathed it. He knows a little bit about the business side of the business because he has a degree in finance from the University of Miami. And I want to think about life after basketball and someone told me to that you’re a CEO and you know a lot about business. I went to the University of Miami and I’m just thinking about someday I’m going to be done playing.

Chris Paul is back. But the Suns team surrounding him is looking less and less familiar.

That indeed has impacted some of the things Phoenix has been able to do while the betting market indeed has shifted. The Suns are -6 point favorites depending ...

Rockets](https://www.si.com/nba/suns/gameday/phoenix-suns-devin-booker-wont-play-houston-rockets) [Suns Stumble in NBA Power Rankings](https://www.si.com/nba/suns/analysis/phoenix-suns-stumble-nba-power-rankings) [Stephen A. Smith Says Suns' Title Window is Closed](https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/stephen-a-smith-phoenix-suns-title-window-closed) [Report: Suns Engaged in Three-Team Trade Talks for Jae Crowder](https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/report-phoenix-suns-engaged-three-team-trade-talks-jae-crowder) Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 224 points." While he did not have a great scoring night the last time the teams met, he did not have Chris Paul feeding him the ball. Houston has won 32% of the games this season it was the moneyline underdog (8-17). Phoenix has come away with 13 wins in the 21 contests it has been listed as the favorite in this season.

The Phoenix Suns face the Houston Rockets in the third meeting between the teams this season. The game will be televised by Bally Sports AZ at 6 p.m. MT. The ...

- Opponent 2-point percentage: Phoenix (No. - Opponent 3-point percentage: Phoenix (No. - Opponent shooting percentage: Phoenix (No. - Opponent points per game: Phoenix (No. - Turnovers per game: Phoenix (No. - Steals per game: Phoenix (No. - Blocks per game: Phoenix (No. - 2-point percentage: Phoenix (No. - 3-point percentage: Phoenix (No. - Rebounds per game: Phoenix (No. - Assists per game: Phoenix (No. - Points per game: Phoenix (No.

Dean Stoyer has left his position as chief marketing and communications officer with the Phoenix Suns and will be running a newly-formed content and event ...

“Now that we have established a competitive racing team, it’s time to take the next step in building a business that educates, entertains, and inspires millions of Americans through compelling storytelling and experiences. “We will continue to establish the goals of Trackhouse and diligently pursue opportunities which further the vision. Stoyer, who started with the Suns in 2019, has been working on sports marketing for nearly three decades.

HOUSTON (AP) Jalen Green had 26 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 18 as the Houston Rockets never trailed in a 111-97 win over the slumping Phoenix Suns on ...

He had 14 points and eight rebounds. Rockets: Alperen Sengun had 10 points and 16 rebounds. Silas was emotional when speaking about his father before the game. ... Tari Eason had 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. A 7-2 run by the Suns got them within 11 with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the game. an 18-game winning streak (last season) and lost in the second round. ... Paul had seven assists. ''As long as the locker room stays positive and understands that it's a long season. ''I don't know if it makes it easier or not, but my dad was a coach and he would tell me to coach,'' Silas said. ... Torrey Craig had 12 rebounds. Ayton injured his left ankle and Payne sustained a right foot injury. HOUSTON (AP) Jalen Green had 26 points and Kevin Porter Jr.

The new Clutch, Conference Finals MVP and Best Regular Season Records awards all come too late for Phoenix Suns.

Is it a league-wide conspiracy to hold off giving out these awards until exactly a year after the Suns could have won all of them? Would have been nice to put this award somewhere in the Purple Palace, right? He started slow upon his return, but closed out the Clippers with an outstanding 41 points on 16/24 shooting, plus 8 assists and 3 steals, in Game 6 in LA. For years, Suns point guard Chris Paul has been one of the league’s best clutch players. Remember when Dirk Nowitzki won the MVP award and had to accept it from home, after his Warriors lost their first round playoff series? As Suns fans know all too well, leading the league in regular season wins guarantees you nothing but one extra game at home in the playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns lost for the fifth straight game by 14 points to the Houston Rockets in a game not that close, but there was one highlight for Phoenix.

A highlight block and dunk are not as good as a win, but it is something Okogie can build on, if not the team. Okogie was not done from there, as he dribbled down the court, and as Green passed by trying to swipe at the ball, Okogie went up and dunked right on Tari Eason, who was trying to block the attempt. The play started with the shot clock running down on Houston and Jalen Green, trying to create space at the top of the key.

"The real you shows when times get tough," said Mikal Bridges after the Suns loss to the Rockets.

All Tatum needs is a sliver and he gets much more than that in their game versus [Boston](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/celtics/) in the clip below. [Eric Gordon](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/eric-gordon-Lj7fp7oMTPR6Thay/) long enough to know playing that deep in drop coverage is only begging him to shoot. Bridges, who finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, knows the caliber of players around him in the locker room and doesn’t need reminding of what they can do. [Devin Booker](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/devin-booker-4wodYWTaBEfNXJjo/) has missed the last two games with a hamstring issue. [Mikal Bridges](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/mikal-bridges-dmZgViDJ3He5ZrQp/) and Ayton — is a whopping plus-32 in net rating but has played just 67 minutes together. Credit must be given to a young Houston team, displaying a rare form of poise and control on both sides of the ball recently, having beaten both Phoenix and [Milwaukee](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/bucks/) in back-to-back games. [the Suns lost 111-97 to the Rockets](https://theathletic.com/nba/game/houston-rockets-vs-phoenix-suns/DMK1LuUb8brS2HSg/), their fifth straight loss and their sixth in the last seven fixtures. Playing a lot of defense and it’s putting pressure on our offense. To date, the Suns’ most-used lineup this season has both Payne and [Torrey Craig](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/torrey-craig-90lUfTONMRqAMr4h/) in, two fine players but not what a team in contending mode should expect. This is a Rockets team that is 26th in offensive efficiency. Over the past two seasons, the Suns have finished with the third- and sixth-best defensive units, per Cleaning the Glass. As an isolated incident, the position Phoenix was in with 9 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the first quarter wasn’t all doom and gloom.

It all started on Nov. 4 when in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Cam Johnson suffered a torn meniscus requiring surgery which has left him on the ...

Smith Says Suns' Title Window is Closed](https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/stephen-a-smith-phoenix-suns-title-window-closed) [Report: Suns Engaged in Three-Team Trade Talks for Jae Crowder](https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/report-phoenix-suns-engaged-three-team-trade-talks-jae-crowder) It is clear that the Suns should make the playoffs but if the team is not healthy come April, they could be in trouble. Without Booker the Suns have dropped their past two games against the Pelicans and the below average Houston Rockets. While this strategy may be frowned upon by the NBA, it has proven to work for some teams in the past. While Paul was injured, the Suns were able to succeed without him going 9-5 in that stretch. The only thing that could derail this extremely talented Suns team is injuries.