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BOSTON – The Phoenix Suns were riding a four-game win streak before the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics stopped it with a March 26 blowout that exploited one of their major weaknesses – defending the 3.
Boston shot a torrid 22-of-52 from distance in blasting the Suns, 132-102. Phoenix faces them again on Friday, April 4, at TD Garden, still looking for answers to guarding the 3.
Phoenix is 26th in the league in defending the 3 in terms of percentage at 36.8%.
“A lot of this has to do with us guarding the ball a little bit better one-on-one,” Suns wing Cody Martin said. “Once you start getting beat one-on-one and creating lanes to the basket, naturally, you’ve got to help and want to help and that puts you in rotations early.”
Boston leads the league in 3s made at 17.8 a game and attempts at 48.4. They are eighth in 3-point percentage at 36.9%. As great as the Celtics are from 3, they shot it even better against the Suns, but this is nothing new.
Phoenix has yielded at least 20 made 3s seven times this season.
Nov. 4 vs. 76ers – 20-of-51 (W, 118-116). Philadelphia is 22nd in the NBA in made 3s (12.7) and 27th in 3-point percentage (34.4%). Philadelphia’s season high for made 3s: 24 (March 17 at Rockets, L 144-139 OT).
Dec. 13 at Jazz – 22-of-39 (W, 134-126). Utah is 11th in the NBA in made 3s (13.8) and 22nd in 3-point percentage (35%). Utah’s season high for made 3s: 22 against the Suns.
Feb. 23 at Raptors – 20-of-35 (L, 127-109). Toronto is 29th in the NBA in made 3s (11.7) and 24th in 3-point percentage (34.8%). Toronto’s season high for made 3s: 21 (November 27 at New Orleans, W, 119-93).
Feb. 25 at Grizzlies – 20-of-48 (L, 151-148, OT). Memphis is 10th in the NBA in made 3s (13.8) and 13th in 3-point percentage (36.7%). Memphis’ season high for made 3s: 27 (Dec. 19 vs Golden State, W, 144-93).
March 2 vs Timberwolves – 21-of-52 (L, 116-98). Minnesota is fifth in the NBA in made 3s (15.2) and fourth in 3-point percentage (38%). Minnesota’s season high for made 3s: 22. (Nov. 8 vs. Portland, W, 127-102 and Jan. 17 at New York, W, 116-99).
March 7 at Nuggets – 21-of-40 (L, 149-141 OT). Denver is 27th in the NBA in made 3s (12.2) and fifth in 3-point percentage (37.9%). Denver’s season high for made 3s: 21 against the Suns.
March 26 vs. Celtics – 22-of-52 (L, 132-102). Boston is first in the NBA in made 3s (17.8) and eighth in 3-point percentage (36.9%). Boston's season high for made 3s: 29 against New York (W, 132-109).
“I think sometimes we’ve got to guard the ball better,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ve got to keep it in front better. Pick-and-roll, sometimes we’ve been aggressive in that and teams have just been able to move it and get good looks. Some nights, teams have just had some unusual shooting nights. It’s been stacking against us some nights.”
Even without All-Star Jayson Tatum, the Celtics still blitzed the Suns from 3 last month as they took advantage of Phoenix looking to put two men on the ball to start the game.
Four of the Boston’s five starters that night shot between 35-40% from 3. All-Star Jaylen Brown is only at 31.9%, but he made Boston’s first two 3s of the game in finishing 4-of-9 from deep.
“It's risky putting two on the ball against a team like that, especially that's spread out. You can get away with it sometimes when you got a center that can play under the rim and you don't care about him shooting 3s, but they got two centers that can shoot 3s and they were hot tonight,” said Suns superstar Kevin Durant after the game in referencing to Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
Porzingis and Horford shot a combined 6-of-12 from deep.
“Maybe to start the game with two on the ball might have got them going a bit and maybe we were slow on close outs,” Durant added. “I think it's a little bit of everything."
Brown is listed as questionable for the April 4 game with a right knee posterior impingement, but Tatum isn’t on the injury report and is a better 3-point shooter at 34.6%.
Tatum is tied with Derrick White on the team in made 3s per game at 3.5. So even if Brown is unable to go, Boston will once again test Phoenix’s 3-point defense.
“Our close-outs, or contests, again, it’s an answer a lot, but we got to be a little bit better to take away the 3-ball, but it takes a lot of things to do that,” Budenholzer said.
Phoenix allowed Milwaukee to shoot 17-of-29 from 3 in the 133-123 loss on April 1 to begin a three-game road trip.
The Bucks eclipsed their season average in 3-point makes (14.1, eighth in the NBA) and 3-point percentage (38.5%, first in the NBA). Giannis Antetokounmpo created multiple 3-point looks for his teammates posting 37 points and 11 assists.
"Most of the possessions defensively, we were fighting and scrambling around. It's tough to show a crowd on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and then close out on 3-point shooters,” Suns wing Grayson Allen said after the April 1 game. “It's very difficult to do both successfully."
Six of his 11 assists led to made 3s for the Bucks.
"Giannis kind of forces you to build that wall, especially in transition and he'll catch you building that wall and spray it and they were knocking it down," Suns star guard Devin Booker said after the Bucks game.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Boston Celtics look to test Phoenix Suns' poor 3-point defense
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Boston shot a torrid 22-of-52 from distance in blasting the Suns, 132-102. Phoenix faces them again on Friday, April 4, at TD Garden, still looking for answers to guarding the 3.
Phoenix is 26th in the league in defending the 3 in terms of percentage at 36.8%.
“A lot of this has to do with us guarding the ball a little bit better one-on-one,” Suns wing Cody Martin said. “Once you start getting beat one-on-one and creating lanes to the basket, naturally, you’ve got to help and want to help and that puts you in rotations early.”
Boston leads the league in 3s made at 17.8 a game and attempts at 48.4. They are eighth in 3-point percentage at 36.9%. As great as the Celtics are from 3, they shot it even better against the Suns, but this is nothing new.
Phoenix has yielded at least 20 made 3s seven times this season.
Nov. 4 vs. 76ers – 20-of-51 (W, 118-116). Philadelphia is 22nd in the NBA in made 3s (12.7) and 27th in 3-point percentage (34.4%). Philadelphia’s season high for made 3s: 24 (March 17 at Rockets, L 144-139 OT).
Dec. 13 at Jazz – 22-of-39 (W, 134-126). Utah is 11th in the NBA in made 3s (13.8) and 22nd in 3-point percentage (35%). Utah’s season high for made 3s: 22 against the Suns.
Feb. 23 at Raptors – 20-of-35 (L, 127-109). Toronto is 29th in the NBA in made 3s (11.7) and 24th in 3-point percentage (34.8%). Toronto’s season high for made 3s: 21 (November 27 at New Orleans, W, 119-93).
Feb. 25 at Grizzlies – 20-of-48 (L, 151-148, OT). Memphis is 10th in the NBA in made 3s (13.8) and 13th in 3-point percentage (36.7%). Memphis’ season high for made 3s: 27 (Dec. 19 vs Golden State, W, 144-93).
March 2 vs Timberwolves – 21-of-52 (L, 116-98). Minnesota is fifth in the NBA in made 3s (15.2) and fourth in 3-point percentage (38%). Minnesota’s season high for made 3s: 22. (Nov. 8 vs. Portland, W, 127-102 and Jan. 17 at New York, W, 116-99).
March 7 at Nuggets – 21-of-40 (L, 149-141 OT). Denver is 27th in the NBA in made 3s (12.2) and fifth in 3-point percentage (37.9%). Denver’s season high for made 3s: 21 against the Suns.
March 26 vs. Celtics – 22-of-52 (L, 132-102). Boston is first in the NBA in made 3s (17.8) and eighth in 3-point percentage (36.9%). Boston's season high for made 3s: 29 against New York (W, 132-109).
“I think sometimes we’ve got to guard the ball better,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ve got to keep it in front better. Pick-and-roll, sometimes we’ve been aggressive in that and teams have just been able to move it and get good looks. Some nights, teams have just had some unusual shooting nights. It’s been stacking against us some nights.”
Even without All-Star Jayson Tatum, the Celtics still blitzed the Suns from 3 last month as they took advantage of Phoenix looking to put two men on the ball to start the game.
Four of the Boston’s five starters that night shot between 35-40% from 3. All-Star Jaylen Brown is only at 31.9%, but he made Boston’s first two 3s of the game in finishing 4-of-9 from deep.
“It's risky putting two on the ball against a team like that, especially that's spread out. You can get away with it sometimes when you got a center that can play under the rim and you don't care about him shooting 3s, but they got two centers that can shoot 3s and they were hot tonight,” said Suns superstar Kevin Durant after the game in referencing to Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
Porzingis and Horford shot a combined 6-of-12 from deep.
“Maybe to start the game with two on the ball might have got them going a bit and maybe we were slow on close outs,” Durant added. “I think it's a little bit of everything."
Brown is listed as questionable for the April 4 game with a right knee posterior impingement, but Tatum isn’t on the injury report and is a better 3-point shooter at 34.6%.
Tatum is tied with Derrick White on the team in made 3s per game at 3.5. So even if Brown is unable to go, Boston will once again test Phoenix’s 3-point defense.
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“Our close-outs, or contests, again, it’s an answer a lot, but we got to be a little bit better to take away the 3-ball, but it takes a lot of things to do that,” Budenholzer said.
Phoenix allowed Milwaukee to shoot 17-of-29 from 3 in the 133-123 loss on April 1 to begin a three-game road trip.
The Bucks eclipsed their season average in 3-point makes (14.1, eighth in the NBA) and 3-point percentage (38.5%, first in the NBA). Giannis Antetokounmpo created multiple 3-point looks for his teammates posting 37 points and 11 assists.
"Most of the possessions defensively, we were fighting and scrambling around. It's tough to show a crowd on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and then close out on 3-point shooters,” Suns wing Grayson Allen said after the April 1 game. “It's very difficult to do both successfully."
Six of his 11 assists led to made 3s for the Bucks.
"Giannis kind of forces you to build that wall, especially in transition and he'll catch you building that wall and spray it and they were knocking it down," Suns star guard Devin Booker said after the Bucks game.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Boston Celtics look to test Phoenix Suns' poor 3-point defense
Continue reading...
