The Phoenix Suns have started the season with an 8-1 record, mostly due to their dominance in the clutch. This record also matches the best start to a season in franchise history, which occurred in both 1980-81 and 2009-10. In nine games so far, the Suns have been involved in seven clutch games, winning all of them. A ‘clutch’ game is defined as a game in which the score is within five points with less than five minutes remaining.
On Friday night, the Suns won their latest clutch game, a 114-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. After leading by as many as 14, they saw themselves trailing by six in the fourth quarter. A 7-0 run restored Phoenix’s lead before a masterful display of shot-making by former teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving kept the game close. A last-second foul committed on Jusuf Nurkic gave the Bosnian the opportunity to win the game. He obliged, draining one of two free throws. It has helped them to the top seed in the Western Conference, tied with the OKC Thunder in first.
KYRIE AND KD ARE DUELING.
GOING BUCKET-FOR-BUCKET ON ESPN
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Suns Clutch Time Play Continues to be a Strength
These Suns are Different
While mainly the same roster, this season’s Suns are far different from what was on display last year. Under Frank Vogel, the Suns were a woeful fourth-quarter team, highlighted by their league-worst net rating of -11.6. Overall, they were 20-21 in clutch games. Although the sample size is small, the improvement has been staggering. Their current win streak stands at seven games, and six have been by six points or fewer. This is the first time this has happened since the 2009-10 New Orleans Hornets and just the fifth time in history.
Durant has been the catalyst for this success, having been able to carry the side when the likes of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have struggled offensively. In clutch minutes this season, the 36-year-old has scored 35 points, the most in the NBA. As a whole, he is averaging 27.6 points on 55.3% shooting. He was recently ranked sixth in the first MVP ladder of the season, but he is sure to rise should these performances and wins continue. Though it is still early, he is almost certain to be one of the frontrunners for the Clutch Player of the Year award.
Tougher Tests to Come
However, it would be fair to argue that this level of play is unsustainable. That being said, it is encouraging that the Suns have been able to showcase they are capable of executing down the stretch when needed, something that has proved rare in the past year. Mike Budenholzer has shown flexibility in his closing lineups, showing trust in a variety of groups. Point guard Tyus Jones was not part of the final group against the Mavericks, but Budenholzer has turned to him in previous games. This time it was Nurkic he turned to, and the center delivered with five points in the final minute.
In an ideal world, the Suns will have more comfortable games going forward. According to ESPN, they have the second-lowest points differential of any team that has won eight of its first nine games, which stands at 30. But against some tough opponents, this early season experience should do nothing but benefit them in the long run. The stretch does not get any easier with the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and OKC Thunder on the horizon. Nevertheless with Durant operating at an MVP level, it will not be beyond the Suns to extend their winning streak further.
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