How Toronto Raptors ended Phoenix Suns' 4-game win streak

· Yahoo Sports

TORONTO – The Phoenix Suns couldn’t close out the Toronto Raptors.

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The Suns squandered a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of their 122-115 loss Friday, March 13, before a crowd of 19,195 at Scotiabank Arena in the second of a back-to-back.

“When you're up against the wall, we talk a lot of times about there's no one throwing a life raft out there,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “We've got to go get it. We just didn’t do a good enough job of it."

The Suns (39-28) had their four-game winning streak snapped as Toronto (37-29) outscored them, 27-10, in the final eight minutes after trailing, 105-95.

“God is good and God is great,” said Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic as the Raptors snapped a two-game skid. “I can thank him for the performance of the team. He kept us together the whole game and through all the ups and downs. It was amazing to see the team came through throughout all the mistakes.”

Phoenix made the critical mistakes in crunch time, tallying five of its 12 turnovers in the fourth quarter with Devin Booker committing two in the fourth.

“Feel like the wear down of a back-to-back definitely got to us on both ends,” Booker said. “We got a little stagnant, new lineup out there. It just didn't work out."

Jalen Green paced Phoenix with 34 points, hitting eight 3s to tie a career-high in a game on 16 attempts, one shy of tying his career high for launches.

Booker scored 31 points and Grayson Allen added 15 points after missing Thursday’s 123-108 win over the Indiana Pacers under right knee injury management.

Raptors forward Brandon Ingram delivered a game-high 36 points with 20 coming in the second half while RJ Barrett went for 22 points.

Toronto unloaded from deep at 51.9% (14-of-27).

The Raptors are 25th in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.6%.

Scottie Barnes added 14 points and a huge block on Green’s dunk attempt with Phoenix down, 114-110, with 43 seconds left.

Green looked to cock the ball back behind his head when Barnes swatted it away from behind. Barrett scored on the other end to put Toronto up six with 34.8 seconds left.

“That was clean, clean block,” Green said. “I probably should've just quick-dunked it.”

Here are takeaways as the Suns continue their six-game road trip Monday, March 16, against the Boston Celtics (43-23).

“We've got to double down,” Suns guard Jordan Goodwin said. “The rest of these 15 games are going to be like that. High level. The arena is going to be into it. Playoffs right around the corner. We've got to double down on everything.”

Defending the 3

The Suns have run into issues defending the 3 on this road trip.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Pacers and Raptors have shot a combined 40% from 3 (42-of-105) against Phoenix in its past three games.

Ott initially reacted to Bucks big Myles Turner leading a 3-point barrage with the Suns playing traditional bigs Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach by going small and playing Rasheer Fleming and Haywood Highsmith.

Starting big Mark Williams remains out with a left foot third metatarsal stress reaction.

The small-ball move worked. Milwaukee went 1-of-9 from deep in the fourth quarter after going 15-of-29 through three quarters.

Turner missed his lone 3 attempt in the fourth after a 5-of-7 display. With Highsmith and Fleming, the Suns can switch on defense and help create space on offense.

Ott went small again against Indiana.

Worked again. The Pacers went just 5-of-23 from deep, but they were very short-handed to the point of starting two-way players.

Ott tried it again Friday.

Not quite the same results.

Phoenix didn’t have the same fourth-quarter success with the small-ball unit on offense or defense. The Suns lacked the spacing for Green and Booker to continue cooking after doing work on Toronto through three quarters.

The Raptors ravaged the Suns inside with 60 points in the paint. Ingram, Barnes and Barrett are perimeter players with size, length and the ability to finish at the rim.

Highsmith brings defense, and Fleming has been playing so well with increased minutes to the point Ryan Dunn didn’t see any action Friday.

It’s understandable why Ott elected to go with those two. How he continues to determine who plays with whom will factor into how Phoenix closes this season.

Green on fire, Gillespie is not

Jalen Green is a career 34% 3-point shooter.

He’s been even worse in his first season with the Suns at 30.9%, a career low.

The Raptors saw a different animal Friday.

Hitting everything from catch-and-shoot to off the dribble to stop-and-pop, Green couldn’t be contained.

The Suns will take his performance 10 nights out of 10, no doubt, but while Green was on fire, Collin Gillespie went scoreless, going 0-for-3 from 3.

Having a career year, Gillespie is shooting 42% on 3s to match his career numbers. He’s hitting nearly 50% of his deep ones in the fourth quarter.

The Suns need to get him back on track. There's enough shots to go around.

Gillespie scored just four points on just 2-of-6 (0-for-2 from 3) against the Pacers.

Fleming continues to shine

Fleming is taking 3s with no hesitation. He's making them, too, hitting 3 of 3 for his nine points at Toronto.

Fleming is blocking shot after shot, earning a career-high three rejections against the Raptors, with one on Ingram in transition.

“I just read it,” Fleming said. “As soon as I saw him gather, I just went to go chase it.”

He’s taking full advantage of his opportunity and has increased his value by showing the ability to play the five in a small lineup.

Dillon Brooks is drawing closer to returning from the fractured left hand. He’s been getting up shots without the protective brace in workouts.

Allen and Goodwin are back. Highsmith is playing.

What will Ott do once Brooks is back?

Again. Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jalen Green, Devin Booker not enough, Suns fall to Raptors

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