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Grayson Allen’s key to establish Suns offense without Devin Booker, Jalen Green
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- Grayson Allen’s key to establish Suns offense without Devin Booker, Jalen Green
Grayson Allen's key to establish Suns offense without Devin Booker, Jalen Green appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
PHOENIX– The Phoenix Suns miss Devin Booker , and Sunday's 111-102 loss to the Miami Heat proved all of that. With guys like Grayson Allen thrust into an expanded role, a woeful shooting night, and a staunch opposing defense made life miserable.
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The latter scored 18 points but only connected on one of his 11 attempts from 3-point range. But it wasn't that Allen was missing wide-open looks.
The Heat forced a plethora of rushed shots and possessions due to their physicality. While Booker is sidelined with an ankle injury for the Suns , along with Jalen Green , life is difficult.
It's not an excuse, but it's one that the team might have to live with until either player comes back. Regardless, Allen has his antidote for how Phoenix can establish a half-court offense without its two dynamic guards.
"We have to keep the pace up within the half court for the whole time that we're out there… don't make it so easy for teams to just switch and sit with a crowd and force us into some one-on-one stuff," Allen said in the locker room postgame.
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"We've done it, we've done a great job of it throughout the year. It's just different without Book out there, that you have to play that way for 48 minutes."
Grayson Allen saw the Suns stagnant offense
The Suns had only 13 assists on the night, compared to their season-average of 20. Much of it had to do with the stagnant half-court offense.
Again, the Heat's physicality had much to do with it, but it was expected. That was on the scouting report , and something that Dillon Brooks took notice of.
"We still got to throw that same physicality and not let them bump us and get to the lane easy and help each other out," Brooks said in the locker room. "I think what we have trouble with is when their big man can shoot the basketball."
The big man? Bam Adebayo , who hit two of his six threes. It's a shot that he's been working on, but that confidence completely opened up the floor for Miami.
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Despite the loss, there isn't much time for Phoenix to dwell on hypotheticals. They'll take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, a matchup that could see Green return to action.
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