Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors (36-50) took on Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns (53-14) in part of the NBA Friday slate. The Raptors came away with a 117-112 win in this one.
With Fred VanVleet back in the lineup, the Raptors have what they need in order to compete against high-level teams. He struggled in this one, but Gary Trent Jr. led the way with a staggering 42 points on the night.
Trent Jr. had more than enough help in the form of Pascal Siakam, who racked up 25 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists. A solid 15 points and five steals from Scottie Barnes sure didn’t hurt, either.
One of the questions entering this one surrounded the Raptors’ lack for high-volume lane penetration threats in the backcourt and are going against a team that has a rim protector and a strong team defense. They shot 14-32 (43.8 percent) from deep.
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Devin Booker recently returned to the lineup and picked up where he left off. He will continue to serve as an integral part of the Suns’ offense with Chris Paul sidelined. He finished with a solid 22 points while key teammates like Cameron Payne (24), Mikal Bridges (18), and Deandre Ayton (16) had solid nights.
A lack of impact from the bench proved to be a limiting factor for the Suns. Without Chris Paul in the lineup, Cameron Payne has to start and there isn’t much for explosive offensive weapons in the second unit.
The Phoenix Suns hold a substantial lead over every other team in the Western Conference standings while the Toronto Raptors are looking to stay atop the play-in seeding in the Eastern Conference.
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