Suns move back into eighth place with comeback win over Hawks: By The Numbers
Mar 25, 2014, 3:32 AM | Updated: 3:32 am
Coming from behind appears to be a common thing during the Phoenix Suns’ current three-game road swing.
Sunday afternoon, Phoenix erased a 22-point deficit en rout to a 127-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And although the hole wasn’t as bad Monday in Atlanta, a poor second quarter put the Suns’ behind the eight-ball entering the second half.
But behind a 25-9 spurt in the third, Phoenix stormed back from eight down to take out the Hawks by a comfortable margin, 102-95, at Phillips Arena.
Here’s a look back at the seven-point victory by the numbers:
7:
The Hawks became the seventh Eastern Conference team to be swept by the Suns this year, joining the Bucks, Celtics, Magic, Pacers, Raptors and Sixers.
8:
With Dallas idle, Phoenix leapfrogged the Mavericks with their second straight road win. By virtue of a tiebreaker, the Suns currently hold the eighth and final spot out West despite having an identical 42-29 record.
13:
Despite turning the ball over 18 times on the night, the Suns held the Hawks to only eight fastbreak points. By comparison, Phoenix finished 21 for a 13-point advantage.
17:
After building a 25-23 lead after the first quarter, the Suns offense went silent heading into halftime. Phoenix hit just 6-of-18 shots for a total of 17 points. It marked only the sixth time in 2013-14 that the Suns have scored less than 20 points in the second quarter.
20:
For the first time all season, Suns guard Eric Bledsoe scored 20 points for the third consecutive contest. Monday, the fourth-year pro hit 7-of-15 shots, including a perfect 3-of-3 from downtown.
42:
Jeff Hornacek picked up his 42nd win as a head coach Monday, guaranteeing his first winning season at the helm. Hornacek and Dave Joerger are tied for the lead among rookie coaches in wins this season.
50
Phoenix won its 19th straight contest when shooting over 50 percent this season — a feat that was added by its three-point accuracy. The Suns connected on 12 of their 24 attempts beyond the arc, including a team-high four from Channing Frye.
.500
The Suns’ sixth win in their last seven contests gave them 42 for the campaign — ensuring an above-.500 record. Phoenix hasn’t finished a season above the 41-41 mark since it went to the Western Conference Finals in 2009-10.
