DENVER — Jae Crowder acquired all kinds of quizzical textual content messages for his choice to signal with the Phoenix Suns within the offseason.
What was he considering? The Suns hadn’t been to the playoffs in a decade. The West was stacked.
“I seem like a genius, huh?” cracked Crowder, who took his abilities to the Suns after serving to Miami attain the NBA Finals final season. “I knew the kind of group these guys have been. I felt like they have been hungry. They needed to do some particular issues and I needed to be part of it.”
Behind the sensible backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker and regular contributions from the likes of Crowder, the Suns are roaring into the Western Convention Finals for the primary time since 2010, the final 12 months they reached the postseason.
The Suns accomplished a four-game sweep of the short-handed Denver Nuggets with a 125-118 win Sunday night time in a testy recreation through which MVP Nikola Jokic was ejected within the third quarter for a flagrant foul on Cameron Payne.
It was the seventh straight win for Phoenix — the longest playoff profitable streak in crew historical past.
After bouncing LeBron James and the defending champion Lakers in six video games through the first spherical, the Suns made even faster work of Jokic and the Nuggets.
Now, they get to relaxation up earlier than taking part in both top-seeded Utah or the Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz lead that collection 2-1 heading into Sport 4 on Monday night time in Los Angeles. Phoenix was 1-2 in opposition to the Clippers within the common season and 3-0 in opposition to the Jazz.
“Everyone at this level is banged up and might use that type of restoration,” Phoenix coach Monty William mentioned. “We earned it and we wish to make the most of it.
“However proper now, I am not even excited about that. I’m simply pleased about what these guys have completed.”
Crowder has develop into fairly a postseason catalyst, together with his groups going 22-9 over his final 31 playoff video games. Earlier than the 2020 season, his groups have been 20-31 in playoff video games.
“Very spectacular how locked in we’re as a unit,” Crowder mentioned. “We have now nice management. We have now nice teaching placing us able to succeed proper now.
“I undoubtedly really feel like we’re linked as a bunch and it reveals.”
Proper after the ultimate horn, Paul and Booker — who mixed for 71 factors — made their means via the post-series handshakes and hugs close to the Nuggets brand.
Ready on the facet was Williams. He shared a heartfelt embrace with each.
Williams is tight with Paul, from their coach/guard time collectively in New Orleans. They’ve a robust bond away from the courtroom, too, and Paul was there for Williams when Williams misplaced his spouse from accidents in a automotive accident in 2016.
“Monty has been via issues in his life that lots of people don’t essentially come again from,” mentioned Paul, who scored 13 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter. “Basketball apart, he means a lot to me and my household. So to be on this journey with him and to see it paying off is sweet. We’re loads alike. We keep locked in. I don’t really feel good till the buzzer sounds. Monty’s the identical means. When the collection is over, and the sport is over, it’s good to share these moments.”
The final time the Suns have been this far was 2010 behind a forged that included the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Jason Richardson and Grant Hill. They fell to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2.
“The feelings are pleased, grateful, drained, relieved,” Williams mentioned of advancing to the convention finals. “It’s a kind of moments for me that fairly frankly I by no means thought I’d have an opportunity to expertise. For me, I’ve a degree of gratitude I can’t even clarify.”
To share it with Paul means that rather more.
“Chris has meant a lot to my profession, he is meant a lot to my life,” Williams mentioned. “The darkest second of my life Chris was proper there and one of many highlights of my profession, he is proper there.
“That’s the place it’s proper now. I’m probably not good at waxing eloquent about how I really feel different than simply telling you I simply really feel grateful for this chance and to be on this crew and on this second and have an opportunity to maneuver ahead.”
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AP Basketball Author Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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