Failed to score in double figures for the first time since October 24! How did the Suns limit the literary class to only 9 points?

Translator's Note: The original article was published in The Athletic. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 3, local time). The dates and times involved are all local time.

The first time Jordan Ott met Victor Vunbanyama up close was at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio two years ago. The Suns head coach was still an assistant on Darwin Hamm's staff with the Lakers, and Vunbanyama was only a few months into his rookie season.

Ott laughed when asked about it ahead of Sunday night's 130-118 home victory over Bunyama and the previously unbeaten Spurs. "Not a good memory," he said.

That week, the Spurs and Lakers played two games in three days. Ott remembers the Lakers losing both games, but they actually won one game each. In the winning game, Wenbanyama played a landmark performance and became the first rookie in 25 years to score 30 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks in a single game.

Ott was impressed by the length and shooting touch he had seen before in Kristaps Porzingis. But this time there is something different. "Ballhandling skills, speed, skill," Ott said, "he has the ability to move around in the air and finish at the rim." In the two years since, Vunbanyama has grown into a top player, while Ott has taken over a rebuilding Phoenix team that's still figuring out its identity. That's why Ott is looking forward to Sunday's game. He wanted to see how the Suns contained the 7-foot-4-inch Vunbanyama on the defensive end and how they attacked him on the offensive end.

The result was better than expected. In more than 34 minutes of playing time, Vunbanyama failed to find an offensive rhythm. After the game, he said the Suns seemed to anticipate all the plays the Spurs wanted to execute. And when he receives the ball, he can feel there is always a defender ready to help.

In the first three quarters of the game, Bunyama made more mistakes (5) and fouls (4) than he scored (2 points). He finished with nine points on 4-for-14 shooting, 21 points below his season average. This is the first time the French big man has failed to score in double figures since the Thunder limited him to just 6 points on October 30, 2024.

"They probably rehearsed all our tactics in shooting training because they seemed very well prepared," Wenbanyama said. "It felt like they were going to let me catch the ball, but they were ready to double-team and rotate." In this game, Wenbanyama also did not get any free throw opportunities.

This is far from the Suns' signature style of play. The Suns had hoped to get better defensively this season, but the results so far have been mixed. Six days ago at the Jazz's home court, the Suns made Lauri Markkanen very comfortable. The 7-foot-1-inch (approximately 2.16 meters) forward scored a career-high 51 points in the 138-134 overtime victory, blasting the Suns. This time, the Sun's strategy was more thorough.

Ott said that Bunyama's shot distribution has changed this season, and he is deeper in the low post. Ott said the key is "not letting them catch the ball where they want it." To accomplish this, the Suns rotated different players on Bunyama. They want to limit his offensive rebounding. Perhaps most importantly, they want to keep him away from the free throw line. In the first five games, Wenbanyama averaged 9.6 free throw opportunities per game, more than double the 4.1 average per game last season (46 games played).

Royce O'Neal started against Bunyama. The 32-year-old, 6-foot-6 forward is the Suns' oldest player and is often underrated. In college, O'Neal was a player who mainly broke through and attacked the basket. In the NBA, he has transformed into a reliable shooter. On the defensive end, O'Neal is very comprehensive. This season he has defended Markkanen and Grizzlies post player Jaren Jackson Jr., although he was at a height disadvantage each time. Ott said the coaching staff viewed O'Neal as a "reassurance" because they knew he would never back down from a challenge.

But O'Neal got help. Post players Mark Williams and Nick Richards, forward Oso Iguodaro, and even 6-foot-3 guard Jordan Goodwin all took turns guarding Vunbanyama. In the first quarter, the Spurs center used a screen in the low post to get around, but Devin Booker immediately switched defenses and defended him in front. One possession later, Vunbanyama received an inside pass with Goodwin behind him, but forward Hayes Davis doubled up, forcing Vunbanyama to take the ball.

"Once you see a tactic work so well, you will have more confidence in the tactical arrangement." Booker said.

The Suns once led by as many as 31 points. Booker played aggressively against Spurs player Stephen Castle, finishing with 28 points and 13 assists. Forward Ryan Dunn and guard Grayson Allen combined for 34 points, including 8 of 14 three-pointers. Overall, the Suns shot 58.2% from the field and made 19 of 33 three-pointers. They also dished out 34 assists and successfully targeted Vunbanyama's length and wingspan.

In the first quarter, Allen received the ball during the transition attack, made a fake shot and then broke into the penalty area. As the veteran guard drove toward the basket, his eyes flicked to Vunbanyama approaching from the left. Wenbanyama blocked 4 shots in this game, but this time he did not step forward to block the shot. Allen then completed a one-handed dunk.

"When you play against them, you can't just go and dunk without knowing where he is," Allen said. "I have to see if he's going to jump in and block the shot, or if I have a breakout route.. ”

After a rough start to the season, the rebuilding Suns — who are still missing injured starters Jalen Green (right hamstring) and Dillon Brooks (strained core muscle) — have put together three consecutive strong defensive performances. When asked if this was his best game, Ott mentioned the upcoming schedule: Tuesday's away game against the Warriors and back-to-back games against the Clippers. Ott believes that bigger tests are yet to come: "But I do think we have taken a solid step in the right direction. ”

Author: Doug Haller

Translator: GWayNe