PHOENIX -- When the Phoenix Suns trade deadline drew one question about why the team would upset and then trade Goran Dragic, referred to in a press conference as the team's best player, general manager Ryan McDonough met it with this thought: "Eric Bledsoe and Markieff Morris are still in Phoenix Suns uniforms."
Save the argument about whether that is true or if it was a pointed statement. McDonough has a point.
Phoenix needs Bledsoe and Morris to perform like its best players if it has any chance to prolong its life in the Western Conference playoff hunt. The Suns (31-28) are 1.5 games behind eighth-seeded Oklahoma City heading into a Saturday night home game against San Antonio, which proceeds a four-game road trip to Miami, Orlando, Brooklyn and Cleveland.
In Thursday night's 117-113 overtime win against Oklahoma City, Bledsoe diced the Thunder for a near-triple-double and helped limit Russell Westbrook's efficiency, making the Suns look smart for offering him that five-year, $70 million deal in the offseason. But it was Morris who put a few bad games behind him to score 29 points and grab 11 rebounds against the well-respected Serge Ibaka.
"I was due for it," Morris said. "The thing about me is I'm not going to stop. I'm going to keep shooting; my confidence is going to be high. No matter how many games I've played badly, no matter how many I've missed, the team, we're trying to make a great playoff push right now. They need that. They need me to be aggressive, they need everybody to be aggressive."
Morris shot 12 of 26 from the floor, not the most efficient evening, but he also converted a key three-point play that gave the Suns a three-point lead with 20 seconds left.
"It was several options on that play and it just happened to be one of the later ones that came up," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "P.J. (Tucker) made a nice read, executed the play well."
By the end of the night, Morris pulled himself out of a funk. He was 3 for 15 Saturday in a loss to Chicago, scored just seven points on 3-for-9 shooting against Boston and had a five-point, 1-for-5 outing Wednesday at Denver. Then Thursday came along, and in what could be viewed as a backbreaking game had the Suns lost, the two players McDonough pointed to as leaders in the most recent post-Dragic era came through.
And again, consider who Morris did this against.
"Ibaka's a great player, a great defender, first and formost," the ever-confident Morris said, "but ..."
But Ibaka had few answers. He scored 13 points, blocked three shots and grabbed nine rebounds. Meanwhile, Morris stayed away from longer two-point jumpers, acting patient in the post and using his quickness and a few decisive moves to get off good looks.
Morris also put together another decent rebounding outing, a key point in the last two Phoenix victories. The Suns outrebounded Oklahoma City and even outgained the Thunder in second-chance points, 16-11.
As much as Ibaka's game has evolved to become more perimeter-oriented, Morris has grown most by operating more out of the post, then picking his spots to stretch the floor by taking 3s.
Compare Ibaka's four-year, $48 million contract that goes two seasons beyond this one next to Markieff and twin Marcus' combined $52 million for four years. The Suns can't complain, they just need more consistency.
In the aftermath of a busy trade deadline, Morris stands as a needed producer more than ever. He'll also look to play leader.
"We had to come together more," Morris said. "It was a tough couple of weeks for us. We're just going to push as much as possible, trying to get in these playoffs. We're not going to give up. The way we look at it, this team, it's us against the world."
The Suns need to talk.
That's been of greater defensive concern than playing together with new pieces on the court. Before Jeff Hornacek's team took on the Thunder, the head coach complimented newcomer Brandon Knight and his ability to communicate on defense.
Hornacek wishes the rest of Phoenix's roster would take notice.
"When we had our meeting about defense, we said, 'hey, we have to talk more, we have to communicate,'" Hornacek said. "We try to tell the guys, hey, say anything, say something. Say there's a good-lookin' chick in the first row, whatever it is. Just say something, please. Hopefully they pick that up. It's usually the same thing: If you can get one or two guys doing it, then maybe that third guy goes, 'Oh, OK, I can get out of my comfort zone a little bit.'"
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