• Bordow on Suns' win over Lakers

    Bordow on Suns’ win over Lakers

  • Len on strong effort in win over Lakers

    Len on strong effort in win over Lakers

  • Triano on Suns' win over Lakers

    Triano on Suns’ win over Lakers

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    Bordow on Suns’ historically bad half against Rockets

  • Triano on Suns' ugly loss to Rockets

    Triano on Suns’ ugly loss to Rockets

  • Greg Monroe on loss to Rockets in debut

    Greg Monroe on loss to Rockets in debut

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    Shot Clock: Lakers bait Booker; Gabbert a starter?

  • Scott Bordow recaps Suns' loss to Lakers

    Scott Bordow recaps Suns’ loss to Lakers

  • Devin Booker on incident with Lakers coach

    Devin Booker on incident with Lakers coach

  • Jay Triano on Suns' loss to Lakers

    Jay Triano on Suns’ loss to Lakers

  • Devin Booker on Suns' loss to Lakers

    Devin Booker on Suns’ loss to Lakers

  • Marquese Chriss on Suns win

    Marquese Chriss on Suns win

  • Jay Triano on Devin Booker

    Jay Triano on Devin Booker

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    Bordow on Suns surprising win over T-Wolves

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    Bordow breaks down Suns’ loss to Magic

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    Josh Jackson on Suns’ loss to Magic

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    Bordow on Suns’ loss to Heat

  • Triano on Suns' loss to Heat

    Triano on Suns’ loss to Heat

  • Shot Clock: Eric Bledsoe sent packing

    Shot Clock: Eric Bledsoe sent packing

  • Jared Dudley after Suns' loss to Nets

    Jared Dudley after Suns’ loss to Nets

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    Suns’ Devin Booker on loss to Spurs

  • Jay Triano on Suns loss to Spurs

    Jay Triano on Suns loss to Spurs

  • Bordow on Suns loss to Spurs

    Bordow on Suns loss to Spurs

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    Triano on Suns’ loss to Knicks

  • Chandler on the Suns' loss to Knicks

    Chandler on the Suns’ loss to Knicks

  • Warren on his career night in Washington

    Warren on his career night in Washington

  • Triano on Suns' win over Wizards

    Triano on Suns’ win over Wizards

  • Bordow on Suns' 'stunning' comeback win

    Bordow on Suns’ ‘stunning’ comeback win

  • Jay Triano on Suns' win over Nets

    Jay Triano on Suns’ win over Nets

  • T.J. Warren on Suns' win over Nets

    T.J. Warren on Suns’ win over Nets

  • Scott Bordow breaks down Suns' win over Nets

    Scott Bordow breaks down Suns’ win over Nets

  • Head coach Jay Triano on Suns' loss to Blazers

    Head coach Jay Triano on Suns’ loss to Blazers

  • Alex Len on Suns' loss to Blazers

    Alex Len on Suns’ loss to Blazers

  • Shot Clock: Phoenix Suns and ASU start to turn their seasons around.

    Shot Clock: Phoenix Suns and ASU start to turn their seasons around.

  • Bordow on Suns' win over the Jazz

    Bordow on Suns’ win over the Jazz

  • Triano on Suns' win over Jazz

    Triano on Suns’ win over Jazz

  • Shot Clock: It's not all bad, Suns fans

    Shot Clock: It’s not all bad, Suns fans

  • Scott Bordow recaps' Suns first win of season

    Scott Bordow recaps’ Suns first win of season

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    Jay Triano on Suns’ win over Kings

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    Marquese Chriss on Suns’ win over Kings

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    Suns Eric Bledsoe sent home

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    Suns interim coach Jay Triano

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    Phoenix Suns News: Scott Bordow and Greg Moore on the latest

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    Scott Bordow discusses another big Suns loss

  • Eric Bledsoe on Suns' 'embarrassing' loss

    Eric Bledsoe on Suns’ ’embarrassing’ loss

  • Earl Watson on Suns' loss to Clippers

    Earl Watson on Suns’ loss to Clippers

  • Scott Bordow recaps Suns' loss to Lakers

    Scott Bordow recaps Suns’ loss to Lakers

  • Chandler on Suns' loss to Lakers

    Chandler on Suns’ loss to Lakers

  • Watson on Suns' loss to Lakers

    Watson on Suns’ loss to Lakers

  • Bordow, Moore on Connie Hawkins after memorial service

    Bordow, Moore on Connie Hawkins after memorial service

  • Suns fans, friends, family remember Connie Hawkins

    Suns fans, friends, family remember Connie Hawkins

  • Shot Clock: Buckle up, Lonzo Ball

    Shot Clock: Buckle up, Lonzo Ball

  • Shot Clock: Suns opener goes horribly wrong

    Shot Clock: Suns opener goes horribly wrong

  • Watson reacts to record-setting blowout loss in opener

    Watson reacts to record-setting blowout loss in opener

  • Bledsoe on blowout loss in opener

    Bledsoe on blowout loss in opener

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    Bordow recaps a season-opening rout

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    Suns fans: What do they know? Do they know things?? Let’s find out

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    Shot Clock: Suns’ opener – Josh Jackson a starter?

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    Earl Watson on expectations during scrimmage

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    Eric Bledsoe talks at Suns camp

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    Suns coach Earl Watson talks at Suns camp

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    Earl Watson on state of Suns players at camp

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    Dragan Bender discusses his mindset at Suns camp

  • Devin Booker on Suns training camp

    Devin Booker on Suns training camp

  • Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson

    Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson

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    Phoenix Suns training camp Day 1

  • Phoenix Suns Devin Booker at Media Day

    Phoenix Suns Devin Booker at Media Day

  • Suns' Jared Dudley on reaction to President Trump

    Suns’ Jared Dudley on reaction to President Trump

  • Greg Moore interviews Suns owner Robert Sarver

    Greg Moore interviews Suns owner Robert Sarver

  • Scott Bordow interviews Suns center Alan Williams

    Scott Bordow interviews Suns center Alan Williams

  • Phoenix Suns Charities donates $1 million

    Phoenix Suns Charities donates $1 million

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    Suns unveil ‘Statement Edition’ uniform

  • Markelle Fultz thinks Sixers are playoff bound

    Markelle Fultz thinks Sixers are playoff bound

  • Shot Clock: ASU QB fail? Suns 'lose' Kyrie

    Shot Clock: ASU QB fail? Suns ‘lose’ Kyrie

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    Shot Clock: LeBron-Bledsoe link may help Suns

  • Shot Clock: Jackson included in Irving rumors

    Shot Clock: Jackson included in Irving rumors

  • Shot Clock: Kyrie Irving to Suns?

    Shot Clock: Kyrie Irving to Suns?

  • Robert Sarver discusses Suns' arena situation

    Robert Sarver discusses Suns’ arena situation

  • Shot Clock: NBA Summer League taking toll?

    Shot Clock: NBA Summer League taking toll?

  • Mike James on his 32-point performance in loss to Grizzlies

    Mike James on his 32-point performance in loss to Grizzlies

  • Summer Suns coach Marlon Garnett discusses Phoenix's win

    Summer Suns coach Marlon Garnett discusses Phoenix’s win

  • Josh Jackson on his increasing comfort

    Josh Jackson on his increasing comfort

  • Marquese Chriss on Suns' defensive effort

    Marquese Chriss on Suns’ defensive effort

  • Shot Clock: Playoffs for D-Backs and Suns?

    Shot Clock: Playoffs for D-Backs and Suns?

  • Suns Davon Reed and Alec Peters talk Summer League

    Suns Davon Reed and Alec Peters talk Summer League

  • Shot Clock: Josh Jackson fits with Suns

    Shot Clock: Josh Jackson fits with Suns

  • Shot Clock: How should Suns, D-Backs prioritize improvement?

    Shot Clock: How should Suns, D-Backs prioritize improvement?

  • Suns rookie Josh Jackson on first summer league practice

    Suns rookie Josh Jackson on first summer league practice

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    Suns’ Bender, Chriss address expectations for Summer League

  • What to expect from Suns in NBA free agency

    What to expect from Suns in NBA free agency

  • Why did Josh Jackson not work out for Boston?

    Why did Josh Jackson not work out for Boston?

LOS ANGELES – P.J. Tucker got down into his defensive stance and looked into the eyes of Devin Booker. The Houston Rockets were blowing out the Suns Thursday but Tucker wasn’t about to take it easy on Booker.

That’s not how their relationship works.

For a season and a half, until the Suns traded Tucker to the Toronto Raptors last February, Booker and Tucker went at it every day in practice. Tucker, the defensive-minded veteran with the body of a fridge and the need to impose his will, against Booker, the enormously gifted shooting guard trying to find his place in the NBA.

The big brother putting the little brother in his place.

There were days Booker hated Tucker. Hated the grabbing and the pushing and Tucker’s in-your-face-and-get-inside-your-head defense. When the Suns were in Mexico City for two games in January 2017, the two almost came to blows during a practice.

“Yeah, it got real in Mexico,” Tucker said. “It got really real in Mexico.”

But from within those confrontations a mutual respect was built. Tucker loved the fact that Booker never backed down. And Booker knew what Tucker was doing, teaching a boy that the NBA is a man’s league.

It’s why, before the Suns played the Rockets, Booker called Tucker “one of my vets.”

“He helped me a lot,” Booker said. “Lot of fights, lot of pushing, lot of arguing but it’s all out of love. He used to always tell me, ‘I’m here to push you. I’m here to get you to play to the best of your ability.’ That’s what he did. He’s a great vet. He taught me a lot of things on and off the court.”

Tucker could see early on that Booker had a chance to be a special player and one day  might be a target for opposing defenses. So he took it upon himself to prepare Booker, to rough him up and toughen him up.

“I knew I could be a person to push him and back then just try to make him better for the sake of our team,” Tucker said. “He was a kid. Kids have to understand how tough and physical this league could be at times. It’s not gonna come easy. He was getting a lot of easy stuff. People just letting him do what he wanted. So, you know, I would take liberties and – I would play mind games with him.

“He was a kid, so I would just mess with him a lot. He would get frustrated. He knew he couldn’t beat me up. So, he would get frustrated and push or whatever, but, you know, he had heart.”

Their battles came to a head that day in Mexico City. The Suns had lost to the Dallas Mavericks the night before and Tucker decided the time was right to really go after Booker. So he did.

“I was denying him the ball, just beasting him out, manhandling him,” Tucker said. “He didn’t make any shots in practice. He was frustrated and he got to the point where he’d had enough.”

The following night, Booker scored 39 points and the Suns beat the Spurs.

“I think P.J. did a great job of helping Book establish who he was going to be in his career because he had to face a great defender every single day in practice,” interim coach Jay Triano said.

Booker laughs now, recalling those days when it was hard to remember through the shoving and the grabbing and the stiff forearms to the lower back that Tucker was trying to teach him something valuable.

“When he’s fouling you and being extra physical you’re not thinking about that,” he said.

But he thinks about it now. And he’ll appreciate it always.

“That’s a relationship,” Booker said, “that will last forever.”

Point taken

Devin Booker had a double-double (18 points, 10 assists) Thursday against the Rockets, and he was playing point guard in the second quarter when Troy Daniels tied a franchise record with six 3-pointers in the quarter.

That connection didn’t go unnoticed by interim coach Jay Triano.

“He’s (Booker) got an ability to make plays. He reads games well and he saw where Troy was,” Triano said. “He knew Troy was hot and he knew where to get him a shot. The other thing Troy does is he’s such a threat he spreads the floor and makes it easier for T.J. (Warren) to get into the lane and our bigs to roll because you have to respect the fact that he’s standing on the 3-point line.”

Still, Triano is reluctant to give too much of the ball-handling responsibility to Booker over concerns that he might wear down not just during the season but in games as well.

“I think good point guards we pick them up and try to wear them down so their effectiveness in the fourth quarter might not be what it normally would be if they get to walk it up,” Triano said. “I think how much he handles and how much you require of him is a factor within a game, for sure.”

Happy birthday

Second-year forward Dragan Bender turned 20 on Friday so for the first time in two years, the Suns don’t have a teenager on their roster.

Peters in L.A.

Forward Alec Peters, who is on a two-way contract, traveled with the Suns to Los Angeles for Saturday’s game. Triano said the Suns needed bodies with just 11 healthy players available.

RELATED: Harden scores 48, Rockets score 90 in first half to drown Suns

MORE: Greg Monroe gets a look in Suns’ starting lineup

RELATED: Devin Booker thriving as more responsibility comes his way

Friday’s game

Suns at Lakers
 
When: 8:30 p.m.
 
Where: Staples Center.
 
TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-FM 98.7.
 
Update: The Suns have lost seven of their past eight games and will be without center Tyson Chandler (illness), who didn’t make the trip. Greg Monroe is expected to get his second straight start in Chandler’s place. The Lakers are 6-9 and two of those wins have come against the Suns. Point guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in the fourth quarter in either of Los Angeles’ past two games. He’s shooting 30 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range. Devin Booker had 10 assists against the Rockets Friday – one short of his career high – and interim coach Jay Triano said Booker might take on more of the ball-handling responsibility.

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