National Basketball Association
Phoenix 98, Atlanta 95
When: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 23, 2016
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Officials: #67 Brett Nansel, #58 Josh Tiven, #49 Tom Washington
Attendance: 17034

PHOENIX -- An expanded role has not changed Phoenix guard Archie Goodwin's perspective, but it has made him a greater force on the offensive end.

Goodwin capped a 24-point game with a 3-pointer from beyond the key with one-tenth of a second remaining in the Suns' 98-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

"Just be the best point guard I can be, be the best teammate I can be," said Goodwin, who made his second straight start in place of injured leading scorer Brandon Knight.

"With (Knight) out, it is an opportunity for me to play, of course, but I just have to always stay within the team system. Make sure I am doing the right things to help us win, because at the end of the day, if I have numbers, it doesn't mean anything if we don't win."

Goodwin took an inbounds pass out of a timeout with 20.7 seconds and dribbled out front before putting a shot over forward Thabo Sefolosha, who had switched out on the play.

"The guy was all over him," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "It's one of those things, maybe it was our night."

Forward P.J. Tucker and 7-foot-1 center Alex Len had 16 points apiece, and 7-1 center Tyson Chandler tied Paul Silas' franchise record with 27 rebounds as the Suns (14-31) broke a six-game losing streak. They had lost 15 of their last 16.

"Like the gorilla, the mascot was taken off our backs," said Chandler, who broke a franchise record with 13 offensive rebounds.

Guard Kent Bazemore had 21 points for the Hawks (26-19), who have lost two in a row and four of seven.

Reserve guard Dennis Schroeder had 19 points and reserve forward Mike Scott scored 16 as the Hawks played without leading scorer Paul Millsap, who attended the funeral of his grandfather.

"That was a heck of a shot by Archie Goodwin," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He hits a contested, falling away, 2, 3, 4 feet behind the line. They made more plays than us."

The Suns led 56-41 early in the third quarter before the Hawks recovered to tie the score at 74 by scoring the first 10 points of the fourth quarter. Guard Kyle Korver, who 11 points, made two of his three 3-pointers in that run.

Len's 15-footer with 1:58 left gave the Suns a 93-88 lead before Bazemore hit two free throws and a 3-pointer from the right corner to tie the score at 93 with 48 seconds left.

The Suns led 95-93 after Chandler tipped in a Goodwin miss with 24.6 seconds left. Chandler tied Paul Silas' game franchise rebounding record on that play.

Bazemore made a driving layup when he went right to the basket on an inbounds play to tie it at 95. He was fouled but missed the free throw, setting up Goodwin's final shot.

"We played the way we should play down the stretch," Bazemore said. "We shouldn't get down and try to figure it out, but it's collectively doing it."

Chandler had 13 points and his second straight 20-rebound game, another Suns record. Chandler had three consecutive 20-rebound games from Feb. 1 to Feb. 4, 2013, while with the New York Knicks.

The Suns shot only 40 percent from the field but outrebounded the Hawks 52-43.

Len, who started with Chandler because of an injury-depleted front line, also had 12 rebounds. The Suns played without starting forward Markieff Morris and reserve forward Jon Leuer.

"If you have the size advantage, you have to punish them," Chandler said.

"Controlling the paint and the tempo. If I get beat, he's back there. If he gets beat, I get back there. It's good to have another shot blocker out there."

NOTES: Atlanta F Paul Millsap is expected to return for a Monday game in Denver, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Millsap is the Hawks' leading scorer (18.7 points) and rebounder (8.8). C Tiago Splitter made his second start of the season in his place. ... Suns G Devin Booker had 56 points in his previous two games, the most for an NBA rookie age 19 or younger since Thunder F Kevin Durant had 61 points on April 13 and 16, 2008, his last two games before turning 20. Booker is the youngest player in the league at 19 years, 85 days old. ... Suns G Brandon Knight (left adductor) "does not need surgery," coach Jeff Hornacek said before the game, but there is no timetable for his return. Knight also missed Thursday's game against San Antonio. "When he feels good to go, that's it," Hornacek said. ... Budenholzer and Warriors coach Steve Kerr are the only coaches remaining from the NBA's Final Four last season after Cleveland's David Blatt was fired Friday. Houston's Kevin McHale was fired 11 games into the season. "The whole basketball world has great respect for David Blatt," Budenholzer said. "He deserves another opportunity. He's a great coach. I think Steve Kerr stole the line the other day, where he and I need to be nervous. I don't think he's very nervous. I'm not, either."
Top Game Performances
 
Atlanta   Phoenix
Kent Bazemore 21 Scoring Archie Goodwin 24
Al Horford 5 Assists Tyson Chandler 5
Al Horford 16 Rebounds Tyson Chandler 27
Thabo Sefolosha 6 Free Throws Made Archie Goodwin 8
Thabo Sefolosha 3 Steals Devin Booker 2
Al Horford 2 Blocks Tyson Chandler 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Atlanta 95 40.5 12-34 15-18 23 43 7 8 16
Phoenix 98 40.0 10-24 20-26 22 52 6 10 17
Upcoming Games
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Suns have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .323 after a loss.
  • Atlanta will play their next game on the road against Denver. The Hawks have a W/L % of .577 after a win and .579 after a loss.