What we learned: Three-guard lineup, defensive discipline lift Suns past Heat in quality win

Again. Offense isn’t the problem.

Correction. It shouldn’t be a problem for the Phoenix Suns.

Even with superstar Kevin Durant sidelined along with 3-point blaster, Eric Gordon, the Suns still had two prolific scorers on the floor Friday night in Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Add a red-hot Grayson Allen and Phoenix had more than enough firepower to top Miami, 113-97, Friday night before a sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center, especially when the Suns defend at that level.

Allen scored 31 points, hitting a career-best nine shots from 3 to tie a franchise record for made 3s in a game, while Beal and Booker had 25 and 20 points, respectively.

This was Beal's fourth straight 20-point game in his fifth game back from an ankle injury, as he continues to find his rhythm and legs. A healthy Beal makes the Suns a more dynamic and challenging offense to contain.

Bam Adebayo paced the Heat (20-15) with 28 points and 11 rebounds while Kevin Love added 20 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Suns (19-16) did the job on Tyler Herro, who managed just nine points on 4-of-17 shooting (1-of-7 from 3).

The Heat shot 4-of-22 from 3 in the second half in finishing 10-of-37. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, who missed the game due to a right foot sprain.

Here’s what we learned as this was one of the better wins for the Suns, who committed just 11 turnovers that resulted in only eight Miami points after yielding 17 that the Clippers turned into 26 points in Wednesday's 131-122 loss.

Best player in three-team trade

He wasn’t an afterthought, but Allen came in that three-team deal right before training camp that had bigger names changing locations.

Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. Deandre Ayton to Portland. Jusuf Nurkic to Phoenix.

So not much was made of Allen coming from Milwaukee. This would be his fourth team in six seasons.

The only thing people wanted to talk about was his reputation for being a dirty player and if that would continue in Phoenix.

Allen has not put that to rest so far in Phoenix, but he is truly one of their best players. He can shoot it, drive it and will compete on defense. Gives up buckets, but battles and has been playing super hard for the Suns.

Allen did all that and more Friday night. He’s certainly earned the starting spot.

Yes, it makes the Suns smaller, but harder to guard, especially when Allen is looking for his shot and his teammates are looking for him.

This is all part of the Suns looking to make the extra pass. The Suns finished with 30 assists on 44 field goals with Booker and Beal accounting for 10 and nine, respectively.

If the Suns can reach a point Booker, Durant and Beal are playmaking for each other and teammates, this offense will be even more challenging to defend.

Rotation turning defensive?

Yuta Watanabe hadn’t seen meaningful action since going 0-of-3 from 3 in 12 minutes of a Dec. 22 loss at Sacramento.

He played in just two of Phoenix’s next six games a total of eight minutes before playing nine Friday.

Watanabe only scored two points — a tap in — missed his only three attempt, but Watanabe found the floor when the game was a game again in nine minutes.

The question is will he see more action? Hard to say.

Bol Bol has found some rhythm in terms of flow of the game. He only scored four points, but Bol made both his shots and looked more comfortable.

The 7-footer suffered a right ankle sprain Friday, but x-rays were negative.

Keita Bates-Diop went 0-for-6, but he played 19 minutes.

Vogel likes his defense. Probably likes it more after seeing Bates-Diop rack up three steals and four rebounds.

Same with Josh Okogie

Josh Okogie is one of Vogel’s favorite players.

Loves his ability to guard, something the Suns can use considering how suspect their perimeter defense has been. Okogie didn’t make a field goal on two attempts, but he scored seven points all on free throws — and added three steals and two blocks.

See a pattern here.

Drew Eubanks also appears to have worked his way back into the rotation as two-way player Udoka Azubuike didn’t even dress for Friday’s game.

Vogel at least knows what Azubuike can bring with the physicality and aggressiveness.

Jusuf Nurkic suffered a bruise above his eye, leaving Eubanks to pick up the minutes. Nurkic didn't have a concussion.

See, the Suns can live having Okogie and Bates-Diop not providing offense if Allen or Gordon or someone else is providing that type of offensive punch to go with Booker, Durant and Beal.

The Suns showed they can win with their defense being a factor. Vogel said this was their best game in terms of defensive game-plan execution.

When they defend, there's less pressure to feel a need to outscore teams.

When Durant comes back, odds say Bates-Diop remains in the rotation after falling out of it and Watanabe goes back to being a spectator unless he gets another shot and lights it up from 3.

That’s why he’s here. If Watanabe is going only to hit 32% of them, the Suns have guys who aren’t great shooters who can do that like Bates-Diop and Okogie, but guard better.

Durant injury update

Durant missed his third straight game with a right hamstring strain that Suns coach Frank Vogel said doesn’t involve a tear.

He did participate in Friday’s shootaround, was previously listed as questionable, but didn’t play.

“He did some shooting and all the shootaround work we did and still felt it a little bit," Suns coach Frank Vogel said. "So not ready yet.”

Vogel said Durant is still “day-to-day.”

Nassir Little (left knee soreness) and Gordon (right knee soreness) also sat out Friday after previously being listed questionable. Vogel and neither did anything during the shootaround.

Damion Lee has been out all season after having surgery on his right meniscus Oct. 11 of last year.

Up next: Memphis Grizzlies – with Morant

The Suns won both of their meetings against Memphis when Ja Morant was serving his 25-game suspension.

He’s now back as the Grizzlies (12-23) are 6-3 with him in the lineup after Friday’s 127-113 win at the Lakers. Jaren Jackson Jr. paced Memphis with 31 points and nine rebounds while Marcus Smart scored 29 points.

Morant is averaging 25.1 points and 8.1 assists in nine games.

The Grizzlies will visit Footprint Center Sunday at 6 p.m., to conclude a six-game homestand for the Suns, who are 11-10 at home after Friday’s win.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grayson Allen scores 31 as Phoenix Suns defeat Miami Heat