Xavier Silas Puts Up 30 Points In Northern Arizona Suns Comeback Win Over The OKC Blue

All hope seemed lost on for the Northern Arizona Suns during the majority of their Tuesday afternoon matchup against the Oklahoma City Blue. From the jump, the Blue came out with a sense of urgency as the duo of Bryce Alford and Dakari Johnson’s fifteen combined 1st quarter points helped give the Blue a 31-19 lead. That lead continued to grow over the next 2+ quarters as they were down 106-87 with only 8:32 left in regulation.

In most cases, the losing team would probably decide to pack things up and look ahead to the next game as that 19-point lead might seem too large to come back from in just 8 minutes and 37 seconds. However, the Suns weren’t like most teams as their confidence never waned despite how OKC’s advantage might’ve seemed insurmountable. They were able to lock in on both ends of the floor to quickly chip into that huge lead.

That effort was probably most evident on the defensive end as the Suns kept the Blue to only scoring three field goals from that 8:37 point until the final buzzer. Obviously, the entire Suns team deserves praise for that comeback as they did a nice job of working together as a cohesive unit on switches and close out which prevented OKC from barely any open looks.

From an offensive perspective, the Suns took advantage of the Blue’s defensive flaws by creating a bevy of opportunities to get some easy transition buckets. They also lucked out as the Blue fouled their perimeter shooters on two consecutive possessions which led to six quick and easy points.

However, I believe that veteran guard Xavier Silas probably played the biggest role behind that huge comeback. That praise is due to how he put up 14 of the team’s 38 points in the 4th quarter, which would round out to give him 37% of their offensive contributions. He was able to lead through an incredibly balanced attack as he was able to make his way to the free throw line, drive to the rim and nail perimeter jumpers.

Although Silas’ 4th quarter attack helped push the Suns to a huge 118-114 victory over the OKC Blue, great offensive play has been common for this veteran guard during this G League season.

During his 25 games during the 2017-18 season, Silas has impressed by putting 18.1 points on 44% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc on 9 perimeter attempts per game. Alongside that, he’s also shooting an incredible 91% from the FT line, which is the 4th best percentage in the entire G League.

As you might’ve gathered, his perimeter shooting is probably the most impressive part of his offensive attack as he’s that special type of knockdown shooter that combines heavy volume with incredible efficiency. That special combination easily becomes apparent when you watch his film as Silas has a great jumper. Whether its the quickness between catch and release or the high arc of the ball after it leaves his finger tips, Silas’ shooting stroke is probably one of the best that I’ve in my time writing about the G League.

Although SIlas’ great jumper could definitely the Suns make a quick late season push, there’s definitely a chance that he catches on with a 10-day. As NBA squads look to finalize their rosters and make a push to the playoffs, they might look to the G League to help fill a hole if they can’t find a trade partner. If one of those teams need a knockdown shooter in their 2nd unit, Silas might arguably stand as the best player in the G League to help fill that particular hole.