Cam Johnson’s career-performance leads Suns to victory

Cam Johnson led Phoenix to victory on a night that Devin Booker and Chris Paul shot a combined 10-for-36 from the floor.

Very few people thought Cam Johnson was worth the No. 11 pick that the Phoenix Suns spent on him in the 2019 NBA Draft. And even less thought he’d become one of the team’s most consistent scoring options, but here we are.

Johnson has now scored double-digit points in 18 consecutive games and he’s hit at least two three-pointers in a franchise-record 21 straight. During that stretch, Johnson is averaging nearly 15 points per game and shooting an astronomical 48.9 percent from three-point range. He’s also affecting the game in a number of other ways, Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers a prime example of that.

On top of his career-high 24-point performance on an ultra-efficient 9-of-14 shooting performance and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, the former Tar Heel had seven rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. Maybe equally impressive was that Johnson committed just one turnover in 35 minutes on the court.

It was a good night for Johnson’s latest offensive explosion, as fellow Suns Devin Booker and Chris Paul combined to shoot just 10-for-36 from the floor and 2-for-12 from long-range. But instead of folding when their two best players weren’t at the top of their game, the Suns leaned on Johnson to lead them to their league-best 30th victory.

For the season, Johnson is up to 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and he has a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) that ranks among the top 100 in the league (15.73). His 44.4 percent mark from three-point range is fourth-best in the entire NBA.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Cam Johnson, as well as UNC alumni throughout the NBA.