Hollinger: Heat, Suns have survived NBA’s early grind; scouting Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr.

NEW YORK – Well, this wasn’t quite what I signed up for when I booked this trip. The Suns don’t have a single player in the league’s top 15 in blocks, but lead the league as a team because all 11 players with at least 100 minutes played have blocked at least four shots — even Booker, who had two Sunday in New York. Gordon scored 25 points on Sunday; Yuta Watanabe and Chimezie Metu came off the bench to hit two 3s each and, more improbably in Metu’s case, an off-the-dribble running floater going left; sparkplug forward Little added 11 points in his 20 minutes; and Beal-trade throw-in Jordan Goodwin was outstanding, with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his extended 28-minute stint. In the Suns’ six-game road winning streak, the first two came without Booker, the last two without Durant and all six without Beal. Whether alone or as part of a bigger trade, look for the Heat to pay another team to take on the $1.8 million obligation to Smith and remove it from Miami’s tax calculation.