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What We Learned From #SunsVsClippers

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The season finished much the same way it transpired. The Suns trailed early, made a late comeback bid, and ultimately fell short.

The send-off crowd of fans expresed their appreciation for Phoenix's resolve in the team's 111-102 loss. Now the offseason will test it with multiple avenues through which the Suns can improve.

For now, however, we roll out our final edition of "What We Learned" from Game No. 82.

3. The offense can come to life

For just the third time in 12 games, the Suns eclipsed the 100-point mark. They did it thanks to a rebirth of the shooting stroke that's been missing for nearly two months. Phoenix hit 11-of-26 from downtown and shot 48.8 percent overall, getting six players (out of eight active overall) to hit double-figure scoring.

This came despite the absence of starters Brandon Knight and Alex Len, as well as rotation players Marcus Morris and Brandan Wright. Phoenix owed its renewed offensive production to...

2. The young guys stepping up

Goodwin's Hoop and Harm

When Phoenix cut a 30-point deficit down to 11, they did it with just two starters on the floor. The pair happened to be the youngest players on the roster: 20-year-old Archie Goodwin and 21-year-old T.J. Warren. The duo scored a combined 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting and added six rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

Goodwin and Warren used a late-season boost in playing time to show how far they progressed since the start of the season. Establishing further rapport with the starters and coaching staff puts them in a good position to use this summer as a springboard for potentially bigger roles next season.

1. The effort was there

Were it not for some improbably threes late in the game (at least two of Lester Hudson's three-pointers were heavily contested attempts), the game could well have been tied heading into the final minutes.

Regardless of the final outcome, fans were clearly pleased with the play-till-the-buzzer-sounds effort Phoenix exhibited on the floor. Whether it was three-peat Dan Majerle Hustle Award winner P.J. Tucker (17 points, nine rebounds) or the suddenly sharp-shooting Earl Barron (2-for-3 from distance), the Suns showed they wanted to send the fans into the offseason with a feel-good performance.