How do you even put words to what that felt like? The Suns’ loss in their Play-In matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers stings. It was a game full of swings, strange stat lines, and a Mortgage Matchup Center that reached a level I haven’t heard in years. And yet, when it settled, the same issues showed up. The same ones that have followed this team during the back end of an unexpected season. The Suns settled.
Now Phoenix becomes only the third team in the Play-In era to lose that 7–8 game and
get pushed to a winner-take-all for the eighth seed.
The game opened with Portland going nuclear from deep. This is a team that finished 28th in three-point percentage, and they couldn’t miss in the first half. 12-of-27 from deep, good for a +24 heading into the locker room. You kept waiting for regression, and it came in the second half. Their shooting cooled, and it gave the Suns chances to climb back in. The third turned into a grind. Portland struggled. The Suns struggled right along with them. Every time it felt like there was an opening, it closed. No separation. No control. Just a game hanging there through three quarters.
Then the fourth hit, and the Suns came out with an 11–0 run. The building felt it. It felt like the breakthrough, like the moment they’d finally put it away. Energy was high, and belief set in as the team led 98-87 with 7:13 left. But then the cracks showed up. Those familiar, troublesome cracks.
This team has a tendency to settle, taking jumpers instead of creating rim pressure. They opt for isolation instead of flow. While the Suns were settling, the Blazers were attacking the rim. That’s been a problem for Phoenix, and it didn’t change here. Portland closed the game on a 27–12 run, scoring 17 of their 31 fourth quarter points either in the paint or at the line.
The Suns had it, and as we’ve seen recently, they couldn’t finish it. Late game possessions netted no points, and an 11-point lead became a 4-point loss. The energy in the building never fully left, but it shifted. And when it ended, that engaged crowd walked out disappointed.
If you’ve watched this team recently, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Jamaree Bouyea was aggressive in the regular season finale, posting 27 points on 12-of-23 shooting. He wraps up the regular season with 3 Bright Side Ballers on the year.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 83 against the Trail Blazers. Here are your nominees:
Jalen Green
35 points (14-of-29, 2-of-7 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers, 1 block, -5 +/-
Devin Booker
22 points (7-of-17, 0-of-2 3PT), 1 rebound, 4 assists, 8-of-13 FT, 2 turnovers, -3 +/-
Dillon Brooks
20 points (6-of-10, 2-of-4 3PT), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 turnover, +9 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
12 points (4-of-7, 3-of-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 0 +/-
Royce O’Neale
7 points (3-of-5, 1-of-3 3PT), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 0 turnovers, -12 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
3 points (1-of-2), 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, +3 +/-
Who gets the nod for their Play-In performance?
