As the second half dragged itself into the night against Minnesota, I kept thinking this was the perfect litmus test. A real proving ground. They were up against a team that dialed up the physicality in response
to the first half physicality from the Suns.
Phoenix opened the thing by walking into the Timberwolves’ house and cracking them in the jaw, rolling into halftime with a 13-point lead. Then Minnesota came storming back with their reach, their pressure, their stubborn defensive edge. In a strange way, that is who Phoenix wants to become. Maybe this whole mess was the universe handing them a lesson, a reminder that you can land a punch, you can eat one, and you can stay standing long enough to throw another.
So when the team fell behind by nine with a minute and change left, I settled into the acceptance of a loss. The Wolves, with a little help from their officiating friends, had thrown too many punches for the team to recover.
Then the Suns swung back.
The comeback made no sense, none at all. Nine straight to close it out, turning a fading night into a 114-113 fever dream. Shock, confusion, disbelief, all of it hitting at once. What did I witness? A game that will sit in your mind for a while, the kind where Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks both foul out, the kind where the ball falls into the laps of Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, and someone tells them to go win the thing. The smallest guards on the floor turned into the biggest forces in the building.
The tough stretch of the schedule has finally shown up, and Friday night was the opening punch to the ribs. Phoenix took it, threw one back, and landed the final shot. For a team still figuring out how to win real games, it was the perfect way to step into the weekend. The competition is climbing, and Phoenix is climbing with it.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
The Suns’ game against Portland gave Collin Gillespie a real shot at his first Bright Side Baller of the year. But a lot of people pointed at the sideline instead, and they were not wrong. Jordan Ott might have been the real star of the night. Still, Collin earned it. He’s earned some recognition all season, so for his performance in Portland, he’s getting it.
Moving forward, no matter how wild the box score gets, Jordan Ott is going into the polls. Some nights the players cook. Some nights the coach sets the table, lights the candles, and serves the whole meal. When a coach puts the team in the right spots, calls the right buttons, and gives them a fighting chance, he deserves flowers for that.
We are not at the point where Mariah Carey needs to be included, and hopefully we never see that day again. Last year got so dark that I had to throw Mariah Carey into the poll, and that was because I would have rather watched her sing for two hours than sit through that mess on the court.
This season feels different. It feels alive. It feels watchable. It feels like something worth staying up late for.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 16 against the Timberwolves. Here are your nominees:
Dillon Brooks
22 points (8-of-17, 4-of-8 3PT, 2-of-4 FT), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 6 fouls, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, -3 +/-
Collin Gillespie
20 points (7-of-12, 4-of-7 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 fouls, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, +14 +/-
Mark Williams
19 points (6-of-9, 0-of-0 3PT, 7-of-8 FT), 8 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 fouls, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 block, -15 +/-
Royce O’Neale
16 points (5-of-8, 3-of-6 3PT, 3-of-4 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 fouls, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, -4 +/-
Devin Booker
16 points (4-of-18, 1-of-6 3PT, 7-of-9 FT), 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 fouls, 1 steal, 9 turnovers, -2 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
13 points (6-of-9, 1-of-2 3PT, 0-of-0 FT), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 fouls, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, +8 +/-
So, who are you casting your vote for?
