Remember how it felt watching the Suns take down the Spurs? The energy, the precision, the sheer absurdity of it all. They were lights out from deep, splashing 58% of their threes. It was a night that
didn’t make sense in all of the right way for Phoenix, the kind you hang onto for a while because it reminds you what the ceiling looks like.
Then came Tuesday.
The Suns fell back to earth, scoring just 108 points in a loss to Golden State. The Warriors took their turn playing god from beyond the arc. Every kick-out, every broken play, every bench guy who hadn’t scored in weeks found the bottom of the net. Golden State couldn’t miss. They punished every lazy rotation, every late closeout, every ounce of hesitation.
That’s life in the NBA. One night you’re untouchable, the next you’re the punchline. You start to wonder what this loss actually means. Maybe it’s nothing more than math evening the score. Maybe it’s a glimpse of defensive cracks that were always there, hiding behind the hot shooting. Maybe it’s both.
To their credit, the Suns kept swinging. Maybe it came too late, but the fight was there. You can feel the foundation starting to take shape, the kind that doesn’t crack when things get ugly.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Through seven games, only three players have claimed the Bright Side Baller crown: Mark Williams, Dillon Brooks, and Devin Booker. After Sunday night’s win over the San Antonio Spurs, Booker grabbed his third of the season with ease, dropping 28 points and dishing out 13 assists. He took home 67% of the vote. Pretty convincing.
But part of me wants to call an audible here. Because while Booker was the headliner, it was Jordan Ott’s game plan that really tilted this one. His defensive schemes bottled up one of the most explosive young players in the league. So yeah, I’m doing it. Executive decision. This Bright Side Baller goes to Jordan Ott.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 8 against the Warriors. Here are your nominees.
Devin Booker
38 points (13-of-24, 1-of-5 3PT, 11-of-11 FT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, +8 +/-
Mark Williams
16 points (6-of-12, 0-of-0 3PT, 4-of-5 FT), 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, +1 +/-
Grayson Allen
16 points (6-of-15, 4-of-9 3PT), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, -20 +/-
Ryan Dunn
10 points (4-of-12, 2-of-7 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, +2 +/-
Royce O’Neale
8 points (3-of-8, 2-of-6 3PT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -20 +/-
Collin Gillespie
8 points (3-of-8, 2-of-4 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, -11 +/-
Time to cast your vote and tell us why!
