How do you even begin to explain what went down Thursday night in downtown Phoenix? The Pacers rolled in looking like a team running on fumes. Since their Game 7 burnout in the Finals, nothing has broken
their way. They came out swinging though. They attacked the glass. They tried to bully their way through the night and convince everyone they still had some bite left.
The Suns did not let it happen. As the game settled in, you could feel the shift. The aggression kept building. The attitude sharpened. The depth finally cracked the Pacers open. You could tell this thing was heading one direction, and it was heading there fast.
Then the fourth quarter happened.
I don’t even know how to categorize it. It was chaos, energy, noise, all of it boiling over at once. I have not seen that building feel like that in a long time. Maybe ever. And I was there for it. I went as a fan, not as media, and I let myself be part of it. Full voice. Full volume. Purple and orange. No laptop. No note-taking. No polite silence. It felt good to scream for this team. They earned it.
It was fun. It was a quality win. It also served as a reminder that the Suns were facing an opponent missing half its roster, a group limping through a season that keeps kicking them in the shins. The Suns did what a good team does. They handled their business. They saw the opening and pushed through it.
That is what you want to see. They took care of the night. They played like who they are. They finished the job.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
It was a close one after the Dallas Mavericks game, with Jordan Goodwin holding the early lead. But alas, it was Devin Booker who earned enough votes to win his 5th Bright Side Baller of the Year through the first 12 games.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 13 against the Pacers. Here are your nominees.
Devin Booker
33 points (12-of-22, 3-of-10 3PT), 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 0 steals, 1 turnover, 0 blocks, +13 +/-
Dillon Brooks
32 points (12-of-18, 3-of-7 3PT), 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 0 blocks, +9 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
17 points (7-of-9, 0-of-0 3PT), 7 rebounds, 0 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 3 blocks, +52 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
10 points (4-of-7, 2-of-3 3PT), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, +32 +/-
Grayson Allen
12 points (5-of-6, 1-of-2 3PT), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, +8 +/-
Collin Gillespie
10 points (3-of-7, 2-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, 0 blocks, +27 +/-
Let’s vote, shall we?
