I do not know how it looked to you, but it feels like the Suns have been a little off over the past few games. Maybe it is the grind of this chaotic schedule. Maybe it is the odd rhythm created by too many days off. Whatever the cause, something has felt #misaligned.
This team built its reputation by playing a very specific brand of basketball. Focus. Tenacity. Disruption. Lately, those traits have shown up in flashes instead of stretches. Against Golden State, that inconsistency popped again. Lazy
passes. An inability to rebound as a unit. Poor shooting layered on top of it all. Mix it together and you get a game that slips away.
You can glance at the box score and see a three-point loss. That does not tell the story. If you watched it, you know how that number came to be. Classic Suns behavior, a fourth quarter push that drags them back into it. The frustrating part was everything that came before that. The middle of the game felt flat. The energy did not match the identity they have been building.
And this has happened enough times now that it is starting to feel less random. That does not make this team less enjoyable to watch. You still trust them to fight, and they did that again in Golden State. But when you see careless passes, missed rotations, and guys not where they are supposed to be, it sticks out. Those are self-inflicted wounds. That is not the opponent forcing chaos. That is Phoenix failing to take care of its own business.
They stole one at home against Golden State earlier in the week. They could not repeat it on the road. And that is what makes this one sting. This game was there for the taking.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Late in Thursday’s game, Collin Gillespie collided with Jonathan Kuminga, and their knees banged together. On first look, it felt like one of those moments that makes your stomach drop, the kind that looks non-contact and scary in real time. Thankfully, it was a knee-to-knee collision. Still, ouch.
He exited the game. When he came back, he changed it.
His defensive tenacity flipped the energy, forcing two steals in the fourth quarter and setting a tone the Suns desperately needed. That effort did not go unnoticed. The community named him the Bright Side Baller, his fifth time earning the honor this season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 28 against the Warriors. Here are your nominees:
Devin Booker
38 points (13-of-27, 2-of-7 3PT), 1 rebound, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, -6 +/-
Dillon Brooks
22 points (8-of-11, 3-of-5 3PT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, +1 +/-
Collin Gillespie
16 points (5-of-14, 2-of-7 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, +14 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
10 points (5-of-7), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +9 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
9 points (3-of-8, 3-of-7 3PT), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, +2 +/-
Ryan Dunn
7 points (2-of-6, 1-of-1 3PT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -9 +/-
Time to vote (and I remember to put the poll in this time!):
