There is an old saying that gets passed around under neon bar lights, and I am guessing it exists in plenty of Phoenician living rooms, too. “Any day you beat the Lakers is a good day”. They were without Luka Doncic. Rui Hachimura did not play either. None of that changed the larger point. The paper tiger version of the Lakers showed up, and it remains a team the Phoenix Suns match up well against.
It comes down to effort. Hustle. That youthful spring in the step that turns loose balls into momentum.
That energy put the Suns in control, and once the third quarter hit, it was over. A 45-point explosion, the highest scoring quarter they have had all season, slammed the door shut. Phoenix won for the second time in three meetings and never looked back.
So what did we learn? Jamaree Bouyea is worth keeping around. Open threes eventually fall if you keep taking the right ones. Against a shorthanded Lakers group, culture and identity win every time. Those city uniforms may be simple, but they look a lot better when you are winning.
And maybe most important, the Suns are 16-13, which makes for a very merry Christmas.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Devin Booker’s 38 points against the Warriors was enough to get him his 7th BSB of the season.
And as Forrest once said, “That’s all I have to say about that.”
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 29 against the Lakers. Here are your nominees:
Dillon Brooks
25 points (10-of-15, 3-of-6 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 turnovers, +20 +/-
Devin Booker
21 points (7-of-14, 0-of-2 3PT, 7-of-8 FT), 2 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, +21 +/-
Mark Williams
18 points (7-of-8, 4-of-4 FT), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 turnovers, 2 blocks, +19 +/-
Collin Gillespie
16 points (6-of-10, 4-of-8 3PT), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, +23 +/-
Jamaree Bouyea
14 points (7-of-10, 0-of-3 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 1 turnover, 1 block, +4 +/-
Royce O’Neale
12 points (4-of-5, 4-of-5 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +19 +/-
Time to vote!
