It wasn’t a comfortable win for the Suns, but it was the one they needed
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t nice. And yes, the Dallas Mavericks did their part. Cooper Flagg layoff late, five-second violation down five, no real push to extend the game. You saw it. But a win is a win for the Phoenix Suns, and this one mattered. Because with it, they lock up the seventh seed as the Los Angeles Clippers fall. Opponent still unknown, but that piece is guaranteed. Two games left and you know where you stand. There is value in this. There is comfort in this. Even if the path to get there seemed a bit tortuous.
And honestly, I’ll say it, I’m happy. Because I got what I wanted. It happened in an unexpected way, with Jalen Green going down early, and you never root for that. But he opened the door. He created minutes and those minutes went to the younger guys. We saw Rasheer Fleming again. Ryan Dunn got busy. As the season nears its end, and considering how rotten the team has been protecting the perimeter, it was nice to see them again.
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Jordan Ott threw Khaman Maluach for his first start and you saw the good and the bad. Late rotations, inconsistent box outs, all of that. But he was out there and playing. He was learning in real time. And yes, blocking his former teammate Flagg? It was a moment.
Now, has the influx of young people solved everything? No. Dallas pushed steadily because the rust was evident. Every Suns run had an answer. It has become tight, some would say too tight. Phoenix flirted with letting it slide and you could feel that tension creeping in. But they resisted. And most importantly, they learned.
That’s what it’s all about right now. Yes, taking the seventh seed is important. But development has been the common thread throughout the season, and in Game 80 you saw it again. Not perfect. Not polished. But progress. And over the last month we have been looking for signs of progress. So I’ll take it.
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Silver Linings Dancers Season Ranking
Mark Williams’ effectiveness, and his size, helped him earn his seventh BSB of the year.
Apply for the bright side
Game 80 against the Mavs. Here are your candidates:
Devin Booker
37 points (13 of 27, 2 of 6 3PT), 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 9 of 9 FT, 4 turnovers, +11 +/-
Dillon Brooks
28 points (11 of 22, 4 of 5 3PT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +5 +/-
Royce O’Neale
14 points (5 of 7, 4 of 6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, 1 block, -3 +/-
Collin Gillespie
13 points (5 of 12, 1 of 7 3PT), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, +4 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
9 points (3 of 7, 3 of 4 3PT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +1 +/-
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Khaman Maluach
4 points (2 of 5), 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 0 turnovers, +11 +/-
…and the winner is?