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The game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night opened with signs that the Suns had steadied themselves after the loss to Portland, the narrow win over Orlando, and the beating they took against San Antonio. Injuries have weighed heavily on them, but for a half, Phoenix looked functional. They trailed 50-46 at the break, and the offense felt balanced, which was a welcome sight. Shots were falling, something that has been rare for this team throughout February. There was flow. There was purpose.
Then the third quarter arrived.
It turned into an avalanche of green inside the Mortgage Matchup Center, and at times it sounded like TD Garden had relocated to downtown Phoenix. The Suns opened the night 7-of-14 from three. They then missed their next 12 straight. The Suns also got overwhelmed on the offensive glass. They surrendered 22 offensive rebounds to Boston and finished with 25 defensive rebounds of their own. Boston only turned those extra chances into 15 second-chance points, but the issue remains. Phoenix continues to struggle with closing possessions and preventing second and third opportunities, and that lack of control keeps resurfacing at costly moments.
That pattern is becoming far too familiar. Long shooting droughts, extended inefficiency from deep, poor rebounding, and an inability to steady themselves when the offense freezes over. Injuries factor into it, but schematically, the counter never arrives. Whether that is personnel, competition, or system-related, the result is the same. Phoenix becomes a team that survives through the three, and lately, it has not survived at all. The third quarter broke the game open, with Boston outscoring the Suns 30-11. Against a team operating like a machine, that margin is fatal.
Phoenix pushed, because they always do, opening the fourth on a 9-0 run that trimmed the deficit to 14. It did not matter. The damage was already done. Shooting 18.2% in the third quarter sealed it long before the final horn.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
The Portland game, with 77 total points, is one we’d like to forget. But it is one may never will. Why? Because it is the first game that Khaman Maluach earned Bright Side Baller honors. Here’s to many more, Khaman.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 59 against the Celtics. Here are your nominees:
Collin Gillespie
15 points (6-of-11, 3-of-6 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -5 +/-
Grayson Allen
14 points (2-of-12, 1-of-9 3PT, 9-of-10 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, -13 +/-
Jalen Green
13 points (5-of-18, 1-of-8 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, -33 +/-
Ryan Dunn
10 points (4-of-6, 2-of-2 3PT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 turnovers, -3 +/-
Royce O’Neale
9 points (3-of-6, 3-of-4 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, -19 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
5 points (2-of-5), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, +4 +/-
Votin’ time…