Wednesday night felt like one the Suns should take home. That kind of game used to slip through fingers. Old versions of this team would sink to their opponent, drag us through two and a half hours of nail-biting, and leave the result spinning like a coin in the air. Is it heads? Tails?
This group feels different. They handle the matchups they are meant to win. They punched out a 25-point lead before the first quarter cooled.
There were wobbles. 9 missed threes in the third quarter, and Sacramento took that oxygen and ran with it. They climbed back into it. You could feel tension touch the floor again. But one or two solid possessions were all it took to push the waterline down. That surge from the Kings lost weight. Order returned. The Suns closed the door.
Sacramento kept firing. They have scorers. They live for rhythm. Their defense is soft, though, and Phoenix leaned into that truth. Mark Williams, have yourself a night! Handle your business. Collect that win. Move to the next city. Simple.
People will say it was against a team with only 5 wins. Fine. Good teams beat the ones that are drowning. No apologies. No explanations. You play what the schedule gives you, and you handle your end.
On Wednesday night, they did. And on Thanksgiving morning, I am grateful for games like that.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Dillon Brooks was the tip of the spear Monday night against his former team, the kind of game where his fingerprints were on everything. He pulled in 78% of the Bright Side Baller vote, a landslide without debate. That number handed him his third award this season, putting him shoulder to shoulder with Mark Williams for second place.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 19 against the Kings. Here are your nominees:
Mark Williams
21 points (9-of-12 FG, 0-of-0 3PT, 3-of-5 FT), 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 block, +5 +/-
Collin Gillespie
21 points (8-of-15 FG, 4-of-9 3PT, 1-of-1 FT), 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, +7 +/-
Devin Booker
19 points (6-of-22 FG, 2-of-9 3PT, 5-of-6 FT), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +13 +/-
Dillon Brooks
13 points (4-of-12 FG, 1-of-4 3PT, 4-of-4 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers, +12 +/-
Jamaree Bouyea
11 points (4-of-6 FG, 3-of-5 3PT, 0-of-0 FT), 1 rebound, 0 turnovers, 0 blocks, -6 +/-
Royce O’Neale
9 points (3-of-9 FG, 3-of-9 3PT, 0-of-0 FT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +8 +/-
Who are you thankful for?