Can I get off the ride?
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: the Phoenix Suns start out competitive. They trade buckets with the opposition through the first half, keeping it close…maybe a five-point game as the halftime buzzer sounds. Then the third quarter arrives, and it’s like clockwork. The Suns get launched into the sun, giving up 40+ points in the frame, and stumble to another loss.
Sound familiar? Well, it happened again Monday night. This time, the Suns were obliterated 117-90 by the Denver Nuggets. Ninety points. That’s all the Suns could muster. And as for surrendering 40+ in a single quarter? It’s practically tradition at this point. It’s the second time in as many games. A team that was 1-9 without Kevin Durant in the lineup is now 0-2 without Devin Booker, and they’re handing out third-quarter “40 bombs” like they’re stocking stuffers.
Something is broken in Phoenix. Not a crack. Not a tear. Broken.
The Suns have talent — elite talent, in fact — but none of it seems to matter when they can’t stop anyone, and the third quarter remains a graveyard for their efforts. The consistency of their collapse has become almost comforting in its predictability. But comfort breeds complacency, and complacency breeds losses.
And losses, my friends, are stacking up fast in the Valley.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Dude. Mariah Carey is crushing it this year for the Suns. After Phoenix had a boneheaded performance against Detroit, the five-time Grammy Award-winning artist one again tops our ranking for having the best performance of the night. Why? Because we know that somewhere she is belting out “All I Want For Christmas” and giving it her all. Something the Suns appear to be interested in doing.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Someone has to win, right?
Kevin Durant
23 points (8-of-15, 2-of-3 3PT), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -19 +/-
Bradley Beal
23 points (9-of-17, 5-of-7 3PT), 0 rebounds, 2 assists, 1, steal, 2 turnovers, -18 +/-
Tyus Jones
9 points (4-of-8, 1-of-3 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, -24 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
7 points (3-of-3), 6 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 block, -10 +/-
Fire them votes off!