The Suns impose their will and for one night, everything felt right.
Toronto might be an 11th seed with nothing to play for but draft position, but that doesn’t diminish the satisfaction of watching the Phoenix Suns impose their will. Impose they did. In every phase. In every way. This wasn’t just a win. It was a reminder. A reset. Proof that dominance is still within them, even if it’s been buried beneath inconsistency and frustration. It doesn’t course-correct the season, but it does re-center my soul a tad.
We needed this one. “We” being the fanbase. Not because it salvages the season or rewrites the narrative, but because it reconnects us to the essence of why we care. Why we invest our time, our energy, our emotions. Why we endure the gut punches and the letdowns.
Beating the shit out of the Raptors felt cathartic, but more than that, it was an affirmation. That joy still exists in this journey. That when this team clicks, when they dictate every moment on the court, it stirs something deep. And for those of us who wear our passion openly, who feel every high and low in our bones, basking in that unfiltered joy — even for a night — is everything.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
It was a nail-biter after the Lakers game, but Ryan Dunn narrowly beat out Mariah Carey for the Bright Side Baller award. And just like that, Dunn moves ahead of Carey in the season standings. Guess the diva’s got some competition.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Devin Booker
27 points (8-of-15, 3-of-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 turnover, +23 +/-
Ryan Dunn
17 points (7-of-16, 3-of-7 3PT), 6 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, +4 +/-
Tyus Jones
15 points (5-of-12, 4-of-7 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, +33 +/-
Monté Morris
12 points (4-of-5, 4-of-4 3PT), 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +8 +/-
Royce O’Neale
11 points (4-of-8, 3-of-6 3PT), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +38 +/-
Nick Richards
10 points (4-of-8), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, -4 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
9 points (4-of-6), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +39 +/-
Kevin Durant
14 points (5-of-7, 1-of-1 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, +5 +/-
All right, Bright Side. The winner is…
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