What the Suns’ win over the Lakers means as Phoenix enters the final sprint of the NBA season
And Mara boings Arizona Sports the local sports leader bigley blast we are almost to March where basketball is anything but March becomes a Sprint in the NBA a time where games get a new level of intensity where tempers flare and A team’s Collective identity better be firmly in place unfortunately we are not
There yet with the Phoenix Suns but I will say this twice this year the Suns have lost games that really pierced their Contender status that really shook us to our core once it happened to the Clippers once it happened to the rockets and both times they rebounded with
Sturdy resounding winds and both times it came against the Lakers and we’re starting to see some commonality balance when the Suns have it they look really good intensity in urgency when the Suns really feel it especially on defense they look really good and when they limit their turnovers when they play
With Pace when they hold their own on the glass they’re capable of being a really good team problem is there’s a lot of ifs still in the equation and that has to end either way we all know that beating La never gets old and is always timely the last time this team
Beat the Lakers it led to a seven game winning streak and this time let’s it hope it marks the beginning of an ending the valley can all rally around all right today’s Bickley blast brought to you by my great friends at Chapman BMW make luxury attainable find him online at Chapman bmw.com talked
About the big three with Devon Kevin and but is there like a middle three developing now with Yousef Grayson and and Roy they just seemed awfully big for you all no doubt and Eric Gordon you know we have Eric tonight but um he’s been a big part of it but those three
Guys were the stars of the game tonight you know I mean book and KD did what they they had to do they both hit uh closer type shots in the fourth quarter you know to help us secure the the victory but uh you know Grayson and and
Uh and Royce with six threes each and nerk with 227 what is it 227 and and 18 points hell of a night and guard Anthony Davis all night and that’s just a big time performance by nerk big three now we got the middle three forming or the
Middle four Frank wanted to say but the balance you’re right on the money the balance is what stood out yesterday yes and you can’t I don’t think this team can count on that every single night but in a game you know the game unfolds in a certain way and balance is presented to
You hey role players you can step up and really get your fingerprints on a win and they do it that’s only good moving forward and as you pointed out earlier Royce O’Neal um he’s been really really good since coming to the Suns he is not afraid to take shots and he makes them
More often than Josh shaki does which is good so because this is really going to be the secret sauce to this team we’ve seen this now for years um especially when you’ve got guys like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant this team has had the tendency in the fourth quarter of high
Leverage games to get tight and they get tight because they play ISO ball and then they work the clock and then the clock gets into a deficit situation and then everything kind of falls apart it is much better if this team can get to a level where where it’s it where it isn’t
It doesn’t come down to that now there of course there are going to be moments in the postseason where you give the ball to KD or book and you say everybody clear out get out of the way that’s just the way you do it um but but you do need
To have guys who are going to make big shots and they definitely did that yesterday did that yesterday Kevin Durant talked about that they try to live with something against us and giving up open threes and layups and pain attempts because they want to stop
Us so bad when Brad’s not out there um guys came through and knock down shots and I think we got it like the Dallas game Houston game um we didn’t do a good job of exploiting that and and and and getting other guys shots specifically
Myself um so and you got to be better at that moving forward especially with Brad not being there and you know I think that’s only going to be good for our team guys got to step up and do more and you know uh have a different role some
Nights that’s only going to make us better yeah the Bradley Beal question looms because he’s now missed three games post All-Star break after tweaking that hamstring before the break and I know the feeling going into the break was wow didn’t look that major um you
Know it’s coming at a great time if it’s an injury for Bradley Beal you got a week to get things settled and now we’re going on two weeks with this hamstring injury Frank vogle told us last week that he was confident that he’d be available for the Dallas game still not
Ready to go yeah and you see these videos of his pregame workouts and it looks like he’s yes and so you’re like whoa so is what what is the deal with this well the deal with this is we’re getting the Bradley Beal that it that he
Gave the Wizards the last three years a guy that’s going to give you about 45 games and and that’s and and that’s unfortunate it seems to be a reality let’s just hope that he can put together that stretch of 16 to 25 games uh when
It matters in the playoffs so I I think that I also think that the Lakers are not a team that plays with Pace uh the Lakers have a size advantage that that that generally would would make um things difficult for the Suns that certainly wasn’t the case yesterday
I I really like the attitude that Yousef nerkish played with yesterday right and and and they seem to kind of feed off of that and and then you talk about just the big shots that were made at Key moments in the game that was one of the
Big takeaways for this team in and sometimes it it’s as easy as that it’s a make or Miss league right Vinnie isn’t that what they say yeah it’s a game of runs as well yeah yeah well that too but it’s it’s like and I draw the example of
The last time they beat the Lakers in what felt like a must-win game I went back and checked the schedule what the two games prior to that they lost a real bad game to Memphis when the Grizzlies didn’t really have anybody and then they got just rolled by the Clippers in a
Game which they didn’t even look like they were on the same level as the Clippers and I remember the next morning going steam’s got some trouble is in trouble and then they went into LA and they rolled the Lakers they put together a nice streak of basketball here we are
It’s a good time for a nice streak of basketball yeah the Lakers too and they’re trying to find their footing and they’re in a in a playin spot right now I don’t know if I see them getting out I mean just based a lot on what we saw
From yesterday I mean LeBron’s LeBron MH Anthony Davis put in two different performances yesterday he was absent in the first half and got dominated by Yousef nurkic and was really good in the second half when he decided he wanted to play D’Angelo Russell was amazing in the
First half did nothing in the second half it’s like their their interest level or their engagement in the game on an individual basis just way so much I I look at the team I don’t see a whole lot and you’ve been saying this for a while
They just do not look that impressive to me and going into the game oh ruy hachimura in the starting lineups made all the really I mean he had an okay he’s a nice he’s a nice spot up shooter a big tall dude but I yeah I I’m not I
Don’t look at the Lakers and and feel fear I really don’t I don’t either it’s a beautiful feeling to have it’s a much different feeling when you look at the Lakers now do that to the Lakers fan base yesterday that’s very enjoyable as well because yeah that it’s because
They’re back now at footprint Center that was pretty obvious yesterday yeah and I thought it was going to be different yesterday but it it was certainly not different no and I remember feel I feel that way every time the Lakers are in town um especially feel that way when the Lakers are not
Good at all mhm and they still pack the place how do they get these tickets that’s right I don’t know I said this earlier in the show and I truly believe this is going to happen that is LeBron’s career winds down the next Superstar that’ll wear the purple and
Gold of the lake or the Forum blue and gold of the Lakers is Giannis MH and then it’s just this never ending cycle of of unbelievable Fortune for that franchise it’s disgusting as what it is it really really is I mean it’s it it’s so bad the NBA commissioner had a negate
A tradeit of Chris Paul to the Lakers at one point in time you go back it’s it’s unbelievable how lopsided some of these deals have been in Lakers history they still went and won two championships thanks for watching Bickley and Mara click to see the latest
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After the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Dan Bickley looks at what the victory means as the team makes a final sprint toward playoff spot in the final stretch of the NBA regular season.
Video: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports
Photos: Felisa Cárdenas/Arizona Sports; Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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13 Comments
Means we done what we should’ve done against Mavs and Rockets. Means we’re sitting at 6 might finish at 6 or 5 and draw LAC or DEN in the 1st round. Vogel needs to play the match up and sign Ish Smith
I rarely miss a Suns game and what frustrates me is their inconsistency. You never know which team you’re going to get each game.
Booker or Beal need to take over as point guard at the beginning of the 4th quarter for better ball control. It seems everything goes haywire during the first part of the 4th, then they have to scramble to win. They traded Paul because he wasn't reliable and Beal is even less available.
If we can stop the turnovers, we might have a chance for the title
The reason they are back packing the stands is because over 1m of them left Cali to come here after they voted in people that destroyed their state and escaped the consequences. Now they are destroying Arizona and ruining our suns games. Can't stand these Cali scumbags that will vote blue and when those votes turn around to bite them they go oh let's go to a red state and flip it and ruin their lives along the way.
I know they paid a huge price to get Beal but call me crazy at this point in the season bring him in off the bench for his own protection and team consistency going into the playoff run? Won't happen but feels like he's just not ready for the starting lineup when he is healed up. Royce, Grayson, Nurc and even Bol Bol are bringing great energy. Go Suns!!!
I was pleasantly surprised with the rebounding and offensive rebounding. Lakers used to dominate us on the boards
Idk why Bick is putting stock in that clips game, KD didn’t even play that one
It's almost like they need a REAL PG.
You know a player that's not gonna make stupid turnovers, can distribute the ball, guard the opps PG and knows how to manage the clock in a professional NBA game.
That's why our 4th quarters are wide open ass.
That's why we blow 20 pt leads.
That's why we look like we have to damn many cooks in the kitchen.
It's not Rocket Surgery! Fix it.
I actually think KD should run point forward because he can get his shot whenever he wants to and he can get his passes over while seeing over thr defense
These Suns teams cannot beat Clippers, Mavs, Nuggets, Wolves, OKC, Boston, New York…all the elite teams. They are just first round quittters in this playoff.
A very frustrating team to watch. Bring back our old guys.
KD, Bol, and nurkic in together is a problem