00:00Let's discuss the Phoenix Suns' 106-102 victory over the Brooklyn
00:05Nets this past Tuesday. While securing the win, the path to it was challenging. The team saw a
00:09comfortable
00:10lead slip away in the fourth quarter during a 16-2 run by the Nets, a team with a 12-33
00:15record, which makes it difficult to categorize this as a convincing victory. Nevertheless,
00:20the result officially adds to the win column, we knew coming in we'd be without Devin Booker,
00:24right
00:25ankle sprain, and Jalen Green, right hamstring injury management.
00:30Bad news, Colin Gillespie, left-hand sprain, and Isaiah Liver's illness were both ruled
00:34out.
00:35That put immense pressure on everyone else to step up in a way they haven't had
00:38to all year.
00:40And through, a lot of grime, the Suns found a way, head coach Jordan Otz.
00:45Set it post-game. We were able to just kind of hold our composure. We were just able to
00:49scrap one
00:50out somehow. The main reason, a season-high 72 points in the paint, fueled
00:55by a purposeful plan to get the ball to Mark Williams, our starting center has been in a
00:59major slump
01:00lately, but this showed his ceiling when, letting the game come to you works perfectly.
01:04Brook
01:05Brooklyn's switch-heavy scheme, left openings, and the Suns exploited it by constantly finding
01:10Williams on the short roll and in post-ups. The result, a season-high 27 points.
01:15For him on 13 of 15 shooting, he said,
01:17They were just finding me early.
01:20I was able to get out early on those rolls and just be a basketball player.
01:23The Suns also got
01:25back to winning the margins, 25-15 in points off turnovers and 17-12.
01:30In second-chance points, the effort was there, especially from the second quarter on.
01:35Diving for loose balls more than we've seen all season, that physicality led to a lot of chip
01:40behavior, and unfortunately, the officials became the story. Phoenix led by his
01:45many as 12 in the second half, but with seven minutes to go, a 10-point lead evaporated.
01:50Three turnovers and four possessions hurt. Grayson Allen missed a drive, then committed
01:55a foul rightfully upgraded to a flagrant one, putting Brooklyn up one. The Nets then hit
02:00back-to-back threes, capping a 19-5 run to go up four with 3.30 left.
02:05The response came from Williams with scores on back-to-back possessions. After Allen answered
02:10two Nets free throws, Dylan Brooks got his own pair to put Phoenix up two with one.
02:1523 left. Then, chaos, the Suns forced Brooklyn's 21st turnover.
02:20Leading to a mad scramble, Zaire Williams and Allen tied up for a jump ball.
02:25Brooks stood over them, trying to rip it away, slightly lifting Williams off the ground.
02:30The late whistle blew, and that's when Brooklyn's Igor Demin shoved Brooks off his
02:35teammate, Royce O'Neal didn't like that, confronting Demin and jostling with Terrence Mann.
02:40In total, five technical fouls were called, three on Brooklyn, two on
02:45Phoenix, one was on Nets star Michael Porter Jr., for shoving a Suns assistant.
02:50Coach, the lead official said post-game it didn't warrant an ejection, nor did Demin's shove.
02:55Phoenix got one free throw out of it, which Allen missed. After trading turnovers, Allen scored the
03:00deciding bucket on a beautiful step-through finish. The ugly scrum, can be blamed on
03:05mounting frustration with the officiating. The officials' attempts to tighten the game, including
03:10numerous video reviews, seem to anger everyone. The review of the skirmish alone,
03:15took over eight minutes. Brooks noted it's four games in a row, the Suns have dealt with delayed
03:20whistles, he told Arizona Sports. Um, just, they're late on calls. When they're not
03:25being able to make the call right away, it leads into other stuff.
03:30Brooks, himself, had a night with the officials. He picked up a flagrant
03:35one and a technical foul in the first half, both via video review.
03:40The flagrant one was called for a high risk of injury, after Brooks reached for a loose ball
03:44and hit Nick.
03:45Claxton low, the technical came on another play where Brooks was fouled but shoved Igor Demin.
03:50Demin while waiting for a whistle. The pool report stated the official did not see Demin instigate
03:55by grabbing Brooks first. Brooks was tremendous despite the
04:00this, with 26 points on 9 of 15 shooting. If both fouls stand,
04:05he'd be one technical away from a suspension, 16 total, and two flagrant points.
04:10away from another, he now has four flagrant ones this season. On the injury front,
04:15Colin Gillespie sprained his right hand in Sunday's loss to Miami, Coach Ott said.
04:20pre-game Gillespie tried everything to play, but this is his first missed game all year.
04:25It's a major loss. You could argue he's been the Suns' third best player, anchoring an
04:30elite second unit. The trio of Gillespie, Oso Iguodaro and Jordan Goodwin,
04:35has a net rating of 116.3 per 100 possessions. The team's
04:40best by far, without our top 31 Gostrovery. Top 3 ball.
04:45Handlers, Booker Green Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin started alongside Brooks, Williams,
04:50Allen and O'Neal. This put more onus on reserves like Iguodaro and two-way player Jamari Bouye.
04:55Without livers, Ryan Dunn got more minutes and had his best outing in weeks.
05:00With nine points, four steals, and rookie Rashear Fleming saw legitimate runs.
05:05Nigel Hayes Davis also provided energy. The bench defense spiked.
05:10On Jalen Green's status, Coach Ott said pre-game Green doesn't need to clear a five-on-five
05:15threshold to return. It's more just feel good. The objective measure is good.
05:20We're right there. He's been out two months, so some of that is expected. So,
05:25Suns fans, we got the win. But it was messy.
05:30Emotional, and heavily influenced by the whistle. It showed our resilience but also
05:35our vulnerability when shorthanded. What's your biggest takeaway from this gritty chaotic
05:40performance?
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