a whole season summed up in one game

The best way I can describe the way I felt as I left the Energy Solutions Center play is emotionally drained. The last two games i have gone to watch the Suns play the Jazz in Utah have resulted in blow outs. From the looks of things at the beginning of the game I thought this game would end up the same way. Then we fought back. It was great seeing the players, especially Dudley, step up and come back from such a large deficit on the road. With about two minutes left in the game I was feeling pretty good, thinking to myself "wow, we are going to win this! Finally these Jazz fans will shut up." Little did I know that Matt Barnes is scared to hold the ball when we are up by two with the shot clock turned off. I have never seen anything like that in the NBA. never. And let me tell you, there is nothing worse than being in a stadium of Jazz fans, let alone when they beat you. Going into overtime the suns didn't have a chance. Deron Williams had been asleep for most the game until the end of regulation and you knew he would carry that momentum into overtime. I started the game feeling optimistic, feeling that we would come in after losing so bad to Portland and actually win, then as the first quarter went on I realized it just wasn't going to happen. My hopes got up as they came back even to the point where I thought there was no way we would lose, but of course these hopes were shattered. This pretty much sums up the whole 2008-2009 NBA season. When the season started I was optimistic about Terry Porter bringing defense to the suns while maintaining the offense. Things looked pretty good at the beginning with the offense clicking, Amare even had a great game against Indiana leading me to believe he would start where he left off last season. As the season went on reality came crashing down and it became apparent that we weren't that good, or I should say we weren't that good under Porter's system. Then Gentry came in. Hope was back. 140+ for 3 straight games! Then Amare got hurt. Then Nash got hurt. Then we beat the Lakers. Then we lost 6 in a row. Playoffs seemed out of teh picture. But then we won 6 in a row including one against the Jazz, hope was back! And so it has been all season. One day the Suns give you hope and the next day they shatter it. How many times has this happened this season? Tomorrow is a big game(s) with the suns and also the mavs playing. I am "hopeful" but wouldn't be surprised if i get let down. I guess I'm getting used to it.

other notes from the game:

-I dont know if they showed this in any highlights but before the game started Shaq and Gentry went over and shook the hand of the owner of the Jazz Larry Miller's (who recently passed away) wife. The crowd gave them a standing ovation and all the jazz fans around me talked about how it showed a lot of class.

-Barnes hit some 3's but also missed 3 open layups. I don't think i have ever seen more missed layups (from both teams) in a NBA game

-I like Barnes but watching this game made me realize that he tries to shoot himself out of a slump too much. With a team that has as many scorers as the suns do you shouldn't have to shoot yourself out of a slump! YOU SHOULD PASS THE BALL unless you are wide open or you get the ball when you are up by 2 with the shot clock turned off.

-Lopez got some big minutes and played pretty good besides a missed layup. He looked comfortable and caused a couple turnovers during the comeback.