First and foremost, a win is a win. It is not the Suns' fault that the Celtics were hurting more than Tiger after Elin got done with him (I know, that joke was too easy...but I'm writing this quickly) and make no mistake every Celtic on the floor tonight was an NBA player. That said, take this win with a grain of salt. There were some things that the Suns did very well tonight that allowed them to get this victory.
All Stars played like All Stars: Amare Stoudemire was an absolute BEAST tonight and too much for Boston's front line to handle. If it weren't for foul trouble (worrisom, but take heart Suns fans that after he picked up his 4th foul he was able to stay in the game for a while without picking up his 5th and playing adequate defense with Boston gunning for him) /the Suns not needing to play him a ton of minutes, he would have gone for 50 tonight - it's not even a question. His production early in the game (18 points and 6 boards before midway through the 2nd) allowed the Suns to spread the floor and really get things going with some separation from the C's. As for the other All Star, well...what more can we say about Steve Nash? The fact that we held Steve Nash Internet Day and were able to get fans of other teams on board without question says it all. Dude is killing it this year and I, for one, am LOVING it.
The Frye guy strikes again (and again, and again, and again, and again, and again): Channing was feeling it tonight. He was busting 3 after 3 without hesitation. Frye continues to be a huge key to the Suns success - remember, the most successful Suns teams were those that could spread the floor and allow Amare and Nash room to work. Frye does this and has shown that he's no pushover on the boards or on defense either. GREAT pick up...makes you forget about the round mound of ego that filled his roster spot last year.
Bench play: The bench remains solid and fun to watch. Mr. 3 points aka Jared Dudley continues to roll...now, don't get it twisted, Dudley is NOT Shawn Marion as was discussed in the telecast but he is great to watch and is exactly the player the Suns need off of the bench. One thing to keep an eye on is the roles of Barbosa and Dragic. Barbosa took the minutes that Dragic normally gets at the close of the 3rd at the 2 guard spot. Dragic struggled in his first action playing out of control a lot and struggling with his handle but was able to get it under control for the most part when he returned in the 4th. Just something to keep our eyes on...you all know I will.
Overall, it was a great effort, the Suns were able to beat the Celtics by maintaining their lead throughout the entire game without allowing the Celtics to fight their way back in. The Suns end the year beating one of the best team's in the league...even if it was their JV squad.