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This was not a good Phoenix Suns game unless you're a fan of the tank. But even then, the Suns were supposed to play the game with a lot of effort only to come up a bit short.
The Suns, instead, were just awful. Except for ex-Net Mirza Teletovic, who put up 30 points and 11 rebounds. Just short of career highs.
The Nets, just 15-42 this year and 4-20 on the road, played like a team that really wanted to win. And the Suns played like a team that really wanted the Nets to win.
The Suns have lost their last two games by a grand total of 50,000 points. Or something like that.
And the losing streak is 13. With 28 losses in their last 30 games.
But hey, did you know the Suns are 3-0 in buzzer beaters this year? So there's that.
First half
After letting the Nets go up 4-0 the Suns went on a 13-2 run to take a commanding lead. Well, commanding for the Suns lately. They probably thought the game ought to be called for 'mercy'.
But these are two bad teams so somehow, the Nets came back to make it a game. Go figure. It didn't take long before the game was tied 21-21.
Then the Nets went on a run, going up 34-27 as the Suns just went into one of their funks while playing extremely porous defense.
The Nets ended the quarter up 34-29.
Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 21 of the Nets' 34 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
For the Suns, Booker, Teletovic and Price scored a combined 23 of the Suns 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
The game was really messy in the second quarter. The Suns just couldn't get closer than five as little Shane Larkin ran all over and around the Suns for 9 points and 4 assists in his first 12 minutes of play after Jarrett Jack stunk up the starting lineup.
The Suns just could not bring themselves to play a spirited first half, really having no idea how to run an offense. The Nets were faster to the ball, beating screens, gang rebounding. All the things you need to win a game.
Then the Nets finished the half on a 14-0 run to take a 66-45 lead.
Yes. The NETS. The 15-42 NETS. The 4-20 on the road NETS.
Second half
The Suns came out for the second half more focused.
It's as if Earl Watson asked them at halftime who wanted to play hard, and Mirza Teletovic raised his hand. He poured in 10 points in the next five minutes to help the Suns cut the Nets lead to only 11.
"only 11"
But then it was only a blink of an eye before the Nets got the lead back to 20. I mean, they didn't even have to work hard at it. The team shooting 43% since the All-Star break was making 55% through most of the first three quarters. Of course.
That's because they were aggressive all night. Of their first 85 points, 46 were in the paint and 17 were scored on free throws. That's not good defense.
Do I need to continue?
Let me just recap through 3 quarters and call it a game:
- Devin Booker has only 10 points on 3-12 shooting (missing 7 of last 8 shots)
- Mirza Teletovic had 20 big points (if ANY points were big in this game), plus 6 boards but was abused by Thaddeus Young
- Alex Len had 8 points and 6 rebounds; Tyson Chandler 9/7
- Archie Goodwin missed all 3 shots he took, but had 2 rebounds and 2 assists
- Kris Humphries missed all 9 shots he took, but grabbed 10 rebounds. That's almost a double-double right?
- Jon Leuer didn't get any court time till 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter of a blowout. Got 4 points and 2 rebounds, but was beaten for 2 offensive boards for Nets' putbacks also