Preseason Finale: Suns attempt to devour some Aussies

What: Phoenix Suns host Brisbane Bullets

When: 7:00 PM AZ time

Where: Here, downtown

TV: Fox Sports Arizona

Streaming: Online at suns.com, but only IF you are within 50 miles of the arena

Radio: 98.7 FM

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After a preseason in which the Suns got drubbed by a pair of Western Conference playoff teams time and again, they get to close out the slate against a team more on their level.

Coming all the way from auusie country, the Brisbane Bullets are in town!

If you don’t know anything about the Brisbane Bullets, you’re in luck. Here’s your game preview to get just a little smarter.

The Brisbane Bullets

First, here is their official website

And here’s an excerpt from a preview article.

Brisbane Bullets veterans Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie and Tom Jervis have achieved just about everything there is to accomplish in the NBL but they couldn’t be more excited ahead of playing the Phoenix Suns in what will be a career highlight for the trio.

Between Gibson, Petrie and Jervis, the NBL veterans have played a combined 740 games in the league to go with four championships and Best Defensive Player, Rookie of the Year and multiple All-NBL Team honours.

Each have also played with the Australian Boomers but one thing none of the decorated trio have accomplished is playing on an NBA floor against an NBA club and that's exactly what they will get to experience against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday October 14 Friday October 13 in Phoenix.

"It's unbelievable for something like this to happen when three years ago you would have thought the league was about to go under or another team was going to fold so the work that Larry and his team has done is phenomenal," Gibson told bullets.com.au.

"To have three NBL teams play NBA teams now is just huge along with the work they are doing with sponsorships, TV and everything they keep building on.”

And here’s a comment on how they play, from another preview article.

PHYSICAL, aggressive and team-orientated.

It’s the Australian way on the basketball court.

“We have to stay true to our style which is physical basketball. We need to stay aggressive,’’ Gibson said.

“You have to be strong with your cuts, be strong with the ball and set hard screens to get your teammates open.

“You just have to be solid in everything you do. We need to look after the ball because turnovers will kill us. They’re longer and more athletic than us so we have to keep it simple and not throw it away.

“It’s a great opportunity and we want to make the most of it. The first two games with Sydney and Melbourne have been really good so we want to continue that and do the NBL proud..’’

The OKC Thunder barely beat the team from Melbourne last week, 86-85, while the Jazz pulled away from the Sydney Kings, 108-84. The Suns/Bullets game is the last of the three-game set.

Here’s one game worth of stats for the Bullets, to give you an idea who does what.

Coming all the way from down under is a rabid Solar Panel, LockedOnSuns and Bright Side fan who flew halfway across the world to meet ME (he’s in the middle, I’m on the right).

Well, maybe not JUST me. But he did search me out at a game earlier this week. He actually came to watch his favorite NBA team take on an Australian team, and couldn’t be happier with how the Suns have treated him and his friend this week with full-on VIP treatment.

The Suns

First, let me provide some context on how important preseason performance is to the actual NBA regular season. Check out these statistical leaders across the whole of the NBA.

We good? Unless you think Tyler Hansbrough or Nick Minnerath are the next coming, just keep your expectations in check from what you see in preseason.

Now here’s the Suns leaders for the preseason.

Devin Booker should be back tonight, but T.J. Warren is still questionable.

Prediction

Let’s see if the Suns can close out the preseason with a win before hosting Portland in the regular season opener next week.

What’s your prediction, BSotSers?