Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily, even when COVID has ravaged the league.
The Phoenix Suns are officially back in the postseason after 11 years.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Matt York/AP.)
It had been 11 long years since the NBA had the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs. On Wednesday night, that drought was officially done. The Suns are going to be in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. And they have quite the momentum shift going in.
Every team except for the Sacramento Kings had made the postseason in those 11 years. It had been a long way away since Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire pushed the defending champion Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Funny enough, it was another all-star point guard that took the Suns to the next level. Chris Paul, who is now getting some MVP talks (I talked about this last month; where have you guys been??), have made Phoenix a contender again. He’s helped them become a team that would give others fits on both ends of the floor.
James Jones has made some excellent moves since his tenure as general manager started in 2018. He hired Monty Williams as coach to help set the tone on the bench. Jones made some good pick-ups in Ricky Rubio and Cameron Payne (whose career was resurrected in Phoenix). Then of course, he made that Chris Paul trade that has resonated throughout this season. Now the Suns are the #2 seed in the tough Western Conference.
I have said multiple times that I don’t believe they can get deep into the postseason. But at the same time, I want them to prove me wrong. Experience is the only thing that’s making me pick them to go all the way; only Chris Paul and Jae Crowder from their main core have gone deep into the playoffs. But, hey, they could use that as motivation. They’ve proven they can beat the top teams in the regular season (like the Clippers on Wednesday) so they’re confident enough to think they can beat them in the postseason.
The Suns had gone through so much since 2010. They saw Nash struggle to get the team into the postseason and he ended his career in a whimper as a Laker. Phoenix won 48 games under Jeff Hornacek and it wasn’t enough in the tough West. They had Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and Isaiah Thomas all running the show and it turned out to be a mess. Devin Booker got unfairly labeled as a good player on a bad team when he had no help. Bledsoe “didn’t want to be there.” Deandre Ayton was drafted ahead of Luka Doncic and they got criticized for that. Ayton also would eventually get suspended for diuretics.
But a trip to the Disneyworld bubble changed their fortunes. They went 8-0 in that stretch. And they carried that into this season.
Now Phoenix is back in the playoffs. Ready or not, here they come.
Bullet Passes
So some teams got MAD on Wednesday. After suffering two losses against Minnesota, the Utah Jazz took it out on the Kings. 154 points!
The Hawks have been shorthanded for a bit. And the Sixers haven’t been winning a lot. Well, Philly decided to dump on Atlanta. 44-point blowout.
With the Hawks losing, the Knicks took advantage and beat the Bulls. Julius Randle dropped 34 points and I’m going to be a little surprised if he doesn’t win Most Improved Player.
Man, the Wizards kept dunking on the Lakers. They’re certainly in the driver’s seat for the 10th spot; the Wiz are two games ahead of the Bulls and Raptors.
Oh, so, uh, the Blazers are okay now?
Nikola Jokic packed Zion Williamson to save the game for the Nuggets. What did I just type? Anyway, you should see for yourself. What a clutch defensive play.
NBA Scoreboard
Apr. 28, 2021
Watch This Play
Bam Adebayo gives us a scene of destruction.
(VIDEO CREDIT: House of Highlights.)
Good grief, Bam. Jakob Poeltl didn’t stand a chance.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.