The Suns welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers to the Mortgage Matchup Center on Saturday night, and the building buzzed for one reason. Devin Booker was back. Jalen Green was back. The cavalry had arrived.
What they did not bring with them was a shooting touch.
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Phoenix opened the night by going 1-of-13 from deep in the first quarter and never really escaped the fog. By the end of it, they were 11-of-46 from beyond the arc. Brutal. So brutal it started to seep into their decision-making. For stretches in the second, the open looks were there. Clean looks. Rhythm shots. And instead of letting them fly, the Suns pump-faked themselves right out of confidence. Dribble. Reset. Force something worse.
That is the part that sticks with you. The offense was doing its job. The ball moved. The actions worked. The looks were real. Execution from three never showed up.
When the dust settled, both teams finished with 11 made threes. The difference was how they got there. The Suns needed 17 more attempts to reach the same number. That math catches up with you every time.
And yet, weirdly enough, this still felt like a step forward.
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That sounds insane after a loss, but context matters. Getting Booker and Green back before the All-Star break matters. Roles have been stretched thin for weeks. Guys have been asked to do more than they are built for. That does not reset overnight.
It is still a work in progress. Green is coming off the bench. That will change. Booker is finding his legs again. That will come. The rotation has not fully settled yet, and that part is important.
Losing at home never feels good. But this is part of a larger process playing out in real time. Sometimes progress looks clean. Sometimes it looks clunky and uncomfortable and frustrating as hell. You do not have to like it. But you do have to respect it.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Grayson gets the nod against the Warriors, and he was a casualty of that game. He gave it his all, tweaked his knee, and is once again sidelined. At least he has his 7th BSB to keep him company.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 53 against the Sixers. Here are your nominees:
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Dillon Brooks
28 points (11-of-23, 2-of-10 3PT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 fouls, +10 +/-
Devin Booker
21 points (5-of-12, 1-of-7 3PT), 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 turnovers, +10 +/-
Royce O’Neale
14 points (5-of-10, 4-of-9 3PT), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, +6 +/-
Mark Williams
11 points (4-of-7), 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 fouls, +0 +/-
Jalen Green
8 points (2-of-6, 0-of-3 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, +7 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
7 points (2-of-7, 1-of-4 3PT), 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 fouls, -6 +/-
Who was your star of Saturday night?