All around team effort closes out the Summer Suns season
I am back! But not like AC/DC Back in Black. Nobody wears black clothes in the desert in the summer. Also, we recognize the tourists and recent transplants with black cars. Pizza ovens there that will soon need new paint jobs.
Just when I thought I was out, I was pulled back in. Somehow the short-straw keeps showing up for the “Rook” on the writing squad. Maybe, because I was late on washing the writer’s jock straps.
Okay, I followed all your game chat comments. Some were naughty and some were nice, but we are not celebrating Christmas in July. We are celebrating that we finally had basketball, until, we don’t. Welcome to the end of the Summer Suns and welcome to Summer. Get your vacay time in while you still can.
Game Flow
First Half
The fans were not treated to a Hanson Yang vs. Khaman Malusch battle, which should have been the main event. Both are DNP. No Dunn, Oso. or Koby either. Let’s really see what the other players can do with those minutes.
Suns roll out Rasheer Fleming ,CJ Huntley, Moses Wood, Boogie Ellis and Khalif Battle as the starters.
Portland counters with Dmytro Skapintsev, Rayan Rupet, Sidy Cissoko, Caleb Love, and James Bouknight.
In the first quarter, with 2:26 left, the Suns would successfully challenge a three-point foul call to turn it into an inadvertent whistle. Challenge preserved and the foul was reversed. No three FTs for Portland. Play of the game for me, because it so rare to see these calls get reversed. Ultimately it would not matter, as Portland leads 25 to 19 heading into the second. CJ Huntley wins the first quarter Suns player MVP with perfect shooting and seven points. Coaching was not that bad either to win the challenge.
Second quarter started hot with three-point shooting from Boogie Ellis and he would remain hot throughout the half. Portland would lead by ten at one point but Boogie just kept it going. Not only would he assist on a Battle three but would shoot a few of his own to give the Suns the lead at 42-37. The announcers are loving “The Boogie Show”. He is good folks and deserves the the second half MVP. He assists, he passes, and he scores. Also need to give kudos to Battle and Huntley.
Suns up 49-38 after a 22 to 1 point run (read that again) before Caleb Love sunk a free throw to break the streak right before the end of the half. Boogie would finish 5-7 from three.
I am starting to think, I need to do more of these recaps. I get to see the good games.
Second Half
Suns will keep the “Battle” going into the third quarter and start off with hot shooting, mainly from the hot hand of Khalif Battle. Alex Schumacher also needs his third quarter kudos for just straight up battling. I was actually watching good Suns defense for most of the quarter. I have not been able to type that for awhile, especially in the third. At the end of three Suns up on top, 77-61.
In the fourth quarter. Probably the biggest news is that Boogie has to sit with a possible leg injury. Suns make another challenge, but this time it is unsuccessful. Well, so much for riding the hot hand on two fronts. But the Suns continue to pull away and I really like Alex Schumacher’s all-around game. I would give him fourth quarter MVP.
Great win by the Suns to close out the Summer League season. They finish at 2-3.
This should be a good Bright Side Baller survey. The reality is, I saw a team effort throughout the entire game on offense and defense. I vote on these surveys and I am not a politician. so I do not want to unnecessarily influence you (it was Boogie). But if you said another player, I would probably just do the shrug emoji and go “yeah, you are right”.
Up Next
Preseason! Friday, Oct 3rd against, you guessed it, the Lakers at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert. TV is still TBD, but based on LA traffic, I think the local Suns fans have a decent chance to drive out with tickets and beat the Laker fans to the best seats. Not only that, but the Suns play the Lakers twice in the preseason, which means a lot of DA comments.
But wait there is more! Itching for some jet lag and want to head over to China for some more preseason action? Two games are scheduled in the Global Games. Oct. 10th in Macau,China against the Nets. And another against the Nets on Oct. 12th. Same Venetian Arena, so get the two-fer-one pack. TV is still TBD.