What do the Phoenix Suns have left to play for, following their epic, disheartening, and potentially playoff killing losing streak? If the Suns catch fire and the Mavs majorly choke, perhaps a postseason berth, a not-impossible-but-improbable scenario. Or what about pride? Naw, this isn't college ball, so all that hokey stuff about pride doesn't apply.
So how about this? Specifically, some ass-kicking, scoreboard-lighting fun like we saw when Alvin Gentry first took over the team. Though it seems like ages ago, Phoenix was dropping 140-points-plus just a few weeks ago during two victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and one against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The latter's coming back for more on Saturday night
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Remember how swell that 140-118 February 20 home win over the Thunder felt? Well, we don't see why it can't happen again, though Oklahoma City is actually on a hot streak, or as hot of a streak as an 18-47 team can earn. Winners of four of their last seven, including a conquest over the Dallas Mavericks, OKC's seen unlikely contributions from center Nenad Krstic, who recently joined the starting lineup.
During Tuesday night's 99-98 squeaker over the Sacramento Kings, Krstic hauled in 15 boards and had 3 swats. The team's winning ways are even more impressive considering that star Kevin Durant hasn't played in two weeks because of a right-ankle injury, an ailment that will keep him out until Monday.
On Sunday, Phoenix will be in Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors, a bugaboo of a squad that the Suns seem to either dominate or fall completely flat against. (The two split back-to-back games in early February.) The Suns loss on February 4 could have arguably been the last straw for management to pull the plug on Terry Porter's head coaching stint, which it did less than two weeks after that. Since that debacle, the 22-42 Warriors have been actually playing decently, earning a 6-7 record that includes a victory over the Utah Jazz. In fact, the Warriors - who continue to be spearheaded by Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and Jamal Crawford - were the last team to defeat the Jazz before Utah won twelve straight.
However, Oklahoma City and Golden State are frosty, gooey cupcakes compared to Orlando, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Cleveland, so with an elevated victory potential, maybe Suns fans can actually enjoy watching pro basketball for a change.
Phoenix hosts Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. Saturday night at US Airways Center. Catch it live on the tube on FSN-AZ. On Sunday, the Suns travel to the Bay Area to take on Golden State at 6 p.m. That game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Both games can be heard locally on KTAR 620-AM.
