Suns Strokes: Suns outclassed by reigning champion Heat

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you Suns Strokes providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Suns’ loss against the Miami Heat on November 5. Final Score: Heat 124, Suns 99

The Story:

The Miami Heat honored LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with a pre-game ceremony to celebrate their achievements with the USA men’s basketball team in London this past summer. The two Olympians returned the favor with a golden performance, combining for 45 points in Miami’s 124-99 rout of the Suns.

Phoenix now limps into the final game of their road trip Wednesday with a 1-3 record. Miami has now won two straight and moves to 3-1.

The Good:

In a game that was really never that close, Luis Scola and Marcin Gortat continue to prove that rain or shine, they can be counted on to give the Suns productive minutes each and every night. The Argentine scored 15 points to go along with eight rebounds, while the Polish Hammer recorded his third straight double-double (12 points and 13 rebounds).

Shannon Brown also added a team-high 18 points off the bench in a losing effort.

Although they gave up 124 points, the Suns defense continued to add to their impressive block total with seven more swats against the Heat.

The Bad:

On Sunday, the Suns played 30 good minutes of basketball before falling flat in Orlando.

Monday, it took the team far less time to dig themselves a sizable hole. The Suns found themselves down by 12 just eight minutes into the contest and never threatened the defending NBA champions after that.

The Suns allowed the Magic to shoot 80 percent on 10 three-point attempts, and apparently made no adjustments following the loss.

While the Heat shot a lower percentage (57.7 percent), their 15 makes from downtown turned a double-digit deficit into a second half drubbing.

Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers led the way hitting three apiece.

Noted:

• The Suns have lost four straight road games against defending NBA champions. Their last win came against the Lakers in November 2010.

• The Sunshine State must not agree with Alvin Gentry’s squad. The team’s two losses against the Magic and Heat mark the third straight season in which the Suns failed to pick up a win in either of their Florida-based contests.

• Chris Bosh had a nice game Monday against the Suns, pouring in 18 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes of action. The Suns can live with those numbers, though, after all, the seven-time All Star was averaging almost 28 points per game over his last eight meetings with Phoenix.

• Norris Cole might be more well-known for his flat top hairstyle than his on-court abilities, but the second-year guard made the most of his only shot from three-point range against the Suns. The former Cleveland State star drained a half-court buzzer beater to end the first quarter.

• The blowout loss allowed Gentry to unload his bench late, which gave Luke Zeller and Diante Garrett their first taste of regular season basketball. Zeller scored four points on 2-of-2 shooting, and Garrett connected on his only attempt from the field.

Up Next:

The Suns travel to Charlotte on Wednesday to take on Mike Dunlap and the new and improved Charlotte Bobcats at 5 p.m.