Vinny’s View: Unsatisfying Suns wins still count in the record book
The Suns, who had hit a bit of a rough patch, needed that W in the worst way. But it had to be one of the least satisfying wins in recent memory.
Watch: Reacting to the Phoenix Suns signing Dillon Brooks to a 3-year, $73 million extension | 9 mins
The Phoenix Suns got back in the win column with a 120-111 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night at Mortgage Matchup Center.
A win is a win.
Phoenix, which had hit a bit of a rough patch recently, needed that W in the worst way — especially with a visit from the defending league champion and owners of the best record in the league looming.
But it had to be one of the least satisfying wins in recent memory.
Phoenix played outstanding basketball on both ends in building a 31-point lead in the second quarter. Dillon Brooks hit a 15-foot jumper to put the Suns up by their largest margin. Then, the game changed. Or at least the way the game was officiated did. For the remaining four-plus minutes of the quarter, Dallas was able to trim 14 points off the Phoenix lead. They shot eight free throws to the Suns’ two.
In the third quarter, Dallas took 15 free throws. The Suns took one. In the fourth, as the Mavericks got the lead down to six, they shot 11 more free throws. Phoenix attempted six. For the game, Dallas had 44 attempts at the stripe. The Suns had nine. It’s the biggest free throw differential in an NBA game since the league halted operations in March of 2020 for a global pandemic.
Phoenix fans at Mortgage Matchup Center groan or flat-out boo when they hear the name ‘Scott Foster’ announced as the night’s crew chief. I’m wondering when that becomes the reaction when Phoenix faithful hear the name ‘Tyler Ford’ in the pregame lead-up.
Ford was the crew chief earlier this season in the Lakers’ messy win over the Suns that featured LeBron James making contact with an official twice during a scrap and nothing happened. The Lakers, who had 18 more free throws than Phoenix that night, won by two.
Weird whistle trends just seem to follow Ford around, especially when he’s in the Valley.
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Comments
3 Comments
There was clearly an ulterior motive in this game by the officiating crew. The NBA should be embarrassed!
. I believe the motive was to get back at the Suns and Dillon Brooks for his comments about the Philadelphia game, officiating and supporting and condoning the flopping by Joel Embiid.
If they don’t come out publicly say something about this disparaging and blatant bias of officiating behavior,, then they are complicit and condone it!
It’s why I don’t watch . The NBA is a flawed and corrupt product and brand.!!!! Absolutely no integrity. Lack of Professionalism! . Total absence of Consistency!!!
Shall I go on?
Agreed. Very satisfying win given the refs completely threw the suns out of their aggressive play style
Tyler Ford, Marc Davis, and Natalie Sago… the three blind musketeers of poor NBA officiating. More Zach Zarbas plz…