Suns get third in a row against weaker team, but each win equally vital

Shaquille O'Neal finished just three points and a rebound
short of getting his fourth 20/10 game in a row. (AP Photo:
Jim Weber)

Going into this week, the Phoenix Suns knew that they should get three victories, but executing the fact isn’t always easy. A week that scheduled three of the worst teams in the conference in Oklahoma City, Memphis, and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Suns knew they were the better team (even without Steve Nash for the first two).

But sometimes, just knowing you’re the better team, it’s easy for players to play flat, even if they don’t mean too. Especially for Friday night’s game versus the Clippers when the entire week’s schedule has been against lesser opponents.

The Suns however, maintained their focus in a 106-98 victory that never saw them without the lead. Jumping out to a 15-4 start to the game, they led 33-15 after the first quarter.

Despite holding a 21-point advantage in the fourth quarter, the Suns were outscored in each of the final three periods by the Clippers, making the final score look a lot closer than the contest truly was.

Led by Amar’e Stoudemire’s 23 points, Phoenix had five players score in double figures, and another two (Nash and Louis Amundson) score nine each. Nash dished a game-high 11 assists, and Shaquille O’Neal (17 points, 9 rebounds) was just shy of his fourth 20/10 game in a row.

It would be easy to discount these past three wins for the Suns because of their opponents, but in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, it’s a necessity to beat the teams your suppose to in order to secure a playoff spot.

Now 19-12, the Suns are seven games above .500 for the first time this season. They’re currently the seventh seed in the conference, but just two games behind the second seeded Hornets. In fact, just two games separate the Hornets and the Portland Trailblazers, who currently hold the eighth and final playoff seed (the Utah Jazz sit just 1.5 games out).

Sure it’s only January, and not even to the midway point of the regular season. Too early to talk playoff seeding, but it’s not too early to see evidence that the parody of the Western Conference will exist all season long.

Remember last season when the Golden State Warriors finished 48-34 and missed the playoffs by two games? (That same record would’ve earned them a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference).

Or how about the New England Patriots, albeit the NFL, but they finished 11-5, the sixth best record in football, and didn’t make the playoffs this year. 

The point is, the Suns just won three straight, regardless of who it was against, and come the middle of April, they might need every one of them.