Suns collapse late, Nets win for 1st time in 15 years

Devin Harris scored a career-high 47 points, including 21 in the final period, to lead the New Jersey Nets past the Phoenix Suns 117-109 on Sunday night. The improving Nets (they beat the Jazz on the road on Saturday) won a game in Phoenix for the first time in 14 years.

Two days after Dwyane Wade scored 43 points it was former Mavs guard Devin Harris doing the damage last night at US Airways. Harris went 15-of-24 on field goals and a perfect 17-for-17 on free throws for his 47 points.

I can’t remember the last time the Suns allowed back to back 40-point performance by an opposing player. The Suns outside defense is a huge problem right now.

Phoenix had an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter and a 100-98 advantage with three minutes left in th game. At that point, the Suns just fell apart.

Stoudemire (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) (25 points, 12 rebounds) was ejected (second technical) for arguing with an official while Devin Harris kept scoring leading the Nets’ come back. New Jersey scored 43 points in the fourth quarter alone. Maybe they were not informed the Suns are playing defense this season.

Anyway, this season the Suns had been able to win games when scoring more than 100 points. Actually Suns won each time they scored 97 or more points.

It was Stoudemire’s ejection that changed the game. While STAT was having a very good game, whether it was too harsh or not, since he already drew a technical foul in the period, it’s much better to shut up and play. “The rule states that I’m allowed to react so long as I don’t continue the verbal towards the official – it was a simple reaction and I got ejected for something like that” Amaré tried to justify himself  afterwards. Happy to see him go were the Nets who cruised to victory.

Steve Nash (26 points, 9 assists) had a good overall game after sitting out the previous one. He too highlighted the ejection as the key moment in the game: “It hurt – I think it changed the rhythm of the game“.

Suns shot an excellent 54.6 percent in the game but once again committed too many turnovers (22) allowing the Nets to score 33 points off them. You can’t win a game in the NBA turning the ball over 20 times.

Any idea Coach Porter? “I don’t know what I’m going to do about it, I have to rethink that one. I’m going to search just to find out how that happens“.

The team is looking more and more unhappy and nervous. Instead of settling down and feeling more comfortable with the new system, the Suns are doing the opposite.

Worried? You bet.

Don’t look at the upcoming schedule now (losing two in a row, it’s Monday morning and everything) but the Suns (11-7) are entering the toughest stretch of the year, beginning Wednesday night (6 PM) with back to back games in New Orleans and Dallas.

Yours truly, Steve Fan 

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