Devin Harris Drops 47 on the Suns

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For the second consecutive game, the Phoenix Suns were absolutely torched by a guard on the opposing team. On Friday night, it was the NBA's leading scorer, Dwyane Wade, doing his thing en route to a 43 point performance that sent the Steve Nash-less Suns to a blowout loss at home.

On Sunday night, Nash was back in the lineup, but it mattered little on the defensive end. Devin Harris of the Nets scored a career high 47 points on 14-of-25 shooting, including dropping 21 in the fourth to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory in Phoenix.

When Wade scored his 43, it was basically a Kobe-esque performance. Meaning, he was in that zone where it seemed like he could score whenever he wanted, from anywhere on the court. He was weaving through the defense for dunks and hitting his long range jumpers consistently, making it look easy and like he couldn't be stopped.

Harris' performance didn't quite have that same feel, but that doesn't mean it was any less deadly. After getting to the rim plenty of times by using his quickness, the defense began to sag off of him so much that one or two dribbles towards the rim were all he needed to clear space for an open jumper. As if the field goals weren't enough, he also hit on all 17 of his free throw attempts, and still had time to grab seven boards and dish out eight assists.

It's true that the late ejection of Amare Stoudemire was a momentum-changer that allowed the Nets to get over the hump and take this one. But Harris' stellar play was the reason that New Jersey was in a position to do so in the first place.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-01-2008 @ 9:16AM

Jon said...

It's early still, but I'm going to sing here the same tune I sang in a previous comment (as jesussanchez): the Suns are dead. Terry Porter and the half-court, "defense-first" Suns are a failure. There early success was a sham (and really it doesn't matter anyway because the Lakers are invincible).

The point is not that this experiment won't work over the course of this season. It might. I think the Suns could win 50+ games, but I think they have an equal chance of missing the playoffs. The Northwest is going to send the Nuggets, Blazers, and Jazz (who are going to be SCARY if/when Deron and Boozer are healthy together). The Pacific is sending the Lakers for sure and, while the Warriors are terrible now, lets not forget that strange strange things have happened in Oakland. The Southwest will send the Hornets, Rockets, Spurs, and most likely the resurgent Mavs. That's 8 teams right there, and the only one I'm not willing to guarantee is Golden State. If Phoenix does make the playoffs they'll be bounced early and likely in embarrassing fashion.

This is a team without an identity and with a flailing set of stars. There are plenty of superstars and bizarro teams (like the Nets, Warriors, and Knicks) ready to pray on the Suns mockery of a defense during the regular season. What if Durant gets hot against them and re-enacts some of the one man shows he put on late last season? Is it really that outlandish to envision Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo proving too much to handle on a really good night? How are they going to hold up when the Mavericks outdo them at their old game? I can't wait to see what CP3 does in the upcoming Hornets-Suns matchup.

It's just sort of sad and frustrating to watch the Suns flail around helplessly like this. Amare's not sticking around if this team doesn't begin to reconfigure around him. This run-the-ball-through-Shaq half court set style is not helping him. Shaq's presence should make Amare more dominant, not hinder him.

I'm sure enough people beat this horse dead when the move was made, but I must ask the question: Steve Kerr got this job based on what exactly? Decent ability as a commentator? A few good columns here and there? His ineptitude is breathtaking.

12-01-2008 @ 5:15PM

Mark T said...

I agree with the comment above. With Shaq and Amare the Suns should have pounded the ball inside against the Nets over and over. Amare had 10 free throws in the first quarter and only two the rest of the game. They should not have played D'Antoni ball when they had the big adantage inside. Also, they should have played Barbosa on Harris. Barbosa only got 13 minutes. Matt Barnes and Steve Nash cannot guard him.