Suns Down, Jazz To Go

When I first saw this back-to-back on the schedule, I thought that the Suns game was the easier of the two. With the recent slide the Jazz are on, it appears to be the opposite. The Suns came into this game with the same offensive game-plan they have used all season. Drive, kick, shoot a 3, repeat. Unfortunately for OKC, they are in the bottom third in defending shots launched from beyond the arc. I had a lurking fear that if the Suns caught fire, this game could be over by the 3rd quarter. On a side note, if this game took place 10 years ago, the Thunder would have no chance. Grant Hill, Vince Carter, AND Steve Nash? We would have had a much more difficult time. However, time travel is still not a reliable alternative to the present so let's continue.

Little did I know that Kevin Durant (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (19 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) would be overshadowed on this particular night. The towering figure casting that shadow while having his best offensive game of the season was "Double-Deuce," a.k.a. Jeff Green. Playing a game high 43 minutes, Green (28 points, 5 rebounds) made 3 pointers, free throws, lay-ups and jump shots. To put it simply, the guy was feeling it. Now before all of the Jeff Green fanboys out there start high-fiving and chest bumping, let reality sink in just a bit. The performance he delivered against Phoenix is not consistent enough to validate the minutes he is currently receiving. While I do like Jeff and the versatility he brings, I would STILL like to see him moved to a 6th-man role. But I tip my hat to the man for showing off what he can be capable of, so well done.

Green's back-up also played well. Serge Ibaka made two HUGE tip-ins late in the game to give the Thunder a two-possession advantage and providing a little bit of breathing room. 

Vince Carter showed a blast from the past by reigning down shots from all over the floor. For a second, I thought we were in Toronto following all of the Y2K hype. Luckily, Carter's luck ran out when the Suns needed it the most and ultimately gave way to the come-back the Thunder had been mounting throughout the 4th. With this win under their belt, they need to get some rest and prepare for Utah. Back-to-back road wins could give all of the nay-sayers out there a glimpse of how tough the Thunder can be.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: @ Utah, February 5th at 8:00 CT.