Suns Swat & Nutmeg DeMarcus Cousins In 4th-Straight Win

The Phoenix Suns are the second-hottest team in basketball. While Oklahoma City has won five-straight, the Suns have won their last four, and many people were predicting before the season they wouldn’t win that many before 2014. On Friday night, three different Suns took turns abusing poor DeMarcus Cousins on the way to Phoenix’s fourth victory, 116-107, in as many games.

Our first participant in the Boogie block party was Miles Plumlee — not to be confused with his brother, rookie Miles Plumlee of the Nets. The elder Plumlee is a second-year forward that’s personified the surprising Suns this year after coming over from Indiana in the Luis Scola trade over the summer.

On Friday night, Plumlee introduced himself to Cousins. AFter Boogie intercepts a pass to Plumlee, he’s got nothing but open court in front of him and doesn’t even look back at the closing Plumlee.

Plumlee’s chase-down block is a nice microcosm for the Suns and the NBA: nobody saw them coming, and they’re paying for it now. Miles even finds some time to say a few words to Boogie after the block. For any amateur lipreaders, please let us know what he’s saying.

Then there’s point guard Eric Bledsoe, a player who should be receiving more DAP for the All-Star game. He’s definitely one of the top-10 guards in the West, never more so than when he piled some more stuffing on Boogie’s plate during this drive:

Then we’ve got Goran Dragic nutmegging Boogie on this slippery pocket pass to a rolling Plumlee who finished with the slam.

Rudy Gay made his debut with the Kings on Friday night, too, scoring 24 points on a somewhat unfathomable 8-for-12 shooting from the floor (and that included 0-for-3 from deep). He was surprisingly efficient and got to the line for 9 free throws in the loss. Isaiah Thomas, continuing his blistering play since former starter Greivis Vasquez was dealt for Gay,

While many — ourselves included — believed Dragic and Bledsoe would fail to co-exist when both were considered ball-dominant guards who needed the ball in their hands to thrive, they proved us wrong tonight, and have for most of the season.

After only scoring 30 points three times in his entire career, Dragic has gone off for more than 30 points three times already this season. While he didn’t score 30 against the visiting Kings tonight, he did shoot 10-of-14 on the night, including 4-of-5 from deep, for 29 points.

But Bledsoe might have played even better. He was 11-of-16 from the floor (2/4 3pt) for 28 points to go with eight dimes, three steals, and two blocks — one of which is above.

The Suns aren’t just winning, they’re winning with some of the most exciting basketball in the league right now. A tip of the cap to first-year coach Jeff Hornacek. He’s doing what many thought was impossible: turning the Suns into winners.

What do you think?

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