107
Nov. 9, 2012
105
U.S. Airways Center
3rd
Biggest comeback in franchise history.
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Brown Leads Suns to Best Home Comeback Ever
By: Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
It was the best of halves and it was the worst of halves Friday. The best half, which was the second half, turned out to be so spellbinding that it propelled the Suns to a 107-105 victory and the best home comeback in franchise history.
“Wins like that are definitely going to build chemistry for the team,” Suns center Marcin Gortat said. “A lot of people feel good about their games now and we build our spirit with (games) like that.”
Despite starting in an 18-2 hole to begin the night and trailing by as many as 26 in the first half, the Suns rallied back to cut it to 13 at the half. In the first period, the Suns committed eight turnovers, gave up 12 more points in the paint, shot 32 percent from the floor and allowed the Cavs to shoot 64 percent from the floor.
“We said to ourselves (at the half) that we don’t have anything to lose,” Gortat said. “We were already down 20 so we just have to play hard now.
“We just have to come out and try to play. We weren’t going to come back in one or two minutes, we have to work every minute and every possession.”
The Suns were able to stay within striking distance due to the impressive offense of point guard Goran Dragic, who totaled 15 first-half points on 4-of-7 shooting. His backup Sebastian Telfair, who had failed to reach double figures the entire season prior to Friday’s contest, did so in the first half by scoring 10 of his 13 points to provide a tremendous spark off the bench.
To start the second half, Phoenix uncorked an 11-3 run to cut it the lead to eight with 9:37 left in the third. The Suns would eventually whittle down the lead until they finally took the lead with 8:10 left in the final period.
Once again, reserve shooting guard Shannon Brown and his offense saved the day, pouring in 17 of his 22 points in the second half, giving the Suns their first consecutive win of the season.
Brown finished the night nailing eight of his 13 shots.
“I’m seven years in and I didn’t get a chance to play (before) and it just all happened,” Brown said of his particularly hot hand recently. “I said that you would see when I started to get minutes that I’m productive.”
Dragic ended up compiling 26 points on the night, while Marcin Gortat rounded out the only other Suns player in double figures with 12 points, a team-high eight rebounds and five blocks. After shooting 42 percent in the first half, Phoenix shot 52 the rest of the way.
The difference on the stat sheet tonight was in the paint, where the Suns held a 10-point advantage. But the real difference overall was the Suns’ grit and composure, which allowed them to start the second half determined to trim down that lead.
“I think this is one of the best comebacks of my career,” Dragic said.
Phoenix plays the second half of its back-to-back set of games against the Jazz tomorrow in Utah.
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