In the wake of the Suns' recent buzzer-beating losses, we're taking a "it's not that bad" approach. Suns.com's Matt Petersen looks at the worst one-shot heartbreaks Phoenix has suffered over the years, rating each of them based on five factors: stakes, opposition, helplessness, odds and what-the-heck. Check out the intro piece for a primer on how those factors are determined.
After reviewing some of the most heart-wrenching moments in Suns history, we're confident the last week won't feel nearly as painful.
The Coin Flip | Paxson for Three | Kiss of Death | Cheap-Shot Rob | Duncan Goes Glass | Artest Put-Back
The Shot
After a Jason Richardson three-pointer tied the game with 3.5 seconds remaining, the Lakers got the ball to Kobe Bryant. His potential game-winner fell short…way short. Air-ball. Laker teammate Ron Artest read the miss perfectly, snuck in for the offensive rebound, and threw up a wild attempt that kissed the glass and went in with no time left. L.A. won 103-101.
Stakes
Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals. If Phoenix wins, they travel back to Phoenix with a 3-2 series lead, one win away from the NBA Finals. Lose, and they must win two in a row, including Game 7 at Los Angeles. Winning this game doesn’t win a championship or even guarantee a trip to the final round, but it’s the biggest step yet toward it. Rating: 9
Opposition
It doesn’t get more heated than Suns-Lakers, especially in the postseason. L.A. bounced the Suns from their first-ever playoff series in 1970. From 1987-91, Phoenix was the only Western Conference team to eliminate the Lakers. Lots of vivid history, here, punctuated by being geographic neighbors. Rating: 10
Helplessness
It doesn’t get worse than “no time left.” Many Suns fans surely thought Richardson’s game-tying, banked three on the previous possession meant something. They surely felt a Kobe Bryant airball would have, should have been a good thing. In the end, none of it mattered, nor was there anything that could be done. Rating: 10
Odds
Phoenix trailed by 17 in the second quarter, rallied, trailed by 16 in the third, then rallied again to tie it on Richardson’s three. The Suns’ multiple, spirited runs were inspiring, but the fact they were always coming from behind, on the road, was never a good omen. Rating: 4
What the Heck
Artest hadn’t been particularly impressive this series. In Game 5, he was straight-up awful. Before his game-winner, Artest was 1-for-8 from the field for a whopping two points.
Then there’s the fact of how he got that shot off in the first place: off a Kobe Bryant air-ball. If Artest doesn’t make that last-ditch play, that possibly becomes the story of the night: how the Lakers let a game slip away because Bryant completely whiffed on a clutch shot. His reputation and skill set refute the idea of him not at least drawing iron.
If he had, that game more than likely goes to overtime. Rating: 10