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
Phoenix was clinging to a 98-96 lead with 14.4 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Chicago, which led the series 3-2, had the ball. Michael Jordan took the ball upcourt, pressured by Kevin Johnson the entire way.
Three passes later, John Paxson found himself unguarded and with the ball beyond the three-point arc on the left-angle side. The ball found nothing but net, putting the Bulls up 99-98 with 3.9 seconds remaining.
Kevin Johnson’s driving floater on the final possession was blocked by Horace Grant, forcing the Suns to watch as Chicago celebrated their third consecutive title on their home floor.
Stakes
This was as close to a championship as the Suns ever got. Had they won, the series would have gone to a seventh and deciding game, also on Phoenix’s homecourt. Lose, and their season is over. Rating: 10
Opposition
There was no team-wide rivalry, but compelling stories abounded. Suns star Charles Barkley was the first player other than Jordan to win the league’s MVP award in three years. The Bulls had won the championship in the previous two seasons, making them the Goliath that Suns fans were only too eager to see taken down. Rating: 8
Helplessness
3.9 seconds is not a lot of time, but it’s enough, especially when inbounding the ball at half-court. The fact remained, however, that Jordan’s Bulls had come up with yet another answer on the big stage. The odds of responding and winning in spite of that ominous shadow no doubt weighed on Suns fans even as they watched, hopeful. Rating: 7
Odds
The Suns looked poised to pull away in the fourth quarter after a truly rocky start. Instead, they froze up, missing seven of their last eight shots. To witness Phoenix go scoreless possession after possession as Chicago whittled down the lead was excruciatingly painful. Rating: 10
What the Heck
This is not a knock on John Paxson, who hit a scorching 46.3-percent of his three-pointers that season. This goes back to the stakes. Up by two, how, how can you give up a three-pointer? It was a storybook ending, except the Suns were on the agonizingly wrong side of it.
There’s also this to consider: up to the point of the shot, Chicago had been held to just nine points in the fourth quarter, all by Jordan. Yet it wasn’t him, Scottie Pippen or Horace Grant who plunged the dagger in Phoenix’s collective heart. Rating: 8