Courtside: Close call

I’m an avid Suns fan, so I was certainly glad to see them carve their 10th victory in 15 outings yesterday. Still, I can’t say I was altogether pleased with the way they flirted with disaster, looking lost from the opening tip and securing the win only after a frantic fourth-quarter rally capped by a trey in the last half-minute of the match. And it wasn’t as if they had to stand toe to toe against established pacesetters; they faced the otherwise-hapless Thunder, for crying out loud, and yet found themselves staring at a double-digit deficit for the better part of the contest. To be sure, those looking for silver linings will find a few in the Suns’ comeback bid. For one thing, they competed without starter Shaquille O’Neal, whose inspiring showing of late necessarily made him an integral part of their system. For another, they finally saw the potential of their new-look offense with a gung-ho Steve Nash, who had hitherto expressed bafflement at his role given new head coach Terry Porter’s feed-the-post edict. The result was breathtaking to behold; the 59 points they put up after halftime was their highest 24-minute output by far. Then again, the Suns aren’t built to have to come up with Lazarus portrayals time and again. Given their talent level, not to mention grand designs on the Larry O’Brien Trophy, they shouldn’t be struggling against recognized patsies, not even when they’re slightly undermanned in hostile territory. If anything, they should be exhibiting a killer instinct, dispatching inferior opponents with little fanfare and taking the measure of those with legitimate championship aspirations. Make no mistake. The Suns dodged a major bullet yesterday, and they would do well to learn from their experience and make sure no more close calls occur. It begins with an acknowledgment that everything in the National Basketball Association is earned, not given as if by birthright, and ends with a steely resolve to accomplish the ultimate objective a game at a time. Else, disappointment will await them anew, and I, for one, will wind up wondering why they can’t seem to be as good with their walk as they are with their talk.