Nearly three weeks after the poor elimination of the Suns in the second round of the Playoffs, Mikal Bridges returned to the famous Game 7 which caused a lot of ink to flow in Arizona. A sad match that risks sticking to Phoenix’s skin in the coming months.
If we had to choose one of the most significant moments of these 2022 Playoffs, Game 7 between Phoenix and Dallas would undoubtedly be very well placed. While the two franchises went blow for blow, each gaining respect at home, the seventh round had to decide between all these beautiful people. Big positive for the Suns, the match took place in Arizona, where they had always been serious until now. An advantage of the field which will have been useless since Dallas will very quickly inflict a spanking on the 2021 finalist. Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie on fire, the Mavs on a cloud, Phoenix which thwarts completely on the other side. And bim, you find yourself already with a difference of thirty points at half-time, with a feeling that looked more like a +50. The revolt hoped for by the fans will never happen and it is therefore through the (very) small door that the best record in the League came out of these Playoffs 2022. A real snub given the ambitions of the franchise and the magnificent things shown during the regular (64 wins, franchise record). A huge disappointment for the Cactus and Mikal Bridges, who agreed to come back to this famous elimination for the JJ Redick podcast, The Old Man and the Three.
“I remember looking up (at the scoreboard) it felt like they were scoring every time… I hear them, I hear them every time they score and I feel their energy every time. We don’t score much, if at all. I looked up, I just looked up to see the score and I thought, man, being halfway through the game 30 points behind is just ridiculous.
And now to come back you have to catch fire in the third quarter, otherwise there is no chance. And we couldn’t even score and they continued. Everyone had their rhythm and I mean well done to them, everyone played very well. »
A particularly frustrating defeat given the scenario but also given the adversity because Dallas has not been one of the pet peeves of Phoenix in recent years. The Suns had even won nine of the last ten regular games between the two teams. Now, we will have to get up for the friends of Monty Williams and above all know how to ignore this Game 7 which will remain as the big black spot of this season which had everything to be historic, whether in regular or with obtaining a first title. Easier said than done according to Bridges, who is sure observers and fans alike will be sure to remind players of the bitter failure.. A failure that is obviously still not digested.
” Sure [que j’étais embarrassé], every time someone talks about a Game 7, we know it will be on the table. I don’t know if there was a record or something like that. If so, then you really are going to see it all the time. But other than that, anytime it’s Game 7 or the playoffs in general, you know all they’ll remember will be Game 7… When you’re gearing up for next year, whatever they’ll talk will be, “Do you remember what happened in Game 7? “It sucks”.
After the time of regrets, we will have to bounce back for the Suns but also for Mikal Bridges. Very far from his best level during the series against the Mavs (10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 40% shooting and 28% from afar), the winger did not really honor his good regular ( finalist for the DPOY). We remind you that the player is about to enter the first year of his 90 million four-year contract and he will have to deserve this good investment from the franchise.
Mikal Bridges has returned to the Game 7 disaster against the Mavs for the first time, and the Cactus padlock believes that failure can dog the Suns well into the future. The best way to fix it? Put the heating blue back on and finally scrape this first ring.
Source texte : The Old Man and the Three