Phoenix Suns Gain More National Attention With Another ESPN Game
Feb 8, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) congratulates forward P.J Tucker (17) after making a shot against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
The Phoenix Suns will take all of the national attention they can get. Remember that thrilling Wednesday night ESPN game against the Indiana Pacers, where the Suns stepped up at home and gave the home crowd (and the rest of the nation) quite a show? We’ve got another opportunity to showcase the team, coming up at the end of February.
On February 23, the Sunday matchup against the Houston Rockets was originally supposed to start at 6:00pm locally and was to be aired on the local Fox Sports affiliate. The game has now been changed to 7:00pm and will be broadcast by ESPN, but you can still catch it on the local channel, as well.
This is another great sign for a franchise pulling themselves out of a dark era. Goran Dragic is gaining national attention for his tremendous play as the Suns are currently seeded No. 6 in the Western Conference. This game against Dwight Howard, James Harden and the Rockets could be huge as it relates to playoff positioning.
The last matchup between the teams ended with a 122-108 defeat in Houston, with Dragic scoring 23 points with six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the loss. The Suns will potentially have Eric Bledsoe back by then, which will be an enormous help in stopping penetration.
Dealing with Howard in the post is another issue. Alex Len and Miles Plumlee struggled badly in their last meeting with Superman, so you know coach Jeff Hornacek will employ some different strategies this time around.
Michael Dunlap is an NBA credentialed writer who is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for the Sports Illustrated/Fansided NBA site HoopsHabit.com and the Arizona Sports site HeatWaved.com. He also covers high school sports for The Arizona Republic. Follow me on Twitter @DunlapNBA.