Valley of the Suns
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Jason Richardson’s Top 5 Moments With The Phoenix Suns

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson (23) shoots foul shots against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Wizards won 119-90. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson (23) shoots foul shots against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Wizards won 119-90. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson (23) shoots the ball before a game against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

5. 2010 Western Conference Finals, Game 5

I know, I know, I KNOW. But put your pitchforks and torches down for a second and hear me out first. We all remember that Game 5 as that game that shut the door on Nash’s last chance for a title in Phoenix. We didn’t know it yet, but when Richardson missed his boxout on Ron Artest in that defining moment of the Western Conference Finals, the series had already been decided.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed like the Suns were going to force overtime on the road. With the score tied at 101 and only 3.5 seconds remaining, the Lakers got the ball to Kobe Bryant, the designated Suns killer. But Bryant airballed his fadeaway three-point attempt, and for a second it looked like Phoenix would have another chance to take control of the series.

But then Artest snuck by Richardson, turned around, put up a funky fadeaway layup and won the game for Los Angeles at the buzzer.

No matter what Richardson had accomplished before that moment, THAT was always going to be what Suns fans remembered about him. He wasn’t able to redeem himself in the conference finals after that, and a demoralized Phoenix team lost the series in six games.

The Lakers went on to win the NBA Finals in seven games against the Boston Celtics, while the Suns lost Amar’e Stoudemire over the summer and were never the same after that. But it’d be unfair to Richardson to ignore that the Suns wouldn’t have even been in that game if he hadn’t drilled a three-pointer on the preceding play to tie up the score.

Forget about what came next for a second. This shot is the definition of clutch.

But nobody ever remembers that. All they remember is the missed boxout. And maybe that’s the way it has to be for a franchise that’s never won a championship. Maybe it’s fair for that to be the lasting image of J-Rich in a Suns jersey, especially when that one play cost Nash his last chance at a ring in Phoenix.

Even if that’s the lasting memory from J-Rich’s time with the Suns, though, it’s worth remembering that his desperation three with 3.5 seconds left breathed second life into that Game 5 for Phoenix. Was it just a cruel setup for what would happen next? Maybe. But I sincerely doubt anyone on earth expected Kobe to miss his shot that badly (or quickly).

Since this was bound to be the main talking point of any Jason Richardson-Suns conversation, it had to be acknowledged in some form. But now that Richardson is officially retiring, there needed to be at least one last reminder that if it weren’t for J-Rich, the Suns never would’ve gotten as close as they did to the Finals.

For J-Rich and Suns fans, this might be as close as anyone ever gets to closure.

Next: No. 4

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