The magic behind the 2009-2010 Phoenix Suns season

Phoenix Suns (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Western Conference Finals

Phoenix was now just four games away from the NBA Finals, but beating the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers was not going to be easy. The Suns lost Game 1 107-128. Kobe Bryant opened the series with 40 points in a statement win.

Then, the Suns fell to 0-2 after a 21 point, 13 assist game by the Black Mamba in a 124-112 Game 2 loss.

Phoenix turned it around in Game 3, winning 118-109. Stoudemire had 42 points and 11 rebounds while Nash dished out 15 assists, and Robin Lopez had his third career 20 point game.

Following up an impressive win, Phoenix won Game 4 115-106 behind a great bench contribution. Each reserve had a +10 or higher +/- that game. The series was now tied 2-2, and both teams were hoping to take a 3-2 lead and seize the momentum into Game 6.

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Game 6 came down to the wire. What looked like was going to be an overtime game after a Kobe Bryant airball turned out to be heartbreak for Phoenix Suns fans. Ron Artest caught the airball and put up a magic game-winner at the buzzer to secure the 103-101 win and take a 3-2 advantage as the teams traveled back to Phoenix.

Now it was win-or-go-home for the Phoenix Suns. This was it, their last chance.

Unfortunately, in Game 6, the Suns had a poor shooting night. Amar’e went 7-20, Grant shot 2-7, and Barbosa went 3-9. As the All-Time greats do, Kobe seized the opportunity to potentially win his fifth NBA Championship and did whatever it took to get it. He finished the game with 37 points in a 111-103 Lakers win and ended the Suns season.

As we all know, Phoenix has yet to make the playoffs since that amazing 2010 season. They trail only the Sacramento Kings in longest post-season drought. The era of dominance in Phoenix had come to an end. Amar’e left for New York in free agency that summer, Nash would go to the Lakers three seasons later, and J. Rich would be traded to Orlando the next season. The franchise just seemed to fall apart and never match the energy or find the magic that sparked the special 2009-2010 Suns ever since.