Grit. Tenacity. Resilience. The kind of toughness that isn’t just spoken about but felt, pulsing through every possession, every defensive stand, every battle for a loose ball. The Phoenix Suns embodied all of it on Monday night as they stood toe-to-toe with the Milwaukee Bucks, feeding off each other’s energy, refusing to break under the weight of their own mistakes.

Playing Milwaukee is no easy feat. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a force of nature, a relentless physical specimen who bends defenses to his will. We know this all too well. We felt it in the 2021 NBA Finals. And yet, despite his overwhelming presence — despite a level of physicality that would qualify as assault in certain jurisdictions — the Suns persevered. They adapted. They endured. They met brute strength with sheer will and overcame.

This was a collective effort in every sense. Kevin Durant, the effortless scoring savant, dissected Milwaukee’s defense with precision. Devin Booker, ice in his veins, delivered the dagger with 1.7 seconds left, the kind of moment that turns good players into legends.

It takes an army. It takes a team. It takes a mentality built on toughness to withstand the blows — both literal and figurative — delivered by an opponent like the Bucks. To push through the officiating. To clean up their own wounds and keep fighting.

That is the mark of a good team. And right now, the Phoenix Suns are a damn good team.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

The Suns’ win over the Cavs was a statement, but Kevin Durant? He was the exclamation point. Dropping 42 with the effortless grace of a man who’s been here a thousand times before, he cruised to yet another Bright Side Baller award—his 10th of the season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Kevin Durant

38 points (11-of-21, 7-of-9 3PT), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 5 turnovers, +4 +/-

Devin Booker

19 points (7-of-18, 0-of-5 3PT), 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 5 turnovers, +13 +/-

Ryan Dunn

12 points (5-of-7, 2-of-4 3PT), 9 rebounds, 2 turnovers, -8 +/-

Nick Richards

10 points (4-of-8) 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers, -3 +/-

Tyus Jones

8 points (4-of-8, 0-of-4 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 turnovers, +5 +/-

Collin Gillespie

6 points (2-of-6, 2-of-5 3PT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, +1 +/-

Who gets it for last night’s efforts?

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