The Suns Have Been On Fire Since The Orlando Bubble

Published

1 year ago

February 18, 2022

nigemord@gmail.com

(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

For the Phoenix Suns and all teams in the NBA, the Orlando bubble feels like it happened decades ago.

But in reality, it was only two years ago.

The bubble experience was wild and very different and, for some, very productive.

Aside from the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Suns were stand-out stars in Orlando.

It was during the bubble when the Suns really came together to become the team they are now.

107-31 in the regular season since the 2020 bubble pic.twitter.com/qom0oTbud0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 18, 2022

Since the bubble, Phoenix has only gotten better and better.

In fact, they are now 107-31 in the regular season since the 2020 bubble.

Their time in Orlando will always be seen as a turning point for this squad.

Big Wins & Big Losses

The Suns went 8-0 when playing in the Orlando bubble but they were fighting for their lives.

At the time, Phoenix was attempting to get a spot in the playoffs, and their 8-0 record was making their case loud and clear.

However, in the end, the undefeated Suns ended up leaving the bubble before the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Memphis Grizzlies because they lost the season series, 3-1.

So even though they were undefeated in the bubble, the Suns still didn’t have what it took to get into the postseason.

Instead of dwelling on how close they came, the Suns instead doubled down on the team chemistry and dynamic they were building.

They took everything they learned from the bubble and carried it over into the next season.

And, of course, they also gained Chris Paul, which only made them so much better.

The Suns haven’t been bad since the bubble.

In fact, they haven’t even come close – they have been a dominant team in the league even as others have risen and fallen.

We are living in the era of the Suns and it all started in the Orlando bubble.

The post The Suns Have Been On Fire Since The Orlando Bubble appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Avon’s OT winner lifts Petes to win over Blazers, Memorial Cup semifinal berth

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5 hours ago

June 2, 2023

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KAMLOOPS, B.C. — J.R. Avon scored the game-winning goal 10:54 into overtime and the Peterborough Petes beat the Kamloops Blazers 5-4 on Thursday, earning a semifinal berth at the Memorial Cup.

Connor Lockhart, Brennan Othmann, Samuel Mayer and Brian Zanetti had the others for Ontario Hockey League champion Peterborough. Michael Simpson made 43 saves.

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Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger, Harrison Brunicke and Logan Bairos replied for host Kamloops. Dylan Ernst stopped 25 shots.

The Petes will next meet the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds in Friday’s semifinal for a chance to face the Quebec Remparts in the final on Sunday.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Remparts earned a berth into the final after opening the tournament with wins over Kamloops and Seattle.

Quebec later fell to Peterborough — which staved off elimination and forced Thursday’s tiebreaker with the victory — 4-2 on Tuesday in both teams’ final round-robin game.

Lockhart opened the scoring 7:52 into the first period. Chase Lefebvre sent the puck across the end boards to Jax Dubois, who found Lockhart with a slick pass into the slot and he beat Ernst five-hole.

Stankoven evened it up 11:20 into the frame, sending the Sandman Centre crowd into a frenzy. Connor Levis took a point shot and the rebound came out to the Blazers captain, who scored his second of the tournament.

Zellweger put Kamloops ahead 12:45 into the frame on the power play. The CHL Defenceman of the Year nominee saved the puck from getting out of the Petes’ zone, moved into the slot and wired one past Simpson for his first.

With 2:27 remaining in the first, Brunicke piled it on for the Blazers. Peterborough’s Konnor Smith attempted to clear it from the end boards but the puck ended up with Brunicke at the point, where he got around a defender and beat Simpson just over his right shoulder with little room to spare.

Bairos gave Kamloops a 4-1 edge 4:23 into the middle frame. He fired a point shot that ricocheted off Simpson’s blocker, then over him and in.

Just over three minutes later, the Petes began to swing the momentum back in their favour.

Othmann stripped Bairos of the puck as the Blazers defenceman tried to skate out of his own zone. Othmann then turned around and roofed it past Ernst as he fell to one knee.

Mayer made it a one-goal game on the power play with 2:23 left in the second. He took a pass from Lockhart and fired in a one-timer from the point.

Zanetti knotted the contest just over a minute later. He tipped in a pass from Tucker Robertson while streaking toward the net and beat Ernst five-hole.

Both sides struggled to capitalize on prime scoring opportunities leading to a scoreless third period and extra time to settle the winner.

Following a dazzling effort by Zellweger that just missed, Owen Beck took the puck up ice for Peterborough and dropped it off for Avon, who put it past Ernst to seal the win.

WE MEET AGAIN

Kamloops defeated Peterborough 10-2 when the two last met on Sunday. But with 7:05 remaining in that game, Othmann laid a hit on Blazers defenceman Kyle Masters, who fell awkwardly into the boards.

Masters had to be stretchered off the ice and was taken to Royal Inland Hospital. Head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston said Monday that the blue liner was out for the tournament with a lower-body injury.