Momentum

The Phoenix Sun bench was unstoppable in game 4 of the Suns – Lakers series, outscoring the Laker bench 54-20. Each of the Sun bench players had more than a +10 point differential when they were in the game, while each of the starters had a negative point differential, suggesting that the bench was largely responsible for the victory. One key reason for the strong bench play was the reemergence of Channing Frye.

Frye, a guy that went 1-20 in the first three games of the series and that missed his last 17 field goal attempts, was the player that flipped the switch in game 4, sparking a flurry of threes by his teammates. Frye hit his first three with 7 minutes to go in the second quarter – the crowd erupted, and his teammates were fired up to have him back. He was the missing piece for the Suns during the series and by hitting a shot, he brought himself and his team confidence, leading to 5 straight three point shots - Dudley (1), Barbosa (1), Nash (1), Frye (2). The same trend happened again at the 8 minute mark of the fourth quarter – Frye hit a three which sparked two more threes by Barbosa and Dudley. These shots extended the lead to 9 points and the Lakers were unable to respond. Frye’s 4 threes do look impressive in the box score, but what he brought to the game was far more than points – he shifted the momentum of the game and lifted his teammates, helping even the series at 2 games apiece. It is now a best of 3 game series and the bench play will be critical in determining which team will advance to the finals.