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“I’m Gonna Blame It on…”: Shaquille O’Neal Puts the Final Nail in the Coffin After Suns’ Blowout Loss to Luka Doncic’s Mavericks

Published 05/17/2022, 7:30 AM EDT

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Last night was a rough one for the Phoenix Suns, who witnessed their season come to a grinding halt. A season that was supposed to bring glory to the Valley of the Sun ended in sorrow with a Game 7 loss. The Dallas Mavericks had them by the throat the whole game, and the Suns couldn’t escape the clutches. However, Shaquille O’Neal thought it was just one of those nights where everything went south.  

Shaquille O’Neal discussed the Phoenix Suns and their effort in Game 7 on Inside The NBA. He attributed the collapse to the Suns having one of those nights where their shots won’t go in. He stated that they fought hard, but things obviously weren’t flowing offensively for Chris Paul and company. (3:56 onwards)

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“Phoenix is a professional team, they play well. I’m going to blame it on just one of those nights when it comes to the Phoenix Suns. I’m not going to bash them. They wanted to play, they were trying really hard. But every now and then, even for us great players, it just happens… For the Phoenix Suns, the shot just wasn’t going in,” Shaquille O’Neal said. 

While Shaq blamed the dreadful one of those nights, the fans did not perceive the game in that light. Supporters who spent big money to cheer their team to reach the Western Conference Finals were left upset. 

In fact, when the first half drew to a close, the Phoenix Suns were booed by their own supporters. Of course, the fans can’t be faulted given the 30-point deficit at halftime was the worst in a Game 7 ever.

Shaquille O’Neal blamed the night, but the stars didn’t show up

Suns’ shooting percentages speak for themselves. Monty Williams’ team shot 37.9 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from behind the three-point line. They were equally inconsistent from the charity stripe, shooting 12/18. However, the team’s sluggish approach and lack of character were major factors in their blowout loss. 

It was a terrible night for the Phoenix Suns stars. In his lowest-scoring performance of the playoffs, Devin Booker tallied 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Chris Paul totaled 10 points. 

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USA Today via Reuters

Cam Johnson scored 12 points off the bench to lead Phoenix. While their center DeAndre Ayton only got 17 minutes, with Monty Williams describing the reason as internal.While nothing clicked offensively for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas had a field day at the Footprint center.

Dallas torched the Suns

Luka Doncic and company annihilated the Suns. They trailed by 46 points in a 123-90 thrashing that wasn’t even as competitive as a 33-point deficit might reflect. 

LeBron James’ 2 Word Warning to Phoenix Suns Goes Viral as Chris Paul’s Team Crashes Out

The Mavericks dominated this ballgame, riding Doncic’s scorching hand and a fantastic showing from Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson. Jason Kidd deserves a lot of credit for keeping his men locked in. 

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Dallas stayed in character during Game 7. They turned the ball over only 11 times. The group made 19 of 39 shots from beyond the three-point line. Kidd had a plan of action, and the Mavericks executed it flawlessly, routing the offense through Doncic. And the ultimate outcome was a decisive Game 7 victory.

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Suns finished the regular season with a franchise-record 64-18 record, but they went down in flames before their intended destination. The Suns were considered the favorites to advance to the NBA Finals for the second season in a row. Despite the heartbreaking loss, Booker and Paul are eager to hit the reset button and move on.

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Written by:

Ritvik Malhotra

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Ritvik is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Ritvik has finally got his foot in the door as a professional sports writer. He previously interned at another media house where he authored over 150 soccer articles, but he is now writing about his primary obsession, basketball.
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