Speaking to the media after a crushing elimination loss, Suns coach Monty Williams did not deflect blame from his team or himself. Dejected and defeated, Williams owned up to the moment and took accountability for the highly disappointing defeat:
“I just told ’em how bad I hurt for them. I know they didn’t wanna play that way. We basically played the worst game of the season tonight. That group has a lot of character and a lot of integrity and I know how bad they wanted it. We just could not execute tonight. Couldn’t make a shot early and that messed with us a little bit. Dallas played their tails off from start to finish. I talked to them about how all year long we’ve been taking the praises, winning all the games, setting records, all that stuff and we’ve been taking it. Well, tonight, you gotta take it. That’s a part of manhood. There are days when it doesn’t go your way and you gotta stand right there and show character and integrity and take it. That’s life. From my standpoint, I did not have us ready to play in a Game 7. They played their tails off and that part for me is tough because I know how bad our guys wanted it. We just had a bad night.”
It was more than a bad game for the Suns, it was probably their worst game of the season. From the jump, they were a beat behind their foe and couldn’t score in the first half.
They were never able to recover and things quickly spiraled out of control. It’s a crushing and stunning loss for the franchise, and changes could be looming.
Whether it’s Chris Paul, Monty Williams, or someone else, we can expect someone to take the fall for this one. We’ll see how (and if) the team bounces back.
