After a few nights off, the Phoenix Suns took on the Golden State Warriors on Saturday evening. GSW entered as a team that had lost its last three games in a row, and the Suns made it their fourth straight with a 113-105 win.

Phoenix got a much-needed comeback win and improved to 11-8 on the season. While there is still much work to be done to climb the Western Conference standings, the only way forward is to pile up wins. Beating the Warriors – a team that started the season strong but has since cooled off – is a solid step in that direction.

The Suns’ hot start from beyond the arc set the tone, but in the second half they had to withstand a push from Golden State, which outscored them 56-47 after halftime. The consistent performances from Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Grayson Allen and Tyus Jones were the key to the victory.

Bradley Beal was sidelined again, resulting in Grayson Allen making his first start of the season. Allen, who started 74 of 75 games last year, slipped seamlessly into the role and the team seemed to fit. It begs the question: Could moving Beal to the bench while he recovers from another injury be the right move? If there is a coach who can explain this convincingly, it is Mike Budenholzer.

Season status of the Bright Side Ballers:

The game against the Nets left a sour taste in our mouths, and it appears Mariah Carey will get the nod again as she has outperformed everyone else on the Suns. It’s Christmas time and no one does it better than Mariah. She tries hard. She hits those high notes. She’s focused…something the Suns weren’t on Wednesday night.

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Kevin Durant

21 points (7 of 20, 3 of 8 3PT), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, +2 +/-

Devin Booker

27 points (8 of 20, 3 of 8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, +3 +/-

Tyus Jones

19 points (7 of 9, 3 of 4 3PT), 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 turnover, 0 +/-

Grayson Allen

17 points (4 of 8, 3 of 6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -4 +/-

Royce O’Neale

11 points (4 of 6, 3 of 4 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, +11 +/-

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You’ve weighed your options. Now is the time to cast your vote. Choose carefully.