Sometimes bloopers will be nothing more than one player making a funny, unusual error. Other times, it seems as though the mistakes are contagious. A play late in Wednesday’s game between the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns fell into that category.
The play started with Detroit inbounding the ball on the sideline in the backcourt. Shake Milton attempted to inbound the ball to Ausar Thompson. But after some contact with Phoenix’s Udoka Azubuike, Thompson fell to the ground. Azubuike unsuccessfully tried to retrieve the loose ball but it quickly fell out of his hands. Phoenix’s Nassir Little tried twice to secure the loose ball but failed to do so both times, as he knocked the ball into the frontcourt.
Théo Maledon made a tremendous effort to keep the ball from going out of bounds, tracking it down and saving it blindly. Unfortunately for Maledon and the Suns, his save went across the court and ended up in the hands of Milton, not far from where the madness began. Order was largely restored from there. Milton fired the ball into Detroit’s frontcourt, where teammates Malachi Flynn and Mike Muscala — who had somehow managed to quarantine themselves from the bloopers, were waiting.
Muscala corralled the ball and went up for what he thought would be an uncontested layup or dunk. Little, though, hustled back and fouled Muscala, preventing the easy basket.
NBA players are often so graceful and athletic that they make the most difficult plays look easy.
The Pistons and the Suns went another way on this play.
(H/T @GabeGuerrero03) pic.twitter.com/EpjfnpSReY
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 15, 2024
Even in mop-up time, you might see something notable. Of course, just because it’s notable doesn’t mean it will be particularly good, but it will likely be entertaining.
[Photo Credit: Arizona Family 3 TV CBS 5]
