Phx-Suns.Net

To the greatest game ever played -

https://www.basketball-reference.com/bo ... 40BOS.html

This was the first Suns game that I have memories of watching. I think it really solidified the Suns with the Valley sports fans. Their attendance jumped nearly 40% the next season to over 10,000 a game for the first time, and never looked back.

You can watch the game here -

That's funny. First game I remember in detail too. Well, we ARE the same age after all. I remember jumping up and down on my parents' red shag carpet while watching the game. I've been a locked in Suns fan ever since. I'm excited to be back in town and I have a 10 game package 15 rows behind the Suns bench for the upcoming season.

2:15:00 is a pretty good place to start watching if you have limited time. Includes a Richie Powers fight with a fan. Then you might want to stop at about 2:23:00 Suns fought to the bitter end though.

I remember this game! Unfortunately I was killed in a drunken bar fight in 1979 and reincarnated as a sperm in my dad's balls in 1983.

Hall of famers involved in that game - Tom Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Don Nelson, Charlie Scott, Dave Cowens, Paul Westphal, Pat Riley

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 04, 2026 12:18 pm

Hall of famers involved in that game - Tom Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Don Nelson, Charlie Scott, Dave Cowens, Paul Westphal, Pat Riley

A big part of why we lost the series. Only two of those were Suns, one of which was a bench warmer (he did slightly better as a coach/GM ).

I've always wondered why the Suns gave up on Ricky Sobers so quickly. I know Don Buse was a very good player but Sobers was much younger and had been a starter on the team that went to the Finals. I'm wondering if it was issues off the court or with management or the coaches. Sobers was one of those tough guys that coaches usually love and teams need to win.

I just looked and couldn't find any news articles about Sobers before the trade, but upon checking the box scores Ron Lee was starting at guard over Sobers. Sobers missed a couple of games in March of 1976-77 and Ron Lee started in his place and remained the starter even after Sobers returned. The Suns had bottomed out by this point. They'd fallen to last place as Curtis Perry was out with a back injury that ultimately ended his career and Gar Heard was out almost half the year, but that wouldn't explain the change in the backcourt.

Still, MacLeod (who was notorious for his inflexibility when it came to lineups and playing time) only game Sobers about 25 minutes a game, which shot up to over 36 a game in Indiana. Buse, who had averaged 38 minutes the prior two seasons with the Pacers dropped to 31 a game with the Suns. So Sobers may have been unhappy with his playing time or MacLeod may have wanted a veteran like Buse instead. MacLeod was peculiar when it came to playing time, in 1977-78 he had two of the top scorers in the playing 32 minutes a game (Davis) and 31 a night (Westphal) which ultimately ended up with Westphal being traded in 1980.

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 04, 2026 6:47 pm

I've always wondered why the Suns gave up on Ricky Sobers so quickly. I know Don Buse was a very good player but Sobers was much younger and had been a starter on the team that went to the Finals. I'm wondering if it was issues off the court or with management or the coaches. Sobers was one of those tough guys that coaches usually love and teams need to win.

That's a Sobering thought.