Larry Sanders wasn't even born the last time the Milwaukee Bucks had recorded a road win in Phoenix on Feb. 21, 1987, but he played an inspired brand of basketball on Thursday night and helped the Bucks end a 24-game road losing streak against the Suns.
Bucks vs. Suns: Larry Sanders has a monster game
Milwaukee Bucks big man Larry Sanders made his mark on the Phoenix Suns in a rare road win for the Bucks on Thursday night. Credit goes to Sanders for making his great games look routine this season.
Christian Petersen
Sanders has been terrific for the Bucks this year, almost to the point where his ridiculous line of 19 points on 8-14 shooting, 15 rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks doesn’t set off alarm bells anymore. That’s how good Larry Sanders has been for the Bucks in 2012-13.
Sanders should be in the running for defensive player of the year. His streak of consecutive games with a block was briefly put in jeopardy against the Suns -- the official scorer didn't credit him with a rejection at any point during the first 40 minutes of the game -- but he swatted two shots down the stretch and extended his streak to 25 straight games with a block.
Even without the blocks, Sanders made an impact on the game defensively. Marcin Gortat fought the good fight and tried to get his hook shot off in the paint, but he hit just 3-10 attempts overall and clanged one off the side of the backboard at one point in an attempt to avoid Sanders’ outstretched hand. The Suns scored only 38 points in the paint on the evening, and that came on a dull 19-45 shooting at close range.
It doesn’t stop there for Sanders. Aside from owning the second-longest active block streak in the NBA, the lanky big man also comfortably leads the league in total blocks (117), blocks per game (3.16) and blocks per 48 minutes (6.1).
The rejections are nice, but the defensive impact is even better. When he’s on the floor, the Bucks are better than the best defense in the NBA. When he heads to the bench, they turn into a bottom-five unit. NBA teams have converted 58.4 percent of total shots inside 5 feet this season, but opponents have scored on only 51.4 percent of those attempts against the Bucks when Sanders is on the court.
He’s a folk hero among Milwaukee Bucks fans looking for hopeful signs on a mediocre team. His nickname? Dr. Blocktopus. His best moments on defense? Actively tracked by Brew Hoop throughout the season. James Herbert’s profile on SB Nation reveals Sanders as a thoughtful, engaging young man with big dreams of dominating the NBA. If you haven’t tuned in to see Larry Sanders this season, you’ve missed out on one of the best stories in the association.
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