July 1, 2024

Phoenix: Bol Bol has received cheers from Phoenix Suns fans at every opportunity to get on the court at Footprint Center.

The deafening applause in the arena when Bol walks over to the scorers table has been a topic of jokes from Suns coach Frank Vogel. Bol has shown both good and bad moments on the court, but it’s possible that the cries for more playing time will become too loud to ignore.

After the All-Star break, Phoenix lost to the Houston Rockets on Friday for the second straight game. However, Bol was a bright spot in a disappointing performance by the Suns, who were missing Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic due to injuries.

After the defeat, Vogel remarked, “There’s no other way to put it—he was great.” Coming off the bench, Bol scored 25 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.

“We’re looking for the ideal conditions for him to flourish in and to position him to win specific matches. He entered and made the most of those few minutes.”

“So happy for him. Wish we could’ve gotten the win for him and celebrated with him in the locker room after such a big game,” said Kevin Durant on Bol’s big night. Bol was utilized in a few different fashions, but most notably in a small-ball lineup with him at center and Durant next to him at power forward.

“He had big games before. This one was different: coming off the bench. Making shots, keeping us in the game with his shot-making, a couple and-one’s that kept us alive, he was incredible for us. I’m so happy he’s getting more opportunity to play and he’s having success.”

The Suns are back in action on Sunday when the Los Angeles Lakers visit town.

Bol’s 27 minutes last game was the most he’s seen all season. He’s only eclipsed the 20-minute mark one other time this year.

Injury woes or not for Phoenix, Bol is making the case to be a figure in Vogel’s rotation when the postseason rolls around.

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