Time To Rise And Shine

The crowd of 9,470 in Veterans Memorial Coliseum applauded the win politely but didn't seem to have much spirit. After all that has happened to the Suns, the people of Phoenix really aren't sure how to treat them. "It was a mixed-up affair," said Dave Heckman, a longtime season-ticket holder. "Everybody was guilty, and then nobody was guilty."

Convictions or not, the charges and countercharges have left one of the key questions in the grand jury testimony unanswered: Have the Suns been plagued by a long-standing pattern of drug use? The NBA and the Phoenix franchise have to face up to the damaging speculation. Prosecutors, too, will soon have to face up to some tough questions. As for the Suns players, they will have to pull together in the coming months—perhaps in memory of a young center named Nick Vanos.