Warriors Roll Suns, Look at Playoff Spot

The Golden State Warriors manhandled the Phoenix Suns last night in Oakland 124-119 despite a late game push by Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw. What a way to drop a deuce on national tv Phoenix. Now, the Suns were likely looking past this game to tonights game against the Denver Nuggets who we have some revenge to exact after the last time we faced them and got beatdown. This is also a team we may face in the first round of the playoffs so a message is in order.

Against the Warriors, the Suns were lackluster and went with the ole! defense the entire night. It's nearly impossible to come back after surrendering 45 points in the first quarter. If not for the efforts of Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa, this game would have been truly embarassing. If these Warriors do make it into the playoffs, I pity the Mavs because this is a hungry Warriors team and they have had the Mavs' number recently.

Late in the third and through the fourth Leandro and Boris tried their best to bring us back but it was of no use. Golden State was too hot and the Ole! defense gave them a lot of confidence. Leandro and Boris were almost surgical in the way they were breaking down the Warriors D to get open looks. One pass I've seen Boris make repeatedly was done so with precision last night when he posted up on the right block and then about jumps out of bounds but whips a pass to the other side of the court to Leandro who is parked on the three point line for the easy triple. Thats a good way to get a long pass through the defense.

Lets chalk last night up to the warriors being hungry and the Suns looking ahead to the Nuggets and Mavs on Sunday.

Wake me up When the Playoffs Start

So the Suns dropped another stinker in Sactown to Mike Bibby's Kings 107-100. The Suns have become way too complacent and they just don't have the fire that I'm used to seeing. Win one, they're back on track, drop a bomb and they're spiraling toward oblivion. Can't we just get the playoffs started already?

The Suns basically have nothing to play for. Unless they stink it up to royal proportions, the Spurs aren't going to catch them. They won't be catching the Mavs, they're just going through the motions. They say that after the All-star break us when the real season starts. That's a bunch of crap. Most of the playoff seedings are already set by then and teams have less motivation to dominate every game.

I just hope this lackadaisical attitude goes elsewhere when the playoffs begin.

Anyway, Steve had a pretty bad game. Seven turnovers with only nine assists. Mike Bibby had a good game but not as good as the recap is leading people to believe:

Bibby's Riveting Performance Lifts Kings Over Suns... Mike Bibby hit one last dramatic 3-pointer and strutted downcourt with his signature bigfoot walk.

I mean come on, what is this yellow journalism? He wasn't that good. Ron Artest is tough to handle though. Sactown is hungry too, they're playing to get into the playoffs. I don't understand that reasoning either, if I'm a team just barely scraping to get into the playoffs, where I will likely be gone after the first round, I would just want to bow out, get a draft pic and start my summer early.

Anyways, enough of the afternoon games. There should be a rule that games must be played after 7pm PST. Basketball just doesn't seem right on Sunday afternoon.

The Suns are Division Champs

Coming off a couple horrific losses to Detroit and to Denver, the Phoenix Suns managed to pull together and get right back on track defeating Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves 108-90. From the start it looked like Amare was pumped and ready to go off but that shortly diffused following some nice blocks. He was a non-factor.

The Suns played vintage Suns ball, spread the floor, shot well, took only four free throws to Minny's 21 and effectively blew them out. Barbosa replaced Boris in the starting lineup and played wonderfully, and also, gave Boris a little kick in the ass to play a little harder, which he did. Leandro knows the system so well and where to go now he's on automatic.

Last night I watch him make a pass and as the ball is passed around five times looking for the best shot, Leandro uses a screen to pop back into his space on the perimeter and knock down the open three. Next possession, same thing. So now I wonder who will remain in the starting lineup in the next game. Last season Coach Mike did the same thing and it lit a fire under Boris. Shortly after he was back in the starting lineup.

Boris needs to play with more effort. He's become a playmaker but he needs to continue to score easy buckets to keep defenses honest. He has amazing scoring prowess, I just wish he would use it more. He has to realize that a layup is easier to make than a long three. If he could average 15pts and 6assists he would be more of an asset than if he averaged 10 assists and 5 pts. Step up the tenacity Boris.

Leandro is now one of our five best players, prompting Coach to start him. He pays dividends every night. I like that this team rebounded so quickly after getting whooped a couple of times. Now we really need to hit the gas pedal. Still, we need to get Amare going in every game. He is the key and right now, it's inconsistant. Nobody can stop him when he gets going and he causes too many problems for other teams. The most important thing, Dallas can't stop him.

Suns Are World Champs...er They Beat Mavs

What a game last night. That must be the best game of this year if not for the past few. It was like a game seven in the NBA finals. It was that good. Of course, the Suns barely played Suns basketball through this thing and it seemed more like a vendetta game yet came out with a win in 2OT 129-127.

The Suns knew this was a must win and so did the Mavs. The Suns came out on fire in the first quarter and built a lead that they would eventually piss away in the third. In that third quarter the Suns looked lost. Steve Nash just wasn't right. He was dribbling around the lane and not getting his teammates good shots. It's as if he was overanxious and not letting things flow.

In the third Steve would often find himself in the lane with no good passes to make, which wound up with somebody taking a difficult shot. That's how the Mavs came back and built a lead of their own. Also, Steve was gunning without remorse but the only problem was that his shots weren't falling. Throughout this painful 12 minutes I found myself wondering why they weren't getting Amare going.

Then the third quarter rolled into the fourth quarter and the Mavs managed to build a 16 point lead. The Suns battled to withing 10 but the Mavs had seemingly put the game away. At least that is what Dirk though when he was pumping his fist like he had claimed victory. With about five minutes to play the Suns put the clamps down on the Mavs and made some stops and converted those into points. Nashty then went on a tear scoring 10 points in 55 seconds.

Dirk missing a freethrow in the final seconds to give the Suns a chance was icing on the cake. At that point I knew the Suns would win. I knew they would send it to OT. I knew Nash would hit the big shot. I didn't think he would get a couple cracks at it though. I think we can thank Shawn Marion as much for this win as we can Steve. Shawn grabbed Steve's miss and within seconds had the ball back in Steve's hands when he sunk the three.

Overtime was all ours. We have handled these situations very well this season and I knew the Mavs would get tired. Then Amare took over. It was a little late but I'll take it. He was unstoppable in OT. Consequently The Mavs started fouling out. Eventually the Suns put the game away for a sweet win.

I think I figured out why the Mavs are always preaching defense. Not that they are this defensive juggernaut or anything, they are pretty good but not great. They keep talking about it so that the ref's let them get away with some dirty plays and be extra physical. The Mavs, that is a dirty team.

Also, we need for more guys to step up. I mean the scoring on the Suns was very atypical and we're lucky to win. Hopefully Steve got that out of his system and the next time we play Suns basketball.

The Showdown

(Cue western music) Today is the day of reckoning. Suns at Mavs, Mavs vs Suns. The number one vs the number two. Dirk vs Nash, Amare vs physics, Dampiere vs himself, Avery Johnson vs gravity. It's on tonight.

This game has good timing too. The Suns are riding a wave of momentum after crushing the Rockets the other night and the Mavs are slumping after getting embarrassed by the freaking Golden State Warriors. Now, the Mavs, they are a great team, they have the best record in the league and are one of the most consistant teams. As of now they are #1.

Still, in all the Suns losses, they have not been flat out embarrassed the way the Mavs have in some of their losses. I mean the Mavs have been taken to boarding school by the likes of the Warriors, Rockets and others and have been served pancakes with fresh maple syrup. The Mavs have less margin of error than the Suns do and likewise, less potential.

They say that the Mavs are one of the deepest teams in the league. What that means is Avery feels good about using his 10th and 12th men. I don't know about you but I would feel uneasy about giving Devean George meaningful minutes. If that's deep, you can find me lounging in the four foot hot tub. The bottom line is, if Dirk or Josh Howard or, to a lesser extent, Jason Terry has an off game, they're going to struggle bad.

The key to winning a series with Dallas lies with Amare Stoudemire. The Mavs have no answer for him. Sure they will throw their two dough boys, Dampiere and Diop, his way but they'll be planted on the pine with a few fouls early. They just do not have the defensive dexterity to play defense on Amare and stay in the game. Still, if Amare has an off night, we're not screwed the way Dallas would be.

We have guys coming off the bench who can go for 30. Boris Diaw gave them all they could handle in the WCF last season and this year, Leandro Barbosa has become unstoppable. Not to mention Nashty and the Matrix who could go for 30 and 15 themselves. The Mavs supposed superior defense cannot shut down such a potent offense, even with 12 guys. Sure they may give the Suns fits at times but sooner or later Devean George and Dampiere are going to be a liability.

Feisty Bobcats Put Down in Phoenix

The Phoenix Suns eked out a tough win last night against visiting Charlotte in overtime 115-106. The win wasn't a pretty one, against a team that has lost six straight on the road and was without big man Emeka Okafor. Still, this is the NBA and any team can get hot and win on any given night. People seem outraged that the Suns could let a team as bad as the Cats compete with them but all teams struggle and good teams find a way to win.

The Bobcats usually play well against us. The refs were making some ugly calls and keeping things tight with literally no breathing room. Amare picked up two teks and that second one was downright felonious. Hopefully the league reviews it and it gets recinded because we don't need Amare getting suspended from too many teks. I hate how they are calling games lately, I don't want to see an emotionless, stale dead fish of a game.

I gotta see some fire.

Luckily, last night Leandro brought the charcoal. Dropping seven of 11 from downtown for a career high 32pts and saving the stagnant Suns after Amare was ejected. Barbosa has stepped up in a huge way lately and teams simply cannot stop him. I mean, that point blank, high arching teardrop over the shotblockers in the lane that caught nothing but string was impressive to say the least. Then the refs stole some momentum with a bogus delay of game call.

Leandro is quickly becoming a second or third option and his offensive skillset is rapidly increasing. I'd like to see Leandro pick up a bigger role in the offense and let Shawn Marion concentrate on things he does best like play defense, rebound, block shots, pick steals and run the break. Lets face it, the Matrix is somewhat offensively gimped. He's made up for it with superior athleticism, but he can't create, handle the ball or shoot very well at all. I'd like to see him become our complete defensive anchor. The dude had six blocks last night, he's a defensive nightmare for opposing teams. I'd like to nurture that while minimizing his weaknesses.

I have no problems with the lack of focus or effort or whatever everyone is saying about the "horrible" win last night. Good teams win tough games.

Suns Drop Stinker in Philadelphia

So much for setting a new record by going undefeated on the road against East teams. On a night when the Suns should have been pumped up, despite not having the services of Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw, they came out flat and gave Philly a 99-94 win. The Suns just shot poorly the whole night.

This game was just painful to watch. The Suns got crushed on the boards, showing why Marion was missed. And all of our outside scorers were ice cold. Bell: 5-16 and 3-10 from three, Thomas: 1-4 and Barbosa, who had his worst game of the entire season, was 4-16 and couldn't do anything right all night. Honestly, Barbosa's play probably shot us in the foot. Why Coach Mike kept him in there after repeated horrible plays, decisions and bad luck is beyond me.

For example, in the last few minutes of the fourth the Suns were slowly mounting a comeback and needed to score desperately. Leandro drove the lane where he was tangled up by at least three defenders and got off balance and threw up a desperate leaner early in the shot clock. He was mentally elsewhere.

If not for Nashty and Amare this game wouldn't even be close. I think part of it is that the Suns now figure they can't catch up to Dallas so they're relaxing a bit. Some guys are taking games off to heal, while others are just on siesta.

Awesome

The last two games the Suns shots have been way off. I haven't seen this all year. Usually when they're missing, later in the game they'll get hot. That wasn't the case last night. Let's hoe they break out of this funk and get everyone healthy soon. I'm kind of worried about Boris, he played only six minutes the other night before his back started hurting. Lower back injuries can be long and nagging and can keep you out for long periods of time. Let's hope it isn't serious.

I don't even know where Marion was.