duncan228
04-30-2010, 03:49 AM
Suns PG Steve Nash: ‘Ability To Sacrifice’ Has Been Paramount To Team’s Success (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-sunspgstevenashabili)
SportingNews
Steve Nash got off to a slow start in Game 6 against the Blazers — he had a point and seven turnovers at the half — but he also hit a big 3-pointer late in the game to help Phoenix pull away from Portland and win its first-round playoff series. After the game, he talked with Sporting News correspondent Andy Giegerich and other reporters about playing through a hip injury and Jason Richardson’s big series — and he took a surprise question from Jared Dudley.
Question: This was not your most memorable first half…
Steve Nash: You just try to hang in there for your team. I was hurting, but I didn’t want to make my physical problems the center of attention. I just wanted to play and be there for my team at some point. I just wanted to keep the rhythm and energy the team had going, but my teammates deserve all the credit in the end.
Q: What physical problems were you having?
SN: I strained my hip before Game 2 and it came back pretty bad. Hopefully, it’s just spasms that’ll settle down before the next round. I was in a lot of discomfort, but it was worth it.
Q: When it was close in the fourth quarter, you ran two screens for layups to Jason Richardson. What did Jason do for you in the series?
SN: He was great. They made a decision to use their length, and he made a lot of jump shots for us. He made a lot of 3s tonight, and he obviously had some other big games in the series. It was pivotal. He really made them pay for deciding to guard us that way.
Q: (Suns forward Jared Dudley sneaked into the media room to ask Nash a question): All before the season, the media said we wouldn’t make the playoffs. What does it mean now to be in the playoffs and be in the second round?
SN: Is this just a big joke to you, Jared? (Laughter from the press corps.) We’re supposed to be professionals, we’re not jacking around here. (More laughter). Obviously, it feels great. We weren’t picked to be in the playoffs. But we had a great training camp, and the team really came together. We’ve got a lot of depth. We’re not the most talented team, but our ability to sacrifice for the good of the team has been paramount to our success. We’ve got a lot of guys with athletic hands like yourself, and we hang in there.
Q: What did you learn about what Amare (Stoudemire) means to the team? And is he becoming more than just a one-dimensional player?
SN: He’s evolved, he’s been a tremendous player for the last five or six seasons, but in the last two or three months, he’s developed a feel for the game. He knows how to take the ball to the basket. There aren’t a lot of teams that can zone him up. It’s made him more difficult to guard, and it’s been pivotal to the team’s success.
Q: With the history you have against San Antonio, what does playing in the next round against them mean to you?
SN: It’ll be great for the fans and for everyone involved. To be honest, not many players on this team and very few on their team were there for that series. It’s probably more exciting for the fans because there are two different teams.
Q: What does Grant Hill mean to this team?
SN: Grant is a pleasure to be around. His intelligence and skill level and toughness, what he brings to the table is phenomenal. It’s not like he’s doing pretty well for 37, he’s doing pretty well for 27. It’s a pleasure to have someone like Grant on our team.
SportingNews
Steve Nash got off to a slow start in Game 6 against the Blazers — he had a point and seven turnovers at the half — but he also hit a big 3-pointer late in the game to help Phoenix pull away from Portland and win its first-round playoff series. After the game, he talked with Sporting News correspondent Andy Giegerich and other reporters about playing through a hip injury and Jason Richardson’s big series — and he took a surprise question from Jared Dudley.
Question: This was not your most memorable first half…
Steve Nash: You just try to hang in there for your team. I was hurting, but I didn’t want to make my physical problems the center of attention. I just wanted to play and be there for my team at some point. I just wanted to keep the rhythm and energy the team had going, but my teammates deserve all the credit in the end.
Q: What physical problems were you having?
SN: I strained my hip before Game 2 and it came back pretty bad. Hopefully, it’s just spasms that’ll settle down before the next round. I was in a lot of discomfort, but it was worth it.
Q: When it was close in the fourth quarter, you ran two screens for layups to Jason Richardson. What did Jason do for you in the series?
SN: He was great. They made a decision to use their length, and he made a lot of jump shots for us. He made a lot of 3s tonight, and he obviously had some other big games in the series. It was pivotal. He really made them pay for deciding to guard us that way.
Q: (Suns forward Jared Dudley sneaked into the media room to ask Nash a question): All before the season, the media said we wouldn’t make the playoffs. What does it mean now to be in the playoffs and be in the second round?
SN: Is this just a big joke to you, Jared? (Laughter from the press corps.) We’re supposed to be professionals, we’re not jacking around here. (More laughter). Obviously, it feels great. We weren’t picked to be in the playoffs. But we had a great training camp, and the team really came together. We’ve got a lot of depth. We’re not the most talented team, but our ability to sacrifice for the good of the team has been paramount to our success. We’ve got a lot of guys with athletic hands like yourself, and we hang in there.
Q: What did you learn about what Amare (Stoudemire) means to the team? And is he becoming more than just a one-dimensional player?
SN: He’s evolved, he’s been a tremendous player for the last five or six seasons, but in the last two or three months, he’s developed a feel for the game. He knows how to take the ball to the basket. There aren’t a lot of teams that can zone him up. It’s made him more difficult to guard, and it’s been pivotal to the team’s success.
Q: With the history you have against San Antonio, what does playing in the next round against them mean to you?
SN: It’ll be great for the fans and for everyone involved. To be honest, not many players on this team and very few on their team were there for that series. It’s probably more exciting for the fans because there are two different teams.
Q: What does Grant Hill mean to this team?
SN: Grant is a pleasure to be around. His intelligence and skill level and toughness, what he brings to the table is phenomenal. It’s not like he’s doing pretty well for 37, he’s doing pretty well for 27. It’s a pleasure to have someone like Grant on our team.