ducks
05-15-2005, 03:58 PM
Stoudemire seemingly doing whatever he wants against Mavs
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
May 14, 2005
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AP - May 14, 12:55 am EDT
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DALLAS (AP) -- The way Amare Stoudemire is ripping apart the Dallas Mavericks, it's a wonder the Phoenix Suns don't just toss him the ball on every possession and watch him go.
The Suns resist the temptation because they know they have to mix things up to keep Dallas from swarming their big man. But there are times -- like the second quarter of Game 3, when the only question seemed to be how long the basket would reverberate after his next dunk -- that even his teammates on the court catch themselves watching Stoudemire with awe.
``Oh, yeah,'' said guard Jim Jackson, who can be excused for letting his jaw hang since he's only been with the team half the season. ``You get caught up looking at a dunk and have to hurry up and run back.''
Stoudemire is averaging 35.7 points while leading Phoenix to a 2-1 lead in this second-round series. He just became the first player in the team's 214-game playoff history to score 30 points three straight games, although it shouldn't be a surprise because he did it all three regular-season meetings, too.
``He has the desire to be the best,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. ``There's something in him that normal people don't have.''
Others have Stoudemire's size or his quickness or his athleticism. Hardly anyone has all three, and no one else gets to show it off in an offense so perfectly suited for those skills.
And he's only 22.
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``He's scratching the surface,'' Jackson said. ``He's unstoppable now, but it's going to be scary.''
With MVP Steve Nash setting him up, usually via the pick-and-roll, Stoudemire has humiliated Dallas center Erick Dampier so much that across the country Shaquille O'Neal is using him as a punch line. The Mavericks aren't laughing as they're scrambling to find someone, anyone, who might be able to slow him down.
``Steve is such a great passer and I'm such a great finisher, it's hard to stop us,'' Stoudemire said. ``I don't know what they're going to do next because we've kind of exploited everything they have.''
Dallas coach Avery Johnson prefers to take a pick-your-poison approach in the playoffs. Recognizing you can't stop everything a team does well, he's willing to let stars be stars -- like Stoudemire, or Houston's Tracy McGrady in the first round -- and focus on the supporting cast.
Problem is, Phoenix won a league-best 62 games because it has so many ways of scoring. And with Dampier usually in foul trouble, it's tougher for the Mavs to cover everyone else and still help out with Stoudemire. It's no coincidence Dallas won the one game Dampier avoided whistles, with help on Stoudemire also coming from swingman Michael Finley.
``The more we can keep Damp out of foul trouble, the more we can keep a bigger body on him,'' Johnson said. ``I think they have figured out the thing we did in Game 2.''
The Suns are down one offensive option with third-leading scorer, Joe Johnson, out with an eye injury that could sideline him the rest of the playoffs. Phoenix did just fine without him in Game 3, winning 119-102 Friday night, but the starters all played at least 41 minutes and the bench contributed only five points.
While the Mavs hope they can eventually wear down the Suns, they need to start by making things tougher on Stoudemire.
Photo
AP - May 14, 12:48 am EDT
More Photos
After he scored 40 points in Game 1, the Dampier-Finley combination threw him for a loop early in Game 2 but he still put up 30. Then he came roaring back in Game 3, scoring 25 in the first half and finishing with 37.
Dallas went from Dampier to Alan Henderson to Shawn Bradley, then used a variety of swingmen to try slowing Stoudemire. Nothing worked, especially not in the second quarter, when he started a 12-3 run with consecutive dunks that sent Finley and Stackhouse sprawling.
``If you're going to guard a 6-10 guy with someone who is 6-7, then, hey, we've got to punish that,'' Stoudemire said.
Stoudemire was a force on defense, too, during his second-quarter blitz. He swatted a layup try by Dirk Nowitzki into the seats, got a technical for slapping away Finley's arms when he pointed at Stoudemire, and had to be pulled away from getting in Josh Howard's face after fouling him.
The best news for the Mavs might be the ice packs strapped to Stoudemire during practice Saturday.
He had one above his left knee and another below, plus a big wrap around his left elbow. He said that one was to relieve a tingling in his last two fingers caused by a blow to his funny bone shortly before halftime of Game 3.
Any chance it might be a problem Sunday?
``No,'' he said. ``I'm all good.''
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
May 14, 2005
Photo
AP - May 14, 12:55 am EDT
More Photos
DALLAS (AP) -- The way Amare Stoudemire is ripping apart the Dallas Mavericks, it's a wonder the Phoenix Suns don't just toss him the ball on every possession and watch him go.
The Suns resist the temptation because they know they have to mix things up to keep Dallas from swarming their big man. But there are times -- like the second quarter of Game 3, when the only question seemed to be how long the basket would reverberate after his next dunk -- that even his teammates on the court catch themselves watching Stoudemire with awe.
``Oh, yeah,'' said guard Jim Jackson, who can be excused for letting his jaw hang since he's only been with the team half the season. ``You get caught up looking at a dunk and have to hurry up and run back.''
Stoudemire is averaging 35.7 points while leading Phoenix to a 2-1 lead in this second-round series. He just became the first player in the team's 214-game playoff history to score 30 points three straight games, although it shouldn't be a surprise because he did it all three regular-season meetings, too.
``He has the desire to be the best,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. ``There's something in him that normal people don't have.''
Others have Stoudemire's size or his quickness or his athleticism. Hardly anyone has all three, and no one else gets to show it off in an offense so perfectly suited for those skills.
And he's only 22.
ADVERTISEMENT
``He's scratching the surface,'' Jackson said. ``He's unstoppable now, but it's going to be scary.''
With MVP Steve Nash setting him up, usually via the pick-and-roll, Stoudemire has humiliated Dallas center Erick Dampier so much that across the country Shaquille O'Neal is using him as a punch line. The Mavericks aren't laughing as they're scrambling to find someone, anyone, who might be able to slow him down.
``Steve is such a great passer and I'm such a great finisher, it's hard to stop us,'' Stoudemire said. ``I don't know what they're going to do next because we've kind of exploited everything they have.''
Dallas coach Avery Johnson prefers to take a pick-your-poison approach in the playoffs. Recognizing you can't stop everything a team does well, he's willing to let stars be stars -- like Stoudemire, or Houston's Tracy McGrady in the first round -- and focus on the supporting cast.
Problem is, Phoenix won a league-best 62 games because it has so many ways of scoring. And with Dampier usually in foul trouble, it's tougher for the Mavs to cover everyone else and still help out with Stoudemire. It's no coincidence Dallas won the one game Dampier avoided whistles, with help on Stoudemire also coming from swingman Michael Finley.
``The more we can keep Damp out of foul trouble, the more we can keep a bigger body on him,'' Johnson said. ``I think they have figured out the thing we did in Game 2.''
The Suns are down one offensive option with third-leading scorer, Joe Johnson, out with an eye injury that could sideline him the rest of the playoffs. Phoenix did just fine without him in Game 3, winning 119-102 Friday night, but the starters all played at least 41 minutes and the bench contributed only five points.
While the Mavs hope they can eventually wear down the Suns, they need to start by making things tougher on Stoudemire.
Photo
AP - May 14, 12:48 am EDT
More Photos
After he scored 40 points in Game 1, the Dampier-Finley combination threw him for a loop early in Game 2 but he still put up 30. Then he came roaring back in Game 3, scoring 25 in the first half and finishing with 37.
Dallas went from Dampier to Alan Henderson to Shawn Bradley, then used a variety of swingmen to try slowing Stoudemire. Nothing worked, especially not in the second quarter, when he started a 12-3 run with consecutive dunks that sent Finley and Stackhouse sprawling.
``If you're going to guard a 6-10 guy with someone who is 6-7, then, hey, we've got to punish that,'' Stoudemire said.
Stoudemire was a force on defense, too, during his second-quarter blitz. He swatted a layup try by Dirk Nowitzki into the seats, got a technical for slapping away Finley's arms when he pointed at Stoudemire, and had to be pulled away from getting in Josh Howard's face after fouling him.
The best news for the Mavs might be the ice packs strapped to Stoudemire during practice Saturday.
He had one above his left knee and another below, plus a big wrap around his left elbow. He said that one was to relieve a tingling in his last two fingers caused by a blow to his funny bone shortly before halftime of Game 3.
Any chance it might be a problem Sunday?
``No,'' he said. ``I'm all good.''