SPURSCHAMPS
05-23-2005, 09:41 AM
Duncan might be too much to overcome
By SCOTT BORDOW
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)
PHOENIX - There's a boxing adage that applies to the Western Conference finals.
A good big man beats a good little man every time.
San Antonio has Tim Duncan, Phoenix doesn't, and that more than anything explains the Spurs' 121-114 victory in Game 1 Sunday.
An oversimplification, you say?
Did you watch the fourth quarter, I say?
Duncan had 11 of San Antonio's 43 points in the final period, he finished with 28 points and 15 rebounds, and his kick-out pass to Brent Barry for a 3-pointer with 4:47 left gave the Spurs a five-point lead they never relinquished.
It was a tour de force from the NBA's most subtle superstar, and unless Duncan's gimpy ankles betray him in the next week, the Suns are in a world of hurt.
"That's why they win championships," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He could be the best player in the game."
There were other subplots that emerged in Game 1.
Shawn Marion deserves hazard pay. He's being guarded by Bruce Bowen, who finished second in defensive player of the year balloting, and he's trying to guard Duncan.
The result: A playoff-low three points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Quentin Richardson's poor shooting continues to hurt the Suns. He made just 1-of-5 3-point attempts, and the call for Joe Johnson just got louder.
Then there were D'Antoni's interesting postgame comments. For the first time this postseason, doubt creeped into his consciousness.
He sees the big picture: The Suns may have had the NBA's best regular season record, but San Antonio is the league's best team.
"Hopefully it will be a long series," he said. "We have some growing up to do."
D'Antoni thought the Suns didn't compete hard enough on some key possessions - "We have to give to the point of exhaustion," he said - but effort didn't doom the Suns.
Duncan did.
"We've got to come up with a different game plan for him," Richardson said.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, there's not a game plan Duncan hasn't seen or solved.
D'Antoni elected to have Steven Hunter play Duncan one-on-one for most of the fourth quarter, and while Hunter stood tall, he still couldn't stop Duncan from hitting 5-of-8 shots.
"He's not a Hall of Fame center for nothing," Hunter said.
The Suns were reluctant to run a second defender at Duncan because he's so good at finding teammates for open shots. But letting Duncan have his way in the paint is suicide. Phoenix has to take the ball out of his hands and hope San Antonio's shooters miss. If Barry can continue to make 5-of-8 3-point attempts, well, the Suns will just have to congratulate the Spurs and make their vacation plans.
"We have to make it tougher on Tim then build out because he's their best player," Jim Jackson said.
One game does not a series make, but the worst fears of Suns fans were confirmed Sunday.
Phoenix is not going to rattle San Antonio like it did Dallas, if for no other reason than the Spurs' basketball IQ is about 100 points higher.
San Antonio is smart, disciplined and, as its 43-point fourth quarter attests, it can beat Phoenix at its own game.
That's a scary thought and so is this: The Suns are now 0-7 against the Spurs the past two seasons when Duncan has played.
"Tim really puts a ton of pressure on our defense," Steve Nash said. "That's going to be the case the rest of the series. So we can't make mental mistakes, we can't not get loose balls. We've got to try and limit as many offensive rebounds as we can.
"Do all the other things so that the pressure he puts on us isn't insurmountable."
Even if the Suns play the perfect game, however, they have to deal with the perfect player.
Duncan may be the one mountain Phoenix can't climb.
By SCOTT BORDOW
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)
PHOENIX - There's a boxing adage that applies to the Western Conference finals.
A good big man beats a good little man every time.
San Antonio has Tim Duncan, Phoenix doesn't, and that more than anything explains the Spurs' 121-114 victory in Game 1 Sunday.
An oversimplification, you say?
Did you watch the fourth quarter, I say?
Duncan had 11 of San Antonio's 43 points in the final period, he finished with 28 points and 15 rebounds, and his kick-out pass to Brent Barry for a 3-pointer with 4:47 left gave the Spurs a five-point lead they never relinquished.
It was a tour de force from the NBA's most subtle superstar, and unless Duncan's gimpy ankles betray him in the next week, the Suns are in a world of hurt.
"That's why they win championships," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He could be the best player in the game."
There were other subplots that emerged in Game 1.
Shawn Marion deserves hazard pay. He's being guarded by Bruce Bowen, who finished second in defensive player of the year balloting, and he's trying to guard Duncan.
The result: A playoff-low three points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Quentin Richardson's poor shooting continues to hurt the Suns. He made just 1-of-5 3-point attempts, and the call for Joe Johnson just got louder.
Then there were D'Antoni's interesting postgame comments. For the first time this postseason, doubt creeped into his consciousness.
He sees the big picture: The Suns may have had the NBA's best regular season record, but San Antonio is the league's best team.
"Hopefully it will be a long series," he said. "We have some growing up to do."
D'Antoni thought the Suns didn't compete hard enough on some key possessions - "We have to give to the point of exhaustion," he said - but effort didn't doom the Suns.
Duncan did.
"We've got to come up with a different game plan for him," Richardson said.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, there's not a game plan Duncan hasn't seen or solved.
D'Antoni elected to have Steven Hunter play Duncan one-on-one for most of the fourth quarter, and while Hunter stood tall, he still couldn't stop Duncan from hitting 5-of-8 shots.
"He's not a Hall of Fame center for nothing," Hunter said.
The Suns were reluctant to run a second defender at Duncan because he's so good at finding teammates for open shots. But letting Duncan have his way in the paint is suicide. Phoenix has to take the ball out of his hands and hope San Antonio's shooters miss. If Barry can continue to make 5-of-8 3-point attempts, well, the Suns will just have to congratulate the Spurs and make their vacation plans.
"We have to make it tougher on Tim then build out because he's their best player," Jim Jackson said.
One game does not a series make, but the worst fears of Suns fans were confirmed Sunday.
Phoenix is not going to rattle San Antonio like it did Dallas, if for no other reason than the Spurs' basketball IQ is about 100 points higher.
San Antonio is smart, disciplined and, as its 43-point fourth quarter attests, it can beat Phoenix at its own game.
That's a scary thought and so is this: The Suns are now 0-7 against the Spurs the past two seasons when Duncan has played.
"Tim really puts a ton of pressure on our defense," Steve Nash said. "That's going to be the case the rest of the series. So we can't make mental mistakes, we can't not get loose balls. We've got to try and limit as many offensive rebounds as we can.
"Do all the other things so that the pressure he puts on us isn't insurmountable."
Even if the Suns play the perfect game, however, they have to deal with the perfect player.
Duncan may be the one mountain Phoenix can't climb.