Jimcs50
05-25-2005, 08:02 AM
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
May. 25, 2005 12:00 AM
The Suns will spend today and the next two off days of the Western Conference finals acting like it is impossible to fail. It's fun to think that way.
They talked a lot this season about how it was possible to win an NBA title with splendid offense and marginal defense. But even marginal defense during crunch time against San Antonio does not seem possible based on this series' ominous openers.
Two days after blowing Game 1 by giving up 43 fourth-quarter points, Phoenix lost Game 2 by looking as defenseless as lambs in the final 7 1/2 minutes of a 111-108 loss at America West Arena. advertisement
The Spurs turned every Suns stumble into a fall, making Phoenix's 55.7 percent shooting irrelevant. In suffering their first consecutive losses since early April, the Suns are up against odds as bad as their preseason line to win the title. Only three teams (the 1969 Lakers, the 1994 Rockets and 2005 Mavericks) have come back to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home.
The youth, playoff inexperience and defensive knocks on Phoenix did not keep it from posting the best record in the league or gliding through two playoff rounds. But it is a mammoth hump when it comes to beating San Antonio, something that has not happened in the teams' past 10 meetings in which Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili played.
"A lot of it is experience and being there," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "A lot of times, you have to sample the waters before you jump in."
The theme of Tuesday's game was all too familiar. Again, Phoenix has a dreadful first quarter to regret.
The Suns were down 31-21 after one quarter because of seven turnovers, four by Steve Nash that led to eight San Antonio points. It was Phoenix's seventh straight first-quarter deficit.
That start will be topped in their nightmares by the memory of losing another lead at home down the stretch. The Suns were ahead 93-88 with 7:50 to play but the Spurs never panicked. Phoenix, badly missing Joe Johnson's defense again, stopped San Antonio from scoring on only one possession for the remainder of the game.
"Their execution and our lack of it," Suns guard Jim Jackson said.
The Spurs even did it with Duncan playing the entire fourth quarter in foul trouble. He started it with four fouls and played the last 4:15 with five fouls. Duncan, 1 for 7 at halftime, scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half with terrific efficiency.
"He really played with a lot of poise," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Phoenix, down to a six-man rotation, still was scoring with San Antonio enough to lead 102-100 with 2:56 to play. Nash, 29 points and 15 assists despite 46 minutes and double teams, and Amaré Stoudemire, 37 points, riddled San Antonio again. Stoudemire has scored at least 35 in every game this season against San Antonio.
"They are too darn good and our defense isn't as good as those two guys are," Popovich said.
The Spurs came out of a timeout and smoothly executed a play that ended with Robert Horry's three-pointer to take the lead for good. Quentin Richardson had left him for a moment to double Duncan.
After Nash missed a tough jump shot with Tony Parker closing in, Ginobili piled it on with a spectacular drive on Shawn Marion. Ginobili put the ball around his back, twisted toward the basket and scored.
"They have been just phenomenal in the fourth quarter," Nash said.
When Stoudemire missed a layup on the ensuing possession, Ginobili made it 107-102 with 1:19 to go on a jump shot over Marion. With easy scores and San Antonio's two free-throw misses, the Suns got one last shot to tie. Nash had 4.2 seconds to get down court against Parker. He leaned around a double-teaming Bruce Bowen to put up a three that would have tied the game at the buzzer. It was dead-on but short, just like Phoenix's effort again.
"We ain't dead yet," Marion said. "We think we can come out there and get some games."
The Arizona Republic
May. 25, 2005 12:00 AM
The Suns will spend today and the next two off days of the Western Conference finals acting like it is impossible to fail. It's fun to think that way.
They talked a lot this season about how it was possible to win an NBA title with splendid offense and marginal defense. But even marginal defense during crunch time against San Antonio does not seem possible based on this series' ominous openers.
Two days after blowing Game 1 by giving up 43 fourth-quarter points, Phoenix lost Game 2 by looking as defenseless as lambs in the final 7 1/2 minutes of a 111-108 loss at America West Arena. advertisement
The Spurs turned every Suns stumble into a fall, making Phoenix's 55.7 percent shooting irrelevant. In suffering their first consecutive losses since early April, the Suns are up against odds as bad as their preseason line to win the title. Only three teams (the 1969 Lakers, the 1994 Rockets and 2005 Mavericks) have come back to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home.
The youth, playoff inexperience and defensive knocks on Phoenix did not keep it from posting the best record in the league or gliding through two playoff rounds. But it is a mammoth hump when it comes to beating San Antonio, something that has not happened in the teams' past 10 meetings in which Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili played.
"A lot of it is experience and being there," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "A lot of times, you have to sample the waters before you jump in."
The theme of Tuesday's game was all too familiar. Again, Phoenix has a dreadful first quarter to regret.
The Suns were down 31-21 after one quarter because of seven turnovers, four by Steve Nash that led to eight San Antonio points. It was Phoenix's seventh straight first-quarter deficit.
That start will be topped in their nightmares by the memory of losing another lead at home down the stretch. The Suns were ahead 93-88 with 7:50 to play but the Spurs never panicked. Phoenix, badly missing Joe Johnson's defense again, stopped San Antonio from scoring on only one possession for the remainder of the game.
"Their execution and our lack of it," Suns guard Jim Jackson said.
The Spurs even did it with Duncan playing the entire fourth quarter in foul trouble. He started it with four fouls and played the last 4:15 with five fouls. Duncan, 1 for 7 at halftime, scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half with terrific efficiency.
"He really played with a lot of poise," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Phoenix, down to a six-man rotation, still was scoring with San Antonio enough to lead 102-100 with 2:56 to play. Nash, 29 points and 15 assists despite 46 minutes and double teams, and Amaré Stoudemire, 37 points, riddled San Antonio again. Stoudemire has scored at least 35 in every game this season against San Antonio.
"They are too darn good and our defense isn't as good as those two guys are," Popovich said.
The Spurs came out of a timeout and smoothly executed a play that ended with Robert Horry's three-pointer to take the lead for good. Quentin Richardson had left him for a moment to double Duncan.
After Nash missed a tough jump shot with Tony Parker closing in, Ginobili piled it on with a spectacular drive on Shawn Marion. Ginobili put the ball around his back, twisted toward the basket and scored.
"They have been just phenomenal in the fourth quarter," Nash said.
When Stoudemire missed a layup on the ensuing possession, Ginobili made it 107-102 with 1:19 to go on a jump shot over Marion. With easy scores and San Antonio's two free-throw misses, the Suns got one last shot to tie. Nash had 4.2 seconds to get down court against Parker. He leaned around a double-teaming Bruce Bowen to put up a three that would have tied the game at the buzzer. It was dead-on but short, just like Phoenix's effort again.
"We ain't dead yet," Marion said. "We think we can come out there and get some games."