spurschick
05-29-2005, 09:50 AM
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
May. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
SAN ANTONIO
The return of Joe Johnson worked out well.
It was nothing compared with the return of the Spurs' defense.
The latter was physical, ornery and flypaper sticky. The Suns looked like a man trapped under a pile of wet mattresses. It must've felt like the hug of an angry octopus.
Whatever, for 12 disorienting minutes, it made a mockery of the Suns' celebrated offense, and the rest of the evening was merely a formality.
The same could be said for the rest of the series.
"It's going to be extremely tough (to come back)," Amaré Stoudemire said.
So, the perceived gap between these two teams continues to widen. It's a sour way to conclude such a fabulous season, and the first-half disintegration was alarming on many levels.
Steve Nash, who ended up with twice as many turnovers as assists, was clearly frustrated in his team's lack of maturity. A furious Quentin Richardson banged the scorer's table, and later said the effort wasn't what it should've been. Johnson could barely recognize the team that struggled to score 10 points in the second quarter.
"We didn't play as a basketball team," Johnson said. "We played as individuals. We were just catching the ball and going."
Going nowhere, that is.
"If the ball doesn't go in, that's one thing," Richardson said. "But it can't be because of the effort. The stakes are too high. And I don't feel like we gave the effort we needed to give."
There were many culprits. The Suns still aren't running with that familiar abandon, and it's knocked Shawn Marion off his game. Marion played only one minute in the fourth quarter, and that won't go down easy. Freed from having to guard Tony Parker, Nash had his worst night of the postseason. The bench, supposedly aided by the return of Johnson, contributed only four points in 45 minutes.
While it sounded like fingers were starting to point in the locker room, that was only the wounded pride of a team on the brink of extinction. And what it means is simple: All year long, the Suns have lacked a physical presence on the floor. Now they're paying a heavy price.
"We didn't play tough enough," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Not for 48 minutes. Not like they did."
This was painfully clear from the opening tip-off, where once again, Manu Ginobili corralled the loose ball and cruised in for an uncontested layup.
"They've only done it three times in a row on us," D'Antoni said. "The third time, you would think Ginobili might get (hit)."
But that's not the Suns' style, and alas, they're just not ready for this level of basketball.
Credit Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who blistered his team's defensive performance after its two victories at America West Arena. He implored his team to ratchet up their trademark characteristic, to show the Suns its nasty side. The players did as they were told, and it spoke to another reality defining this series.
There have been many sexy story lines in the NBA. There was the brawl in Detroit; the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal in Miami; the ascension of teammate Dwyane Wade; the struggles of Kobe Bryant's Lakers; the retirement party for Reggie Miller; and the outbreak of up-tempo basketball, a movement led by the precocious Suns.
"Like it or not, we've become the poster boys for the new NBA," Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni said.
All along, this has meant one thing in San Antonio. The Spurs have been largely ignored, despite another magnificent season.
Spanking the Suns represents more than a chance to rest before the NBA Finals. This is their coming-out party, a chance to remind the world that the best team in the West is not some newfound, new-school phenomenon. It is no wonder the Spurs have been highly motivated from the opening tip of this series.
It has been an unbeatable combination from an unbeatable team, and all that's missing is the closing act.
The Arizona Republic
May. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
SAN ANTONIO
The return of Joe Johnson worked out well.
It was nothing compared with the return of the Spurs' defense.
The latter was physical, ornery and flypaper sticky. The Suns looked like a man trapped under a pile of wet mattresses. It must've felt like the hug of an angry octopus.
Whatever, for 12 disorienting minutes, it made a mockery of the Suns' celebrated offense, and the rest of the evening was merely a formality.
The same could be said for the rest of the series.
"It's going to be extremely tough (to come back)," Amaré Stoudemire said.
So, the perceived gap between these two teams continues to widen. It's a sour way to conclude such a fabulous season, and the first-half disintegration was alarming on many levels.
Steve Nash, who ended up with twice as many turnovers as assists, was clearly frustrated in his team's lack of maturity. A furious Quentin Richardson banged the scorer's table, and later said the effort wasn't what it should've been. Johnson could barely recognize the team that struggled to score 10 points in the second quarter.
"We didn't play as a basketball team," Johnson said. "We played as individuals. We were just catching the ball and going."
Going nowhere, that is.
"If the ball doesn't go in, that's one thing," Richardson said. "But it can't be because of the effort. The stakes are too high. And I don't feel like we gave the effort we needed to give."
There were many culprits. The Suns still aren't running with that familiar abandon, and it's knocked Shawn Marion off his game. Marion played only one minute in the fourth quarter, and that won't go down easy. Freed from having to guard Tony Parker, Nash had his worst night of the postseason. The bench, supposedly aided by the return of Johnson, contributed only four points in 45 minutes.
While it sounded like fingers were starting to point in the locker room, that was only the wounded pride of a team on the brink of extinction. And what it means is simple: All year long, the Suns have lacked a physical presence on the floor. Now they're paying a heavy price.
"We didn't play tough enough," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Not for 48 minutes. Not like they did."
This was painfully clear from the opening tip-off, where once again, Manu Ginobili corralled the loose ball and cruised in for an uncontested layup.
"They've only done it three times in a row on us," D'Antoni said. "The third time, you would think Ginobili might get (hit)."
But that's not the Suns' style, and alas, they're just not ready for this level of basketball.
Credit Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who blistered his team's defensive performance after its two victories at America West Arena. He implored his team to ratchet up their trademark characteristic, to show the Suns its nasty side. The players did as they were told, and it spoke to another reality defining this series.
There have been many sexy story lines in the NBA. There was the brawl in Detroit; the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal in Miami; the ascension of teammate Dwyane Wade; the struggles of Kobe Bryant's Lakers; the retirement party for Reggie Miller; and the outbreak of up-tempo basketball, a movement led by the precocious Suns.
"Like it or not, we've become the poster boys for the new NBA," Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni said.
All along, this has meant one thing in San Antonio. The Spurs have been largely ignored, despite another magnificent season.
Spanking the Suns represents more than a chance to rest before the NBA Finals. This is their coming-out party, a chance to remind the world that the best team in the West is not some newfound, new-school phenomenon. It is no wonder the Spurs have been highly motivated from the opening tip of this series.
It has been an unbeatable combination from an unbeatable team, and all that's missing is the closing act.