Suns @ Wolves tonight

[The_Game]

Will suns extend streak to 18?

me thinks they will.

[mabber]

Will suns extend streak to 18?

me thinks they will.

They should win w/o too much trouble unless they're looking ahead to the Spur's game.

[dg7md]

I sense an upset.

[JMarkJohns]

Dallas > Phoenix

There. Now it's out of the way.

[Flopper]

Suns win 140-100

[JMarkJohns]

Suns win 140-100

:lmao

[mabber]

Does Amare guard KG most of the time when these two teams play?

[JMarkJohns]

Has in the past, but since his surgery, I don't know if they've played. Diaw and he will probably split time on Garnett.

[ponky]

i was looking forward to the jazz/nets game until i heard that both boozer and kirilenko will be out....still, i'd like them to lose because i abhor boozer. this was the second most exciting game tonight, it all depends on the help KG gets, could go either way...but that's like most games.

[dallaskd]

wolves are gonna pwn them tonight. randy foye drops 60.

[johnpaulwall21]

garnett will get his and the suns will get smashed. The score will be phx 112 min 121 :elephant :elephant :elephant :elephant :elephant
book it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ponky]

i love how teams forget about D when they play the suns...or they are too slow to get back on D, it's already too late....wolves are trying to shoot just as quickly as the suns, lmfao!!! :lmao

[The_Game]

agreed

31-22 with still 2.40 left in the 1st

[Amarelooms]

If there is a God the Twolves win this one.....

[resistanze]

Steve Nash is on pace for a double double-double

[boutons_]

Twolves shooting 57% vs 56% through 39 minutes?

[JMarkJohns]

Suns are gonna lose this one. I can tell. They didn't play hard on defense the entire night and now that hey want to, Minnesota has too many players shooting well for them to get any stops.

Suns trail by three as a type.

[mardigan]

106-101, 6 and half left, T Wolves up

[boutons_]

I have faith in the Suns to let the Spurs break their streak at 18. :)

[Shank]

Thirty 3's attempted so far? Ah, I remember the days of NellyBall.

[SAtown]

Fuck that, I hope they lose tonight, so that when the Spurs beat them, people will hopefully get off of their nuts.

[JMarkJohns]

Three minutes left, Wolves up seven. Yep, it's over...

Wolves played a good game offensively. Guess you can run with the Suns. You just can't get suckered into gunning with them. You have to push when you can, but back things out and work an offensive set and pound the glass when you can't score in transition.

Minny worked it to perfection.


Amarelooms, you got your sign. You'd best convert, as now you can't say you never had your "burning bush" moment. :)

[nsrammstein]

looks like amare got shut down tonight by kg

[mardigan]

Wolves up 9, 2 min left, should be game

[JMarkJohns]

Garnett has imposed his will on whomever was guarding him. Something tells me this will be the Suns first double-digit loss of the season. It's hovering around nine right now with just over a minute left to play.

[mardigan]

Amare did get shut down, KG is playing out of his mind

[Shank]

Wolves currently at 118 points (avg. 96) with 62% shooting. Impressive.

[nsrammstein]

Somewhat impressive yeah but also you have to wonder if the suns do really play defense only when they need it.

[LB7]

Man, KG went off tonight 40+...picked a good time to do it. Was a nice streak tho. Congrats to the Suns and fans. Really ready to see what happens against the Spurs.

[Shank]

I know a lot of them have come late in the game, but how do you have a game where almost half of your shots are 3s?

[nsrammstein]

looks like the mavs are on top of the west again.

[ducks]

well suns fans get what they want a loss
so the suns will be hungier against the spurs

[mardigan]

Game bitches

[LB7]

Can't watch the game on the tube here but it seems as if the Suns turned the ball over frequently just in the last half of the fourth. This is what I saw: Nash bad pass turnover, Nash bad pass turnover, Raja Bell bad pass turnover. Choking? Or does it just seem more like it on the play-by-play?

[JMarkJohns]

Somewhat impressive yeah but also you have to wonder if the suns do really play defense only when they need it.

Granted, it will be different after tonight's game, but...

Phoenix opponants FG%: 45.1
Dallas opponants FG%: 45.2

Come on. You aren't in the top-10 in defensive FG% allowed at this date in the season by only playing occasionally.

Like I said, they won't be there after this game, but still. They play defense plenty. Just not today. Sucks. Garnett took full advantage.

[Amarelooms]

There is a God...NICE

[nsrammstein]

now if the suns lose against the spurs it won't be beacuse ''they had to lose sometime''

[nsrammstein]

When I talk about defense FG% is important but look at points per game allowed.

[JMarkJohns]

Can't watch the game on the tube here but it seems as if the Suns turned the ball over frequently just in the last half of the fourth. This is what I saw: Nash bad pass turnover, Nash bad pass turnover, Raja Bell bad pass turnover. Choking? Or does it just seem more like it on the play-by-play?

Over penetration. Both of Nash's turnovers came on dribbling into the lane, getting surrounded and having to force a tough pass to teammates hovering around the perimeter.

Bell's was a fluke.

I wouldn't say choke, but then, I'm a fan. I've seen them handle the pressure plenty late this season. Tonight, they just couldn't get the stops after allowing the wolves to do whatever they wanted for the first three quarters. On offense, they fell behind and started forcing up perimeter jumper after perimeter jumper.

It was a great run, but Minnesota beat them this game. Suns didn't lose it, Minny beat them.

[The_Game]

When I talk about defense FG% is important but look at points per game allowed.

PPG allowed isn't a sign of true defense. not when you play not a fast paced game.

[resistanze]

Damn KG was a lunatic, hitting every fadeaway conceivable.

[Amare_32]

All well the streak had to end sometime. Bring on the Spurs.

[JMarkJohns]

When I talk about defense FG% is important but look at points per game allowed.

Nope. You can't look at PPG alone beacuse the Suns uptempo style allows for more possessions. With more possessions come more shots. With even 10 more possessions at just 40% shooting, that's roughly an eight extra points per game than a slowed down tempo team.

Same two teams, the Suns tempo allows opponants over 12 more possessions than does Dallas' tempo.

PPG is not the most accurate factor. The best factor is defensive FG%, then an adjusted rebounding rate and then and adjusted per-100 possession PPG.

[nsrammstein]

PPG allowed isn't a sign of true defense. not when you play not a fast paced game.

well then I guess we can say that the spurs,bulls,rockets don't play good D. gee and I thought they did play d

[boutons_]

In a reversal of the typical Suns' 4th qtr, the Suns went cold and the Wolves got hot.

Wolves finish FG 59% vs 49%

Wolves probably won't shoot 59% for the rest of the season. :)

So the Spurs stretch the Suns' streak to 2 on Thursday. :)

[angel_luv]

Suns lost to the Wolves. That's kind of sad, isn't it?

[Amare_32]

Suns lost to the Wolves. That's kind of sad, isn't it?

Kind of like the Spurs losing to the Bobcats.

[JamStone]

Don't get to watch too many Suns games. But, I saw them play Cleveland on ABC the other day and I thought they were actually pretty solid defensively. Not spectacular. Probably not even great. But, they do play defense.

[Flopper]

Damn...Suns lost.

[JMarkJohns]

well then I guess we can say that the spurs,bulls,rockets don't play good D. gee and I thought they did play d

It's obvious you haven't followed basketball very long. You should pull your head out of your ass and acknowledge posters that offer advice. It won't always come to you so courteously.

The Bulls, Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks all play at a tempo that dictates roughly 80 shot attempts or fewer for their opponants. The Suns tempo dictates for roughly 88. That's a minimum of eight extra shot attempts, which is why you have to look at an adjusted per-100 possession opponants PPG to get a true sense of a team's defense.

[Amare_32]

Don't get to watch too many Suns games. But, I saw them play Cleveland on ABC the other day and I thought they were actually pretty solid defensively. Not spectacular. Probably not even great. But, they do play defense.

Thank you! No one will ever confuse their defense with the likes of the Pistons but they do play solid on that end not great but enough.

[Findog]

You know, the thing about these Suns fans whining whining about pace and points per 100 possessions and all that...back when we were chasing the Spurs, San Antonio was equally adept at winning up tempo as well as half court. And they were usually able to force a halfcourt tempo. They could beat us our way, and they could beat us their way, and since they were the champs and the superior team, we usually played it their way.

If the game slows into a half court style, Phoenix can't win -- they're not used to playing that way and they don't like playing that way, being forced to work for a change to get their shots. If you try to run with Phoenix, you're dead. Teams like the Spurs and Mavs and to a lesser extent the Lakers can force Phoenix into slowing things down.

Given how weak the East is, if the Suns can make it to the Finals, there's no team that looks like it can hang with them. But getting out of the West is still an iffy proposition for the Suns. At some point in the postseason you're going to find yourself playing halfcourt. You can't run 100% of the time in the playoffs.

[JMarkJohns]

If the game slows into a half court style, Phoenix can't win -- they're not used to playing that way and they don't like playing that way, being forced to work for a change to get their shots. If you try to run with Phoenix, you're dead. Teams like the Spurs and Mavs and to a lesser extent the Lakers can force Phoenix into slowing things down.

Ignorance. Suns are 6-1 when NOT scoring 100 points this year. I'd say they can win.

[Amare_32]

Ignorance. Suns are 6-1 when NOT scoring 100 points this year. I'd say they can win.

They have won games scoring under 100. People tend to think that can't win unless they score 108 plus points.

Vs Hornets 92-83

Nets 99-93

Heat 99-89

Bulls 97-96

Bucks 98-90

They can win scoring under 100.

[johnpaulwall21]

damnnnnnnn kg was a fucken beast tonight. im glad some one put a end to the streak but i still bet everyones on nashs nutzzz for him gettin that 3rd mvp

[JMarkJohns]

Lone bright spot is that the Suns lost by just nine, which means they still haven't lost a game by double-digits. Down one with minutes to play, which meant they were in the game before KG scored closer to 10 points in the final minutes.

[angel_luv]

Kind of like the Spurs losing to the Bobcats.

Except I am not sorry about it. :lol

[ponky]

haha, KG was on fire tonight...thanx wolves, i *heart* u kg and co.

[Amare_32]

Except I am not sorry about it. :lol

Me either

[Amuseddaysleeper]

You know, the thing about these Suns fans whining whining about pace and points per 100 possessions and all that...back when we were chasing the Spurs, San Antonio was equally adept at winning up tempo as well as half court. And they were usually able to force a halfcourt tempo. They could beat us our way, and they could beat us their way, and since they were the champs and the superior team, we usually played it their way.

If the game slows into a half court style, Phoenix can't win -- they're not used to playing that way and they don't like playing that way, being forced to work for a change to get their shots. If you try to run with Phoenix, you're dead. Teams like the Spurs and Mavs and to a lesser extent the Lakers can force Phoenix into slowing things down.

Given how weak the East is, if the Suns can make it to the Finals, there's no team that looks like it can hang with them. But getting out of the West is still an iffy proposition for the Suns. At some point in the postseason you're going to find yourself playing halfcourt. You can't run 100% of the time in the playoffs.


Wow, was it really that long ago? Sure feels like it!
:lol


But I agree with your post, the Suns won't be able to run their way to a championship.

The biggest flaw I see in the Suns is that they don't have strong enough D to lock down opponents in crunch time. I don't doubt they can hit big shots, but what good is a big shot if you're just going to trade baskets.

I don't see this years Suns significantly better than any other year.

I think once D'antoni pulls his head out of his ass and teaches this team how to play D and actually invest in decent bigs (besides Amare, who shouldn't be C but a PF) instead of trying to small ball his way to a ring, the suns will get their first championship

[Amare_32]

Wow, was it really that long ago? Sure feels like it!
:lol


But I agree with your post, the Suns won't be able to run their way to a championship.

The biggest flaw I see in the Suns is that they don't have strong enough D to lock down opponents in crunch time. I don't doubt they can hit big shots, but what good is a big shot if you're just going to trade baskets.

I don't see this years Suns significantly better than any other year.

I think once D'antoni pulls his head out of his ass and teaches this team how to play D and actually invest in decent bigs (besides Amare, who shouldn't be C but a PF) instead of trying to small ball his way to a ring, the suns will get their first championship

Time will tell if they have success. However is no secret that the Suns will look to make changes this summer if they fail to get to the Finals. They know thier window is closing as far as Nash remaining healthy. Nash's back problem won't be helped by the fact he is getting older. Quite honestly how much can Nash continue to play like he is before his back calls it quits. I already see the annual Marion trade rumors if they lose in the WCF. I think this current team is good enough to win even though I think the 04-05 Suns were a little better with Joe Johnson and to a lesser extent Richardson.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Time will tell if they have success. However is no secret that the Suns will look to make changes this summer if they fail to get to the Finals. They know thier window is closing as far as Nash remaining healthy. Nash's back problem won't be helped by the fact he is getting older. Quite honestly how much can Nash continue to play like he is before his back calls it quits. I already see the annual Marion trade rumors if they lose in the WCF.


I agree

I mean I think they are VERY close to a ring, I mean maybe their offense can overcome whatever defense comes their way, I think as of right now they can easily beat the Spurs in a 7 game series, I just see the Mavs as more of an obstacle since the Mavs have the best offense to defense ratio in the league.

But who knows, the Suns have many many tradeable pieces, that if the time does come to retool a bit for some bigs it shouldn't be a problem for them

[Greg Oden]

damn, i though some of you nut hugging suns fans claimed they played good defense.

[Amare_32]

damn, i though some of you nut hugging suns fans claimed they played good defense.

What can I say they just didn't have it tonight. This is the type of game where you take the game film throw in the garbage and move on.

[Amare_32]

The Nuggets lost to the Bobcats talk about the underdogs beating the odds.

[nsrammstein]

amerika ist wunderbar!!

[ponky]

What can I say they just didn't have it tonight. This is the type of game where you take the game film throw in the garbage and move on.

Eh, I don't think so, it's not like they didn't try and weren't staying close. They shot a ridiculous number of 3s and wasted too much time trying to rack up points that when they didn't fall, Suns looked lost. This is not a game to just throw away in the garbage like that game the Mavs played with the Bulls. If D'Antoni was smart he'd review it and point out what things the Suns could've done to stay close, like driving to the hole, taking care of the ball (Barbosa is a poor replacement for Nash when he takes a breather) and playing better D. If you don't review those kinds of adjustments and just hope for the best with all the shooting, it's not going to fare well when the shots are not falling every once in awhile....I think the Suns were caught off guard with how well KG was shooting and didn't know how to respond other than to try and continue with the 3s and jumpers.

Anyway, it's not like the Suns played terribly at all, KG was just on fire and that's a hard guy to shut down....of course, he had some nice help tonight.

[ponky]

The Nuggets lost to the Bobcats talk about the underdogs beating the odds.


Bobcats play teams very well at times, they beat the Lakers last week, have beaten the Spurs in S.A. and have given the Mavs a problem or two. They are a *good* bad team...too bad they aren't in the Atlantic division.

[Amare_32]

Eh, I don't think so, it's not like they didn't try and weren't staying close. They shot a ridiculous number of 3s and wasted too much time trying to rack up points that when they didn't fall, Suns looked lost. This is not a game to just throw away in the garbage like that game the Mavs played with the Bulls. If D'Antoni was smart he'd review it and point out what things the Suns could've done to stay close, like driving to the hole, taking care of the ball (Barbosa is a poor replacement for Nash when he takes a breather) and playing better D. If you don't review those kinds of adjustments and just hope for the best with all the shooting, it's not going to fare well when the shots are not falling every once in awhile....I think the Suns were caught off guard with how well KG was shooting and didn't know how to respond other than to try and continue with the 3s and jumpers.

Anyway, it's not like the Suns played terribly at all, KG was just on fire and that's a hard guy to shut down....of course, he had some nice help tonight.


Still all and all they were just on a 17 game win streak and are 36-9. You can't win them all. I am sure they will play alot better Thursday vs the Spurs. I agree though I didn't expect KG to come out like that. He was like a Mack truck running the Suns over.

[ponky]

Still all and all they were just on a 17 game win streak and are 36-9. You can't win them all. I am sure they will play alot better Thursday vs the Spurs. I agree though I didn't expect KG to come out like that. He was like a Mack truck running the Suns over.

nah you can't. i was telling my bf how it's funny when one team on a streak FINALLY loses usually another team with a streak also loses shortly after, seems to often be the case. anyway, it was a good game, you can never tell with KG but i think the announcer said he dropped 47 last time they played each other when KG was in the lineup...he likes to get up for the mavs as well!

i'm looking forward to thursday's game, the spurs fans have gotten all big-headed (haha!) about last night's win so it will be interesting to watch...i can't decide who to root for but i think i'll stay with the suns, i don't have a beef with them the way i do with the spurs

[Amuseddaysleeper]

ponky you're a girl!?!?


that's cool


I just didn't see it coming


also the suns will MURDER the spurs, i don't think any realistic spurs fans sees us winning on a b2b (and no, I'm not making excuses, the suns probably would've beaten the spurs anyway with the way both teams are playing, i can only pray that i'm wrong come thursday night)

[Amare_32]

ponky you're a girl!?!?


that's cool


I just didn't see it coming


also the suns will MURDER the spurs, i don't think any realistic spurs fans sees us winning on a b2b (and no, I'm not making excuses, the suns probably would've beaten the spurs anyway with the way both teams are playing, i can only pray that i'm wrong come thursday night)


I think the Suns will win but it will be a close game. The Suns win by 5-10 points.

[SirChaz]

Wolves shot the ball very well and had more energy from the start.
KG was a beast, hitting just about every tough fade away shot down the stretch.

Back to back game, five game trip, looking ahead maybe? Can't take anything away from the Wolves though, they played well.


In hindsight I am kind of glad they are not carrying the pressure of the streak into the Spurs game.

[Amare_32]

Wolves shot the ball very well and had more energy from the start.
KG was a beast, hitting just about every tough fade away shot down the stretch.

Back to back game, five game trip, looking ahead maybe? Can't take anything away from the Wolves though, they played well.


In hindsight I am kind of glad they are not carrying the pressure of the streak into the Spurs game.


You know every critic would have been over them if the Spurs would have broken thier 18 game win streak and start harping on them being 0-2 vs Spurs and 0-2 vs Mavs. Don't forget also Utah on Saturday.

[ponky]

ponky you're a girl!?!?


that's cool


I just didn't see it coming


also the suns will MURDER the spurs, i don't think any realistic spurs fans sees us winning on a b2b (and no, I'm not making excuses, the suns probably would've beaten the spurs anyway with the way both teams are playing, i can only pray that i'm wrong come thursday night)

uh, noooooo, i'm gay
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PSYCHE!!! yeah, i'm a girl but sometimes (according to Nashfan) I can be crass with my smack-talking, haha! Anyway, it's all for fun :lol

[Trainwreck2100]

So you're gay, that's hot

[ponky]

You know every critic would have been over them if the Spurs would have broken thier 18 game win streak and start harping on them being 0-2 vs Spurs and 0-2 vs Mavs. Don't forget also Utah on Saturday.

I do not like the Jazz because Boozer is a punk in the paint, manhandling everyone and getting away with lots of rough play. It's alright if the refs let it go both ends, but they don't. I've watched too many Jazz games where they just play too rough and then get the calls on the offensive end.

I thought the Spurs were going to have an easy time of it in Utah on Wed. but while Boozer is not back, Kirilenko IS back. Jazz lost by one point to a Nets team playing without Richard Jefferson tonight... I think they'll lose to the Spurs on Wed but Thursday will be hard.

[Leetonidas]

KG had 44 points. Props to him.

[Amare_32]

I do not like the Jazz because Boozer is a punk in the paint, manhandling everyone and getting away with lots of rough play. It's alright if the refs let it go both ends, but they don't. I've watched too many Jazz games where they just play too rough and then get the calls on the offensive end.

I thought the Spurs were going to have an easy time of it in Utah on Wed. but while Boozer is not back, Kirilenko IS back. Jazz lost by one point to a Nets team playing without Richard Jefferson tonight... I think they'll lose to the Spurs on Wed but Thursday will be hard.

I think the Jazz are somewhat overrated. Yes they got of to a good start and caught everyone by surprise. You notice that in January they are barely .500.

[Cry Havoc]

They have won games scoring under 100. People tend to think that can't win unless they score 108 plus points.

Vs Hornets 92-83

Nets 99-93

Heat 99-89

Bulls 97-96

Bucks 98-90

They can win scoring under 100.


I can't help but notice that all those games are against the east, and against sub .500 teams. The only quality win there is against the Bulls, by a single point.

Do it in A) the playoffs and B) against the West. Until then, it doesn't mean anything. This hasn't been the first time you've had the league's best record, and it didn't help then. Now, obviously things are different.... or at least you had better hope they are.

[ponky]

I think the Jazz are somewhat overrated. Yes they got of to a good start and caught everyone by surprise. You notice that in January they are barely .500.

Yup, they certainly are overrated.

[Amare_32]

KG had 44 points. Props to him.


Talk about being in a zone.

[mavs>spurs2]

Thank god someone put an end to this shit. Now Suns fans can stfu and come back down to Earth.

[Amare_32]

I can't help but notice that all those games are against the east, and against sub .500 teams. The only quality win there is against the Bulls, by a single point.

Do it in A) the playoffs and B) against the West. Until then, it doesn't mean anything. This hasn't been the first time you've had the league's best record, and it didn't help then. Now, obviously things are different.... or at least you had better hope they are.

Yeah but you can't hold against the Suns that the East and some teams in the West are awful anymore than you can hold against the Spurs and the Mavs. Otherwise you can downplay every win by saying well is the East or well is Portland. Don't forget the Suns are the only team in the West to go to the WCF the last 2 years. They managed to take a Amareless team to Game 6 with the Mavs. As far as the series with the Spurs in 05 they were simply too experienced back then. This time around I like the Suns chances of beating the Spurs in the playoffs as well as the Mavs.

[Amare_32]

121Game Links : GAME FINALBOXSCOREFULL PLAY-BY-PLAYRECAPGarnett’s Huge Night Helps Extinguish Suns’ Streak
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Sports Writer
Posted Jan 30 2007 12:22AM
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Box Score
Timberwolves Home
Suns Home


Timberwolves 121, Suns 112
A hot fourth quarter helped the T-Wolves surge past the Suns, whose 17-game winning streak came to an end.

David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images
KG's season-high 44 points were the main catalyst behind the Wolves win over the Suns.
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Minnesota 121, Phoenix 117
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 29 (AP) -- The hard-driving Phoenix Suns had been blowing through the NBA in January, piling up points, highlights and victories at breakneck speed.

They finished the month just one win away from perfection after crashing into a 6-foot-11 road block named Kevin Garnett.

Garnett almost single-handedly snapped the Suns' 17-game winning streak, scoring 44 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Minnesota's 121-112 victory on Monday night.

"People who say he can't carry the load, take a look at this game film,'' new Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said.

The All-Star forward, sometimes criticized for not coming up big in the clutch, was everywhere in the final period against the Suns, dropping turnaround jumper after turnaround jumper to give Phoenix its first loss of 2007.

He scored 15 points in the fourth, including a looping fallaway from the baseline that gave Minnesota a 118-109 lead with 1:55 to play, and put Wittman on the way to a win in his home debut.

"It's just about being a presence,'' Garnett said. "It's about making them have to deal with me. I will continue to take that approach.''

Raja Bell scored 26 points and Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns, who were looking to tie for the fourth-longest winning streak in NBA history.

But one night after downing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 17 in a row, the Suns couldn't find an answer for Garnett and uncharacteristically lost their offensive mojo in the fourth quarter.

After scoring 95 points in the first three quarters, Phoenix managed just 19 in the fourth and looked a little stagnant.

Nash dissected the Wolves' defense for the first three quarters, piling up assists at a near-record pace. But he scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting and had just one assist in a final period that belonged to Garnett.

"Better to lose that way than to lose when we beat ourselves,'' Nash said. "Kevin was sensational. We just didn't make shots at the end at the clip Kevin was making them.''

The Suns were in deep trouble midway through the fourth quarter thanks to three big shots by Garnett and some dirty work on the boards by Mark Madsen.

Madsen, an offensive liability for most of his seven years in the league, hit a fallaway jumper just outside the lane to cap an 8-0 run, then gave Minnesota a 112-107 lead with 3:38 to play after he scooped up a rebound and laid it in.

Garnett followed with a twisting, turning fadeaway on the baseline that brought the crowd to its feet.

Yet the Suns handled their first loss since a 101-99 defeat at Dallas on Dec. 28 much the way they handled the 17 wins that preceded it - with a collective shrug and "aw shucks.''

"It was cool while it lasted,'' Bell said.

When the final buzzer sounded, Garnett came over to Wittman and stood eye-to-eye with the new coach, shouting encouragement before stomping off the floor. Wittman took over for the fired Dwane Casey last week.

"I think we all felt bad when Case lost his job,'' Garnett said. "No one ever wants to get fired or traded ... It was really heartfelt in letting (Wittman) know that we'll fight for you every night.''

Ricky Davis had 17 points for the Timberwolves, who shot 59 percent and simply wore the Suns down in the final minutes.

Shawn Marion had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Leandro Barbosa added 17 for Phoenix, which entered the night 15-0 in January.

"We'll start another one,'' Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "This is fun.''

Notes: Wittman said injured G Rashad McCants is getting "pretty close'' to coming back from microfracture knee surgery. Wittman wants to see McCants in a few more practices before he puts the second-year player in a game. ... Only seven of Phoenix's 25 assists were not made by Nash.

[Horry For 3!]

Piece of shit T-wolves! I wanted the Spurs to end the streak.

[mabber]

Nope. You can't look at PPG alone beacuse the Suns uptempo style allows for more possessions. With more possessions come more shots. With even 10 more possessions at just 40% shooting, that's roughly an eight extra points per game than a slowed down tempo team.

Same two teams, the Suns tempo allows opponants over 12 more possessions than does Dallas' tempo.

PPG is not the most accurate factor. The best factor is defensive FG%, then an adjusted rebounding rate and then and adjusted per-100 possession PPG.

The most accurate factor in my opinion is just watching how teams play defense in the 4th quarter when the outcome is not certain. I still haven't seen the Suns win a close game by making a bunch of defensive stops. They always seem to rely on their offense (and 3pt shooting). Historically, that just doesn't get you a title but there's always a first time.

[mabber]

121Game Links : GAME FINALBOXSCOREFULL PLAY-BY-PLAYRECAPGarnett’s Huge Night Helps Extinguish Suns’ Streak
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Sports Writer
Posted Jan 30 2007 12:22AM
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Timberwolves 121, Suns 112
A hot fourth quarter helped the T-Wolves surge past the Suns, whose 17-game winning streak came to an end.

David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images
KG's season-high 44 points were the main catalyst behind the Wolves win over the Suns.
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Minnesota 121, Phoenix 117
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 29 (AP) -- The hard-driving Phoenix Suns had been blowing through the NBA in January, piling up points, highlights and victories at breakneck speed.

They finished the month just one win away from perfection after crashing into a 6-foot-11 road block named Kevin Garnett.

Garnett almost single-handedly snapped the Suns' 17-game winning streak, scoring 44 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Minnesota's 121-112 victory on Monday night.

"People who say he can't carry the load, take a look at this game film,'' new Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said.

The All-Star forward, sometimes criticized for not coming up big in the clutch, was everywhere in the final period against the Suns, dropping turnaround jumper after turnaround jumper to give Phoenix its first loss of 2007.

He scored 15 points in the fourth, including a looping fallaway from the baseline that gave Minnesota a 118-109 lead with 1:55 to play, and put Wittman on the way to a win in his home debut.

"It's just about being a presence,'' Garnett said. "It's about making them have to deal with me. I will continue to take that approach.''

Raja Bell scored 26 points and Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns, who were looking to tie for the fourth-longest winning streak in NBA history.

But one night after downing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 17 in a row, the Suns couldn't find an answer for Garnett and uncharacteristically lost their offensive mojo in the fourth quarter.

After scoring 95 points in the first three quarters, Phoenix managed just 19 in the fourth and looked a little stagnant.

Nash dissected the Wolves' defense for the first three quarters, piling up assists at a near-record pace. But he scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting and had just one assist in a final period that belonged to Garnett.

"Better to lose that way than to lose when we beat ourselves,'' Nash said. "Kevin was sensational. We just didn't make shots at the end at the clip Kevin was making them.''

The Suns were in deep trouble midway through the fourth quarter thanks to three big shots by Garnett and some dirty work on the boards by Mark Madsen.

Madsen, an offensive liability for most of his seven years in the league, hit a fallaway jumper just outside the lane to cap an 8-0 run, then gave Minnesota a 112-107 lead with 3:38 to play after he scooped up a rebound and laid it in.

Garnett followed with a twisting, turning fadeaway on the baseline that brought the crowd to its feet.

Yet the Suns handled their first loss since a 101-99 defeat at Dallas on Dec. 28 much the way they handled the 17 wins that preceded it - with a collective shrug and "aw shucks.''

"It was cool while it lasted,'' Bell said.

When the final buzzer sounded, Garnett came over to Wittman and stood eye-to-eye with the new coach, shouting encouragement before stomping off the floor. Wittman took over for the fired Dwane Casey last week.

"I think we all felt bad when Case lost his job,'' Garnett said. "No one ever wants to get fired or traded ... It was really heartfelt in letting (Wittman) know that we'll fight for you every night.''

Ricky Davis had 17 points for the Timberwolves, who shot 59 percent and simply wore the Suns down in the final minutes.

Shawn Marion had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Leandro Barbosa added 17 for Phoenix, which entered the night 15-0 in January.

"We'll start another one,'' Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "This is fun.''

Notes: Wittman said injured G Rashad McCants is getting "pretty close'' to coming back from microfracture knee surgery. Wittman wants to see McCants in a few more practices before he puts the second-year player in a game. ... Only seven of Phoenix's 25 assists were not made by Nash.

I would HATE reading these quotes if I were a Sun fan. It's like it's no big deal that they lost. The Nash quote made me laugh out loud. Better to lose a certain way???...give me a break. I guarantee you that both the Spur's players/coaches and Mav's players/coaches would be upset and would be saying they just played terrible defense when it counted. But it's all just another day in the Sun's "not caring about defense" world. And it comes directly from the top (D'Antoni) so I really don't blame the players for that attitude.

[mabber]

Lone bright spot is that the Suns lost by just nine, which means they still haven't lost a game by double-digits. Down one with minutes to play, which meant they were in the game before KG scored closer to 10 points in the final minutes.

Why does how much you lose by matter? A loss is a loss.

[JMarkJohns]

Why does how much you lose by matter? A loss is a loss.

Because, I believe the Suns not having lost a game by double-digits is as impressive a feat as their win streaks. It shows a level of consistancy in their play, no matter the opponant. They get up for even the least teams and compete with with the best, road, home, back-to-back... no matter what, they always show up and are always in the game at the end.

Like I said in another thread, Dallas, who's a better "up" team vs. the best the NBA has to offer, but has had several "down" nights where they've lost by upwards of 20+ points. All in all, the Mavericks have lost five games by double-digits, four by more than a dozen and two by more than 20.

it just shows that they both get up as well as play down to their competition. The Suns not losing by double-digits is impressive because it shows they haven't suffered a "down" night yet, or if they have, still managed to win, or at least have a chance to win late in the game.

[mavsfan1000]

Yeah the mavs are more streaky than the suns. I think it works to their favor as they can play at a level that no one else can be on at times. They dominate the boards which I think will be the deciding factor to the series against the suns. The mavs will probably play many close games with the suns but I think the mavs are better in close games than the suns are.

[JMarkJohns]

Yeah the mavs are more streaky than the suns. I think it works to their favor as they can play at a level that no one else can be on at times. They dominate the boards which I think will be the deciding factor to the series against the suns. The mavs will probably play many close games with the suns but I think the mavs are better in close games than the suns are.

At this point, I think each is very good in close games, Dallas just having had the best "last shot" in their prior meeting. Still, I'm not really confident with anyone on either team if they have to take the last shot, but if I had to rank them, I think it goes...

1. Dirk
2. Nash
3. Bell
4. Then a whole strew of Mavericks like Terry, Howard, Stackhouse...

Then

way down here...
7. Diaw
8. Barbosa

Dallas has a few more players who can hit the shot. The reason I give Dallas a slight advantage is because all the Dallas players named can create their own shot almost whenever. That's a great strength late in games. Suns rely on Nash too much. They miss Joe Johnson's iso ability.

And yes, the Mavs rebounding is their edge in a series. They are very good. It'll be interesting to see.

[mabber]

At this point, I think each is very good in close games, Dallas just having had the best "last shot" in their prior meeting. Still, I'm not really confident with anyone on either team if they have to take the last shot, but if I had to rank them, I think it goes...

1. Dirk
2. Nash
3. Bell
4. Then a whole strew of Mavericks like Terry, Howard, Stackhouse...

Then

way down here...
7. Diaw
8. Barbosa

Dallas has a few more players who can hit the shot. The reason I give Dallas a slight advantage is because all the Dallas players named can create their own shot almost whenever. That's a great strength late in games. Suns rely on Nash too much. They miss Joe Johnson's iso ability.

And yes, the Mavs rebounding is their edge in a series. They are very good. It'll be interesting to see.

I'd put Terry & Stackhouse up with Bell. I really have no clue about Howard as I don't recall him ever taking a "last shot". It really doesn't matter though as the Mavs will always run the pick 'n roll/pop with Dirk & Jet at the end of games so if the team decides to double Dirk then Jet will get the shot. For some reason teams have been fine with letting one guy cover Dirk late in games. He's making most of the clutch shots now. He never did early in his career but now I'm shocked when he misses. I'm the same way with Kobe & Nash (shocked when they miss a big shot).

I'm guessing that teams are going to make Jet or someone else beat them in the playoffs. I know I would take the ball out of Dirk's hands now.

[nsrammstein]

Jason Terry is 50 times more clutch than bell, bell can't even create his own shot.

[mabber]

Jason Terry is 50 times more clutch than bell, bell can't even create his own shot.

I know he's much more clutch than the Bell I knew (when he was with the Mavs) but Bell apparently is knocking down the wide open 3 pointers that Nash gets him now. I don't think they ask him to create his own shots. I really don't see enough of the Suns to definitively say that Jet is more clutch but I know I'd rather have Jet with the ball in his hands at the end of the game than Bell.