duncan228
04-25-2008, 07:03 PM
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/04/25/20080425sunsupdate.html
Suns have been down before and have emerged victorious
by Doug Haller
Down 0-2 in this best-of-seven series, the Suns hold on to the past as they enter tonight's Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs inside US Airways Center. It gives them hope.
Why? Because they've been here before. Not so much in this exact situation, but in a place where statistics show reversals are endangered. A place where dead teams dribble. A place of desperation.
In 2006, the Suns opened the postseason with a win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then they slumped. In Game 2, they went more than seven minutes without scoring. The Lakers evened the series, and then shocked the league, winning Games 3 and 4, taking an almost insurmountable 3-1 lead.
Of the 160 teams that had led 3-1 in the NBA at that time, only seven lost the series. So what happened? The Suns won the next three by 17, 8 and 31 points to advance to the second round.
Only four of this year's Suns participated in that series. Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw all played key roles. Amaré Stoudemire was with the team, but he couldn't play because of a knee surgery.
"They've been here before," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said late Friday morning, as his team finished its shooting session. "They've done it a million times. This is an opportunity . . . to get back in the race."
Only 13 teams have rallied from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven series, but the Miami Heat did it only two years ago against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The Utah Jazz did it last season against Houston. So did the Cleveland Cavaliers against Detroit.
"We have no excuses," Stoudemire said. "Just go out there and play as hard we can. Our backs are against the wall, but I think we're going to accept the challenge."
Suns have been down before and have emerged victorious
by Doug Haller
Down 0-2 in this best-of-seven series, the Suns hold on to the past as they enter tonight's Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs inside US Airways Center. It gives them hope.
Why? Because they've been here before. Not so much in this exact situation, but in a place where statistics show reversals are endangered. A place where dead teams dribble. A place of desperation.
In 2006, the Suns opened the postseason with a win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then they slumped. In Game 2, they went more than seven minutes without scoring. The Lakers evened the series, and then shocked the league, winning Games 3 and 4, taking an almost insurmountable 3-1 lead.
Of the 160 teams that had led 3-1 in the NBA at that time, only seven lost the series. So what happened? The Suns won the next three by 17, 8 and 31 points to advance to the second round.
Only four of this year's Suns participated in that series. Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw all played key roles. Amaré Stoudemire was with the team, but he couldn't play because of a knee surgery.
"They've been here before," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said late Friday morning, as his team finished its shooting session. "They've done it a million times. This is an opportunity . . . to get back in the race."
Only 13 teams have rallied from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven series, but the Miami Heat did it only two years ago against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The Utah Jazz did it last season against Houston. So did the Cleveland Cavaliers against Detroit.
"We have no excuses," Stoudemire said. "Just go out there and play as hard we can. Our backs are against the wall, but I think we're going to accept the challenge."