Spurs at Suns Previews

San Antonio (12-9) at Phoenix (16-8)
Game info: 9:00 pm EST Tue Dec 15, 2009
TV: FSSW, FSAZ
By Kate Hedlin

While the Phoenix Suns thrived playing away from home early in the season, an NBA-high 16 road games appear to finally be taking their toll.

On the verge of starting a home-heavy stretch of schedule, the Suns play another rare game in Phoenix on Tuesday night when they face the San Antonio Spurs, who are looking to avoid a fourth straight loss in the series.

Phoenix (16-8) went 8-3 in its first 11 games away from US Airways Center, but has since dropped five straight on the road. The most recent was a 105-99 loss to Denver on Saturday - their fifth in seven games overall.

The Suns, who played seven of their last nine away from home, were outscored 30-17 in the third quarter as they blew a 17-point lead. They shot 54.5 percent from the field compared to the Nuggets’ 41.0, but committed 21 turnovers that led to 31 Denver points.

“We lost our rhythm,” coach Alvin Gentry said. “We are a rhythm team. … We didn’t win the game, but we played our butts off, gave ourselves a chance to win and that is all I ever ask of them.”

Despite averaging 108.4 points to rank among the league leaders, Phoenix was held to fewer than 100 for the fourth time in seven contests. The Suns reached that mark in their first 17 games.

Returning home should help. The Suns, 8-0 at US Airways Center and averaging 116.5 points there, follow this contest with a trip to Portland on Thursday, then play 10 of 12 at home.

First, they face a tough home date with San Antonio (12-9), winner of three straight overall. The Spurs are seeking their fourth victory in a row in the series after taking the last three meetings of 2008-09, and have won three of the last four matchups at US Airways Center.

The Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 115-90 on Sunday, continuing their hot 3-point shooting by going 11 of 20 from beyond the arc. San Antonio was 10 of 17 on 3s in a 104-85 win over Charlotte two nights earlier.

Six Spurs scored in double figures Sunday, led by Tim Duncan, who had 21 points before sitting out the fourth quarter after being elbowed in the right ear by teammate Matt Bonner.

Manu Ginobili finished with 17 points and went 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. He averaged 19.7 points over the last three games while going 10 of 13 from 3-point range.

Ginobili and the rest of the San Antonio bench were instrumental as the Spurs topped 100 points in the last four games. The reserves averaged 47.8 points over that stretch.

San Antonio appears to be overcoming a slow start and welcomes the matchup with Phoenix, a fellow Western Conference contender. The Spurs’ last three wins came against teams with losing records.

“I think we still need a couple of quality wins against quality teams and some quality road wins,” forward Richard Jefferson said. “There are certain teams that we have not played that well against and as we grow and mature I think those things will start to happen.”

The level of competition, though, falls off again for the Spurs after Tuesday’s contest, with 10 of the next 11 games coming against teams with records at or below .500.

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Team Stat Leaders

Points
Tim Duncan SA 19.0
Amar'e Stoudemire Pho 19.2

Rebounds
Tim Duncan SA 10.2
Amar'e Stoudemire Pho 7.8

Assists
Tony Parker SA 6.2
Steve Nash Pho 11.1

I REALLY want the Spurs to get this one.

Tough game. Not a big chance.

As long as manu, rj, and blair are contributing-i feel we have a chance.

Beware Suns, you are about to suffer a home loss, how fitting it is to be the same team that kicks your ass every season.

Game of the day: San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns
By covers.com

San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (-3, 210.5)

Home cookin’

The surprising Phoenix Suns, after starting the season 14-3, have lost five of seven and five straight road games. However, the Suns have the perfect cure to their road woes by returning to the friendly confines of US Airways Center where they are an NBA best 8-0 at home and have won 17 straight dating back to last season.

Others will point out that Phoenix has just one home win over a team with a winning record this season.

“It is really important for us to try to keep this thing going at home,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry told the Arizona Republic after beating Orlando at home last week.

Despite a 16-8 record, there is cause for concern in the Suns locker room because of their recent inability to close out games. The Suns blew a 17-point lead in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and scored just 39 points in the second half. Prior to that loss, the Suns had not lost a game in which the led by at least eight points.

“We were a little tired and a little stagnant when we were up 17 and let them back in the game,” Steve Nash told the Arizona Republic. “We lost our sharpness. We spaced out for a little bit. Maybe that's due to fatigue.”

Tonight, the Suns will face a Spurs team that has struggled defensively and continues to have bouts of inconsistency.

Limiting Duncan

During his entire 13-year career, Tim Duncan has been the model of consistency, averaging more than 21 points per game for his career. However, it is the number of minutes that he has been playing that has Spurs coach Gregg Popovich concerned.

Popovich told the San Antonio Express News that he plans on limiting Duncan’s minutes to 32 minutes per game in hopes of resting the star center and his knees for later in the season.

“If we want him for the playoffs, I can't play him 38, 39 minutes a game. It won't work,” Popovich said.

Duncan’s minutes have consistently decreased since he averaged a career high 40.6 minutes per game in 2001-02. Duncan is averaging a career low 32 minutes per game this season.

Richardson may sit

Suns guard Jason Richardson may miss tonight’s game against the Spurs after spraining his right hand against Denver on Saturday night. An X-ray on the hand was negative and Richardson did not practice on Monday. Richardson may play if the swelling on his hand subsides. Richardson injured his hand in the first quarter in Denver but returned to play 16 more minutes.

If Richardson does sit, look for Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic to see their minutes increased against the Spurs. Richardson will be re-evaluated during Tuesday’s shoot around.

Road trip

Despite this being the Spurs 25th game of the year, this three-game road trip is the Spurs longest road trip of the year thus far. Manu Ginobili told reporters that the team is looking forward to the road trip.

“It's something that keeps the team together, and we need it, because we need to get to know the new guys better,” Manu Ginobili said. “So we're going to have some meals, talk and get to know one another better. It's going to be important.”

Sunday’s 115-90 win over the Clippers was just the Spurs second road victory of the season.

Trends

Phoenix has played under the total in eight straight games. Meanwhile, the over is 4-0 in San Antonio's last four games with Popvich's club averaging 109.5 points per game over the stretch.

The Spurs are 3-0 ATS in their last three meetings against the Suns, but 1-6 ATS this season as road underdogs.

The under is 11-1-2 in Phoenix's last 14 games.

The best rivals ever

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chieflion

beware suns, you are about to suffer a home loss, how fitting it is to be the same team that kicks your ass every season.

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+1

There's no way the spurs drop this. Believe!!!

we'll win as a result of a matt bonner 3

This will be another winner for us :flag:

I hope Blair is able to play after his fall. Please TP, be on fire again.

Recently I was thinking alot about TP's 55 points last year :wow That was awesome, I want to see him doing that stuff again. :king just for once, and in the next game he should be contributing the ball again like he does this season.

Referee Assignments
Tue. Dec 15
San Antonio @ Phoenix: Ron Garretson; Bennie Adams; Eric Dalen

Suns vs Spurs Tweet up Game: Win 2 Tickets
by Phoenix Stan

Long story, but I have two tickets for tonight's tweet-up game versus the Spurs. Not only is this about free tickets to a Suns-Spurs game you get some pretty cool extra stuff like early entry and a meet and greet with Amare's Stoudemire after the game is over.

Here's the tweet-up details via Suns.com. You have to arrive around 4:45 to take part in the early admission deal. Oh, and there's a free T-shirt too.

To win simply send me a tweet @phoenixstan explaining why the Suns will beat the Spurs.

Winner will be selected by 1pm Arizona time and the tickets will be emailed.

The Imperial March
Paul Coro, The Arizona Republic

Cue "The Imperial March." The Silver and Black have arrived. The team that you hate to see more than ants in your house. The team that has beaten the Suns seven of the past nine times with the 2008 playoff series and 2008-09 season, including three in a row.

Spurs (12-9) at Suns (16-8)

C: Tim Duncan ... Channing Frye

PF: Antonio McDyess ... Amar'e Stoudemire

SF: Richard Jefferson ... Grant Hill

SG: Keith Bogans ... Jason Richardson

PG: Tony Parker ... Steve Nash

Key Spurs subs: Roger Mason, Matt Bonner, Manu Ginobili, George Hill, DeJuan Blair.

Stuff you don't know want to know about San Antonio but need to know:

* Ginobili was off to his worst shooting season but is 17 for 31 in the past three games, including 10 for 13 on 3-pointers and he has made all 15 free throws. During this stretch, he is averaging 19.6 points in just 25 minutes per game off the bench.

* Duncan is 33 years old but is as efficient as ever. With more of an eye toward limiting his minutes, Duncan is still averaging 19.0 points and 10.2 rebounds but now does it on a career-high 55.1 percent shooting and in a career-low 32.0 minutes per game.

* San Antonio has the top scoring and rebounding bench, averaging 42.9 points and 17.1 rebounds per game.

* DeJuan Blair, 20, was drafted with a pick (37th overall) the Spurs got from the Suns in the Goran Dragic trade. Blair is averaging 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game on rookie-best 61.1 percent shooting.

* Think the Suns shoot well? The Spurs are right behind them, hitting 48 percent of their field goals and 39.2 percent of their 3-point shots.

* The Spurs are the last team to hold Phoenix to fewer than 100 points at home, Phoenix Phactoid Pharaoh Vince Kozar notes. That Suns 100-point streak is at 34 consecutive home games.

Other orange slices:

* The magic number is 100 for most teams. For Phoenix, it's fittingly higher at 104. When the Suns score less than that this season, they are 2-8. When they score at least that, they are 14-0.

* The 2010 World Championship draw came out today. Leandro Barbosa's Brazilian team and Goran Dragic's Slovenian team will be in the same group with the U.S.

* The Suns averaging 116.1 points at home, where they are 8-0 this season with 17 consecutive wins overall. The eight home games is a NBA low.

* The Suns have held a lead entering the fourth quarter in only 10 of 24 games. That's oddly low for a 16-4 team. However, they have won each of those 10 games.

* Jared Dudley is 13 of 23 on 3-pointers in December.

Game Preview: Suns vs Spurs
by PanamaSun
Bright Side Of The Sun

The Phoenix Suns will play hosts of the San Antonio Spurs tonight as they seek to remain perfect at home. Playing the Spurs is always fun and painful at the same time. Whenever I see their uniforms I can't help but to remember all the times they have broken my heart.

I've been bitter for days because of them. I've punched the wall, yelled at my friends, fought with my significant other, fought with my Mother In Law for fighting with my significant other, screwed up reports at work, I've forgotten important appointments and I've even kicked my dog... and I love my dog.

Interesting enough, I don't have any bad feelings towards them. I've tried to hate them, I've tried to channel my anger and convince myself that they are the bad guys. Nothing. All I feel is respect and admiration. They are disciplined and deadly accurate when running plays on both ends of the floor and all you can do is just shake your head and wish your team would execute in crunch time just like they do.

But this year the Spurs are struggling. They have been playing better as of late but their season has not started the way everyone predicted. Their off season moves looked very good on paper but they have had a hard time adjusting to Pop's system.

I wanted to ask a few questions to the enemy so I contacted Austechspur, fellow blogger from our brother SBN Blog Pounding the Rock, and he was kind enough to answer my inquiries.

P-Sun: The Spurs are 12-9 as of today. You guys are used to a slow start and then picking it up in the middle of the season. Do you feel confident it will happen this year or do you have reasons to be concerned?

AustechSpur: I feel that we have a very good team and that we will get better, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little concerned as well. We all thought we would be better at the start of the season and then turn into a juggernaut, which is what you have to be in order to have a chance to win it this year. We have a rather pedestrian 12-9 record with a pretty easy schedule. I think we will pick it up during the season, but we have LOT of picking up to do to get to the top.

P-Sun: It's early in the season but do you feel the off seasonn moves (Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Keith Bogans) have improved your team?

AustechSpur: It's really hard to say. We are different this year and we are different in two ways. We are different in that we have new faces for a change. It's been several years since we have had to new players in the top of the rotation. We are different in that the team is a little more athletic with less defined roles. I'm not really sure how the three new guys fit into the offense and I'm not sure they know how they fit into the offense. Athletically, we should be much better than the last few years. But, until that translates into guys knowing where they need to be and shutting down opponents and making shots, I'm reserving judgment.

P-Sun: DeJuan Blair is playing really well for you guys. How important is this kid to the Spurs franchise and what are the areas you feel he needs to improve?

AustechSpur: DeJuan Blair is an absolute beast. He brought tremendous skills with him and he's getting better very quickly. He's learning to use his giant body on defense. I have no doubt that he will be a very good player. If he can learn to hit the mid-range jumper, he will be a border line all-star in the league for the next 10 years. If you watch one thing with him, check out his feel for the game around the rim. He has TREMENDOUS touch.

P-Sun: Have you had the chance to watch the Suns play this season? What are your thoughts about our team?

AustechSpur: No, I haven't seen them at all.

P-Sun: It seems that no one can stop Steve Nash this season. Now that Bruce Bowen is no longer a Spur, what do you think Pop will do to try to slow him down? Who's the "stopper" on the team now?

AustechSpur: Do you remember this joke? Q: Who is the only person that could keep Michael Jordan under 20 points per game? A: Dean Smith. Replace Jordan with Nash and Smith with Porter. Steve Nash is just fantastic in space. It's his game. We don't' really have a replacement for Bowen who is the one-stop shop for all defense from Steve Nash to Dirk Nowitzki. I expect Steve will see a whole lot of George Hill. George has the perfect attributes to deal with Steve. He's quick enough to stay with him and he has ridiculously long arms to harass passes. That's all you can do with Steve anyway.

P-Sun: What is it about the Spurs system that it takes so long for new players to learn it?

AustechSpur: I'll refer you to this article by DK Wilson for FoxSports.com and this quote from Antonio McDyess "Everything here is so exact; every play there's so much detail." Apparently, the Spurs are VERY particular about every little detail and where you should be. I think this causes players to think instead of play for a while. I get the sense that Pop rarely says, "Just go out and play your game."

Let's take a look at the key match-ups for tonight's game

Guards

Everyone that plays the Suns try to do different things to slow Nash down. They try guarding him with a small but pesky player, they try switching to a big man, they try double teaming him. Nothing works. Truth is that Steve Nash is playing amazing basketball and I don't even remember if he has had a bad game all season. Pop is smart and he might try different things to keep Nash under control. Like Austechspur said, we might see a George Hill on him. He might bother Steve with his quickness and length. Good luck George, you are going to need it.

On the other hand we have Tony Parker. In the last two games he has had assists in the double digits but has also been a turnover prone. The Suns need to keep him under control and limit his baskets in the paint. We can afford him scoring but the Suns can't let him get his teammates involved. Depending on how he's playing, I expect to see different defenders on him.

Manu Ginobili is still dangerous. He has had very good games this season and when he plays up to his talent the Spurs are almost unbeatable. He has been slowed down by injuries and this has taken a toll on his defense. Once a feared and hated defender, Ginobili has noticeably lost a step. The Suns should take advantage of this and drive to the hole on him.

Forwards

Amar'e has been playing really well. He continues to be very efficient from the field but everyone has noticed that he's not as explosive as he once was. That's what recovering from an eye surgery will do to you. I expect him to continue making those jump shots to keep the Spurs defense guessing. This is a big game for him.

Timmy Duncan has been playing out of his mind. Just like with Nash, everyone doubted he would have an excellent season. He's knees are holding up quite well but that doesn't mean that Spurs fans don't cringe whenever he goes down on the hardwood. Channing Frye will get a chance to defend him and if he get's in foul trouble Robin Lopez will have his hands full with him.

Richard Jefferson is averaging 13.7 point per game. He has struggled offensively and I expect Hill to be on his grill. We need to keep him under control. We already have our hands full with Duncan and Parker.

Predictions

The fact that the Suns are at home, where they have played really well, gives them an advantage over a Spurs team who's still working on their on-court chemistry. The Suns are always fired up to play against them and they'll come out firing. They just need to be consistent throughout 48 minutes of basketball and not throw away any early leads. I feel confident that the Suns will win this one.

My predictions

If Roger Mason, Jr plays 20+ minutes and Bogans < 10 spurs win 116-108

If Bogans plays 20+ minutes and Roger < 10 spurs lose 104-99

Preview: Spurs (12-9) at Suns (16-8)
by Tyler Lockman
Valley Of The Suns

After a short break from a grueling December schedule, the Suns start a home stretch tonight against the rival San Antonio Spurs, winners of three straight.

There are a number of questions surrounding this game, chiefly the status of Jason Richardson.

Richardson sat out Monday’s practice with his right hand wrapped up and is questionable for tonight’s game, although the shooting guard told The Arizona Republic at this morning’s shootaround, “I don’t sit out unless I can’t walk. So most likely, I’m playing.”

J-Rich sprained the hand in Saturday’s 105-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets. According to The Republic, X-rays on the hand were negative but Richardson is struggling to flex his hand.

If Richardson does indeed sit out or is limited by the injury, the Suns would lose a key scorer (16.4 points per game), despite his recent inconsistency. Should Richardson miss the game, more pressure is on Grant Hill to pick up the slack, and Jared Dudley could get a start. Goran Dragic would likely see more backcourt minutes as well alongside Steve Nash.

With Leandro Barbosa still out, the Suns’ offense is already missing an important scorer. The bench will need to provide more of an offensive contribution than usual against a very capable San Antonio offense.

Tim Duncan is currently scoring 19.0 points per game and pulling in 10.2 rebounds. Tony Parker is notching 16.7 points and 6.2 assists a game. Beyond that, there aren’t any hugely impressive numbers, but the Spurs do have one of the league’s most balanced offenses and most versatile benches.

Backup point guard George Hill is averaging 10.7 points per game and rookie forward DeJuan Blair is providing a spark with 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in just 14.5 minutes a game.

A return to US Airways Center has thus far been the cure for the woes that have plagued the Suns on the road recently. The Suns are 2-5 over their last seven games, with the two wins coming at home, where the Suns are still the NBA’s only undefeated team (8-0).

While a home win over the Magic last week made a statement about what the Suns are capable of, a meeting with their arch rival at home could be their biggest home test yet.
San Antonio’s 12-9 record reflects that the Spurs aren’t quite what they have been in recent years, and much like the Suns, the Spurs struggle on the road (2-5, compared to 10-4 at home). However, the Spurs have bested the Suns in three of their last four meetings both overall and in the Valley of the Sun. The Spurs are also a team that’s no stranger to slow starts, and with their current streak, they may just be hitting their stride.

One of the keys to this game could be how the Spurs match up with the Suns. In the past, Bruce Bowen was tabbed to guard Nash, which proved successful most of the time. With Bowen retired, Richard Jefferson may be tasked with defending Two Time.

Nash’s ability to make plays on offense has been crucial this season, as the Suns are undefeated when he has more than 10 assists and only 7-8 when he has less than 10. Obviously, Nash’s knack for getting everyone involved has been and will certainly continue to be an essential arm of the Suns’ offense.

With the 6-foot-11 Duncan and 6-foot-9 Antonio McDyess in the paint, the Suns may look to Robin Lopez for increased minutes purely because of his size. But as with any matchup with the Spurs, it’s likely to be a very physical game and Lopez has trouble staying out of foul trouble.

The Spurs play notoriously good defense, which could certainly tip this game in their favor if the Suns play anything like they did against the Nuggets. Sloppy play and 21 turnovers that went for 31 points caused the Suns to blow a 17-point lead and eventually the game.

If the Suns team that played the Magic at home last week shows up for this game — meaning they limit Tim Duncan and execute when it counts — they may very well snap their losing streak against the Spurs.

And1

■ Rookie forward Taylor Griffin rejoined the Suns at practice Monday after a brief stint with the Iowa Energy of the NBA Developmental League. Griffin averaged 13.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game while shooting 69 percent from the floor in two contests.
■ The Suns will hold their second annual Tweet-Up at tonight’s game.

nobody limits tim duncan period! he's gonna get his when he wants to

The Spurs need to get a W on the road against a "good" team. The Spurs completely own the Suns so hopefully they still remember that...:lol

Twitter.

Steve Nash: Anyone know coach Poppovich was an American spy in Russia before he began coaching? No wonder his teams are hard to beat! Suns need this one

Manu and Jefferson combine for 35+ = Win
Manu and Jefferson combine for Less then 35= Loss

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Danny.Zhu

Tough game. Not a big chance.

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You're kidding right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by duncan228

Twitter.

Steve Nash: Anyone know coach Poppovich was an American spy in Russia before he began coaching? No wonder his teams are hard to beat! Suns need this one

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:lmao

Now Pop has to kill Steve Nash.

a win would be a big morale booster. especially for the defense since the spurs have to hold the suns under 100 for a win.

Spurs catch a break in Phoenix?
By Jeff McDonald on Dec 15, 09 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share Yahoo! BuzzYahoo! Newsvine del.icio.us Facebook Google Reddit Fark
As we wrote in this morning's dead-tree edition of the E-N, tonight's game at Phoenix should be a tough measuring stick for the Spurs.

The Suns have won 17 in a row at home, dating to last season. They have scored 100 points or more in 35 consecutive home games (worth noting: The Spurs were the last team to hold Phoenix under 100 at U.S. Airways Center). The Suns are 5-0 this season and averaging 113 points on two days' rest.

However, the Spurs might wind up catching a bit of a break in the Valley of the Suns.

Phoenix could be without each of its regular shooting guards tonight.

Leandro Barbosa will miss his eighth consecutive game tonight with a sprained left ankle. Meanwhile, Jason Richardson is listed as questionable with a sprained right hand suffered Saturday night in Denver.

Richardson, the Suns' third-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, did not practice Monday. He is likely to be a game-time decision.

UPDATED: Or, maybe not. Richardson says he thinks he can play tonight. Story here.

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...tch-a-b-1.html