Suns outrun Warriors
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 8, 2005 12:00 AM
OAKLAND - The only thing that could slow the Suns was the Bay Bridge.
Phoenix's short bus ride from its San Francisco hotel to The Arena in Oakland took about 75 minutes Wednesday, and that was the last time the Suns moved slowly.
In a flashback to Phoenix's wild, late-season games with the Warriors last year, the Suns ditched the defensive renaissance for a night and moved like shooting stars in a 118-110 win at Golden State. advertisement
Following up a 130-point effort against Portland just a night earlier, the Suns had a willing shootout participant. Two teams that have been touting defensive turnarounds guarded each other as if it were a charity game Wednesday. It certainly counted for the Suns, who pushed their win streak to eight and stayed within a half-game of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Coming off travel and facing Golden State, which had been resting for five days, Phoenix could have come out flat and or finished with a fade. Neither happened.
The pace was fast from the beginning and the Warriors were the better fast-break team, winding up with a 56.5 percent shooting in the first half because of it. Despite the Suns' defensive relapse, Boris Diaw's foul trouble and a 1-for-10 start in shooting from Kurt Thomas, the Suns spent the half in a -for-tat game and came out of it trailing only 65-63 at halftime.
The Suns could not capitalize on offensive rebounds or Golden State turnovers, but led for most of the first quarter because of Shawn Marion's 10 points, part of his 27-point night, and a surge of 13 Suns points in the last 2:10 of the quarter.
The Warriors led by seven before Phoenix closed the lead to two at halftime, when the Suns were shooting only 43.6 percent but got 19 points and seven assists from Steve Nash.
"We're getting a lot more comfortable offensively," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Steve was ridiculous. When he plays like that, I don't know what you're going to do.
"We're trying to establish an iden y. I knew we wouldn't let down."
The pace did not relent in the second half, even taking out referee Anthony Jordan to a hamstring injury. The Suns emerged a step quicker than Golden State and built a 10-point lead with the help of back-to-back Raja Bell three-pointers. But Golden State, missing Troy Murphy because of flu symptoms, kept coming with Baron Davis playing brilliantly with a well-rested hamstring.
Golden State rallied to tie and was trailing only by two in the fourth when Phoenix came up with a four-minute shutout that looked like it could be enough. But five minutes was far too much time on this night, and Mike Dunleavy's best scoring night of the season set up a Davis' fast-break layup that put Golden State back in front with 3:12 to go.
It was two straight trips of second-chance points from Marion and Thomas, two of the game's top rebounders, that silenced a raucous crowd and let Phoenix coast home.
View from the press box
Just when you forget how good Steve Nash is at scoring, he delivers. Golden State was on a tear in the second quarter, then Nash went shooting guard on the Warriors. He banked in a driving pull-up. He drove and hit a jumper floating sideways. Then he nailed a step-back jumper. -Paul Coro
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Me thinks you're trying to smoke us Suns fans out! No News, no lurkers!
WEEEEEEE'LLLLLLLLL Smoke the Suns fans out, WEEE'LLLL Smoke those Monsters out!
It was a good win. Their defensive (YES DEFENSIVE) streak of nine straight opponants under 100 points was snapped, though they held Golden State to 45 points in the second half after giving up 65 to them in the first.
They battled through consistant foul trouble and inconsistant jumpers all night long. Whenever they would look to pull away, a costly foul or cold spell would allow Golden State right back in the game. Eventually, though, they proved too tough for the Warriors and pulled away in the final 2+ minutes.
Good win, being it on the road.
Eight straight and counting with New York on Friday, followed by Sunday's matchup against the Clippers for what looks to be, first place in the Pacific.
WEEEEEEE'LLLLLLLLL Smoke the Suns fans out, WEEE'LLLL Smoke those Monsters out!
Nice work Suns.
GSW had a big second quarter with many of the Suns in foul trouble but still only led by 2 at the half. The Suns played with them all game and then made the plays on both ends when it counted the most to close them out.
8 wins and counting since the loss to SA.
Represent!!!
Any Amare updates??
According to reports, he's right on, if not slightly ahead of schedule. What that really means just one month in to a four month prediction is anyone's guess.
He's started to do some light load-bearing exercises, but no running, jumping or weight lifting if I heard right.
Come talk after December.
Thus far Phoenix has played twice at home for each road game, and only beaten 3 teams with winning records. They have 8 of 11 on the road to finish the month.
That's not a bad suggestion, except that the Suns have only been out of one game, losing four of their five in the final minute. One shot and they could have won either game against Dallas, Sacramento, Detroit or San Antonio.
All four losses came before their new defensive schemes and before they had time to gel with Diaw starting at center. This team is very good.
I agree they still have things to prove...
Road games coming up against Clippers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves.
We will definitely know more after that.
Still, 8 straight after the slow start to pull within 1/2 game of first in the Pacific is a nice run.
Projections for Amare are still sometime around the All-Star break. So far they say he is responding well to treatment and is on schedule.
Last edited by SirChaz; 12-09-2005 at 03:31 PM.
Clips have tough Sat/Sun @Staples: Suns, then Pistons.
Then the Clips come to SA Tue.
They could very easily fall from 13-5 to 13-8.
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