Ok, I'm going to try and summarize everything into one post:
(a) Watched this game in Dallas (Uptown area, I think?) with my boy monosylab1k and tons of Mavs fans (and some token blonde girls scattered throughout, no doubt along for the ride).
(b) I just got a little bit of 'tang and was dropped off at my hotel by the girl around 11:45 tonight, so that's why I haven't posted yet.
(c) Really impressed that the Suns came out with this kind of intensity and this game makes the complete drumming to G-State much easier to swallow.
(d) The last part of this game was very similar to the Spurs/Suns game a few months back... i.e. there's 6:30 left in the 4th and it's a 5 point game... then, there's 4 mins left and it's a 13 point game and the Suns are just nailing ridiculous shots.
(e) I'm not going to say the Suns' D was "great" by any stretch of the imagination, but it was definitely good (simply because I think anytime the Suns can hold a team to its avg. FG%, then that's pretty damn good for them). However, I can see where some Suns fans are applauding the D a lot today because the Suns really showed some increased activity and defensive intensity at times. For example (and I pointed this out at the bar), earlier in the game the Mavs were getting wide open 3's on swing passes - hence, that's why they were 7-for-7 at one point. But there is a specific defensive possession where the Suns were extremely active on defense - i.e. jumping in passing lanes, not leaving their feet on pump fakes, adjusting quickly to swing passes and the Mavs had to put up a crappy shot with like 3 seconds left on the shot clock. That was some of the better D they've played all year (there's a specific point with like 10 secs left on shot clock where Howard had a 3 that would have been wide open in the 1st quarter, but Diaw closed out very well on him). Then again, the next Mavs' possession, Josh Howard drives the baseline and dunks over 3 Suns players... and shortly thereafter, Stack is at the line for a 3-point opportunity, so I still can't give this a "great" for defense, but it leaves me optimistic that they might be able to get stops at pivotal points in the playoffs.
(f) Here I was afraid the Suns would suck it up in this game and lose ground to SA, but they get the win AND a Spurs loss... with my little booty call as well, the heavens just opened up for me today.... haha.
(g) Stack loves playing the Suns... and they seem to keep letting him back down smaller defenders like Barbosa and shoot 10-ft turnarounds... again, can't call D like that "great."
(h) Suns/Mavs series has been incredibly evenly matched for 3 years now and it's a lot of fun to watch. I don't weight this game any higher than the others this year, except that the Suns probably had the mental edge they needed because they want to keep the #2 seed while the Mavs have #1 virtually locked up.
(i) Suns still have a tough road ahead of them with SA, Houston and other good teams to close out the season... I don't want to see another emotional letdown like they had after the last game in Dallas.
(j) Dirk was fouled on that play where he rolled his ankle... it's in the rule book that the shooter is in the act of shooting until he hits the ground. That said, I don't think it was an intentional play by Marion to hurt Dirk because Dirk was moving forward on the shot and Marion was jumping forward to get a hand in his face... still a foul that I wouldn't have minded being called.
(k) Suns defensive rebounding - while more than the Mavs' - still was not great at all because they allowed a double-digit offensive rebounding effort at home in a game where Dallas didn't have Dampier... still not acceptable for me yet. Btw, did Kurt Thomas even play? I kinda drank a lot this afternoon, but I don't remember seeing him.
(l) This is a long list, so feel free to respond to any or all of my points... and also let me know if you think there's anything I've missed because I tried to address most of the topics in this thread as I read over them tonight.
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