Suns (56-18) @ Spurs (53-21) Game Blog -- 4/5

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Cavs sucked it up big time. I think the free throw disparity in the fourth quarter was a whopping ONE free throw for the Heat compared to 17 for the Cavs...not to mention that the Cavs went something like 11 min 40 secs without a field goal!!!

what'd you think of the spurs-suns game?

[Obstructed_View]

Charles has been, and still is, a Suns fan. He's critical of them, but when has he been wrong? They can't play defense, they are built for the regular season, they can't win without Nash. Sorry, Suns fans. All true. Regardless of the jokes he makes about not playing defesne, Charles Barkley was a great defender, and doesn't seem to have a lot of patience for the Suns' system which has yet to prove it can meet expectations in the playoffs. The fact that Suns fans get bent out of shape should anyone dare point that out is just ridiculous.

[Xylus]

I agree he's a little too demonstrative on the "Sun's can't win a le" rant because they can, but you have to admit the D'Antoni "small ball" run and gun style doesn't allow itself to have a dominate defense due to the lineups required to play that style. The only guy on the Phoenix team who could give TD trouble was Thomas, but he didn't get time because he doesn't allow the Suns to run and gun like they want to.

I think D'Antoni is ing nuts for starting Barbosa over Kurt Thomas. The whole reason why we got Kurt Thomas was to battle Tim Duncan inside, but somehow KT only plays 14 minutes? What the .

Secondly, D'Antoni is obsessed with "giving the shooter space," which is possibly the worst defensive strategy I've seen in a long time. A lot of the Spurs jumpshots were gimmes because D'Antoni likes to give the shooter room in order to prevent attacks to the basket. This strategy is terrible, because it almost always works in the other team's favor. D'Antoni doesn't even care if you put a hand in the shooter's face, which is unbelievable.

As long as Nash is on the floor with Marion, Barbosa, or Stoudemire, the Suns can run and gun all they want even if Kurt Thomas is on the floor. But D'Antoni just loves his mini-lineups that get killed on the glass.

So I don't think the Suns are a bad defensive team. They have the physical tools to be a great defensive team. But D'Antoni has some ed up ideas.

[Kobulingam]

How the heck did this team lose to Indiana the other night.

I think SA is a sleeping giant. Regular season doesn't make these boys hard anymore. They need to see sexy playoffs (or a playoff type game) to pop a big one.

[Kobulingam]

And SA should practice freethrows. Each players should practice them 2 hours a night. This is ridiculous.

[JMarkJohns]

I wouldn't say Barkley was a great defender. Maybe early, but with the Suns he certainly never was. He had his moments and he a great rebounder, but I'd say he was an effective defender much the same way Marion is. He gambled, got his blocks, got his steals, dominated the glass, but his man still always put up 20-10 on him. At least, that's what I remember of Barkley's defense. I've got magazines with boxscores from that era. I may go check what the likes of Malone and Kemp did vs. Barkley. I'm pretty certain it was closer to 20-10 than it was to being shut down.

I have no qualms about Barkley saying what he says. He is correct. Because they've won, the Spurs should be considered the favorites. Phoenix should be an underdog, despite the records, because they can't dominate in a slowed tempo and struggle on the glass. When thy can't get the 3points-for-2points trade they're used to as often as they are used to it, then they can get bogged down and sputter in the paint. San Antonio plays them man up, something most teams don't. It bothers them, so the Spurs are probably the better of the two teams. It doesn't mean they'll win a 7-game series if Phoenix lands homecourt, but it'll mean it will be a of a battle for the Suns to pull out.

[theroc5]

Great game, the only thing i can complain on is manu needed to drive a bit more. though i was shocked to see him go down that hard. parker was great as well as duncan and every one on the spurs. NO SMALL BALL! BIG LINE UP=WIN. Any ways this is a nice win in more ways then one but it is just that one win. The playoffs anything can go but if we can play like this in the post season I really think we can have a chance to win another ring.
GO SPURS GO

[Xylus]

I'm going to shoot D'Antoni in the face. Kurt Thomas, damn it!

[spurschick]

And the cherry on top was my playoff tickets waiting for me on the doorstep when I got home.

[Obstructed_View]

Their free throw shooting has nothing to do with practice. For Duncan it's poor rhythm and for all of them in the clutch it's just yips. Basically it just needs to be understood that if the Spurs are going to win a game with free throws they are going to have to be aggressive enough to get a boatload of attempts.

[THE SIXTH MAN]

YEAH!

[JMarkJohns]

Are you ok? I think this is the first semi-incoherent statement I've seen you post. Little too much to drink?

Huh? I don't get what point you are making, nor the point I made from which your point is supposed to be derived.

Thanks for saying I typically post coherently, though

I am a bit frustrated, as most Suns fans are right now. Also, I'm trying to shorten my posts. I've been told they border on being, "way the too long..."

And he was putting it nicely

Main points were...

1. Congrats to Spurs and their fans.
2. That the Spurs defended as good as I've seen a team defend these Suns.
3. That if the Spurs continue to defend at that level, I don't see a team beating them.
4. I thought the Suns did a poor job of taking advantage of their opportunities.
5. That despite such, the Suns did play hard enough to have a chance late.
6. That the Suns need to win out entering the playoffs to regain their swagger.

I don't think any are incoherent. But then, I wrote them...

Maybe I didn't do a good job of clarifying whom "they" were. I probably used such as reference to both teams. Oops! Sorry

[Clutch20]

Funny inside the head shout-outs during the game:

" , the lead is down to 11, fock!!!"

"whattha hel was (fill-in-blank) thinking!"

"gotta get the gotdam ball back"

" , lead's down to 9, damit-to- "

"babe-a-licious, she's hot!"

"lead down to (fill in blank), I KNEW IT, it was gonna happen sooner or later, Nash is gonna hit that 3 and then we're probably going into overtime......."

"game OVER!, Man, we were GOOD, I never doubted us for a second....."

[Xylus]

If only Amare had anticipated that through-the-legs pass by Nash with under a minute left... Ah well.

I'm just glad the game wasn't a complete blowout, and that we had a chance to win at the end.

[spurschick]

Speaking of too much to drink...
There was this couple sitting 2 rows ahead of me tonight who were so drunk that the woman spent most of the game on her feet dancing... even when the Suns scored, she was cheering with a thunderstick in one hand and a balloon in the other, all while wearing dark sunglasses. She kept shaking the thunderstick in her boyfriend's face, but I think he was too drunk to really notice.

[JMarkJohns]

I'm going to shoot D'Antoni in the face. Kurt Thomas, damn it!

Yeah. Why he played only in the first half is beyond me. He was doing a good job of making Duncan work. Suns were rebounding very well with him in there. They held leads, damn it! D'Antoni has some great aspects, but, unfortunately, some even greater flaws, least of which is his GD pride that says, "If we can't win MY way, then the win isn't good enough."

That kind of logic doesn't belong in a team sport. Not from a coach. Not from a coach with this much talent and versatility on his roster. Maybe in college, but not in the pros. You have to win and do so when it counts and D'Antoni needs to man up, admit he's been bested and adjust. There's no shame in adjustments. The great coaches take pride in them.

He, and no other reason, is why I have almost zero confidense come playoff time. I know his hard head is going to ultimately sink the ship.

[Obstructed_View]

I wouldn't say Barkley was a great defender. Maybe early, but with the Suns he certainly never was. He had his moments and he a great rebounder, but I'd say he was an effective defender much the same way Marion is. He gambled, got his blocks, got his steals, dominated the glass, but his man still always put up 20-10 on him. At least, that's what I remember of Barkley's defense. I've got magazines with boxscores from that era. I may go check what the likes of Malone and Kemp did vs. Barkley. I'm pretty certain it was closer to 20-10 than it was to being shut down.

I've said this before, but when he played the Bulls, Barkley guarded Jordan. When he played the Spurs, he guarded Robinson. When he played Orlando, he guarded Shaq. Feel free to insert Kemp, Malone and Olajuwon to that list. He guarded the best players on the other team, if not for the whole game, at the end or when it mattered. He played against bigger, faster, more athletic guys, many of whom are among the best ever at their position. The fact that the Paul Westphal Suns didn't gameplan defense much more than the D'Antoni incarnation doesn't change the fact that Barkley took pride in playing defense when it mattered and could dominate on both ends of the floor.

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah. Why he played only in the first half is beyond me. He was doing a good job of making Duncan work. Suns were rebounding very well with him in there. They held leads, damn it! D'Antoni has some great aspects, but, unfortunately, some even greater flaws, least of which is his GD pride that says, "If we can't win MY way, then the win isn't good enough."

That kind of logic doesn't belong in a team sport. Not from a coach. Not from a coach with this much talent and versatility on his roster. Maybe in college, but not in the pros. You have to win and do so when it counts and D'Antoni needs to man up, admit he's been bested and adjust. There's no shame in adjustments. The great coaches take pride in them.

He, and no other reason, is why I have almost zero confidense come playoff time. I know his hard head is going to ultimately sink the ship.

Man I'm sure glad we don't have to worry about our coach putting in a small lineup in an attempt to outscore the opponent rather than defend.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

And the cherry on top was my playoff tickets waiting for me on the doorstep when I got home.

weehee, i love that one

[JMarkJohns]

I will grant you that. He was always on the best post player. However, I'm certain that, at least for the vast majority of the time, Majerle was on Jordan during the Finals.

I'll also concede that D'Antoni is both the good and bad with this team. His apathy towards post defense will kill this team.

[JMarkJohns]

Man I'm sure glad we don't have to worry about our coach putting in a small lineup in an attempt to outscore the opponent rather than defend.

But for Pops it's a gimmick. For D'Antoni it's a way of life...

"It's a livin'..."
- Rocky, "ROCKY"

"It's a waste of life!"
- Micky, "ROCKY"

[team-work]

Congrats on a big win. When I started logging online to look at the halftime score, I thought it was the scores after the 1st quarter! The defense must be awesome. How many time the high scoring Suns can be held to 85 pts?

These Spurs have also begun to master how to close out games. When the 13-pt lead evaporated by almost a half, TP sealed the victory with a FT and an OUTSIDE JUMPER[B]. If this continues in the playoff series vs the Suns, there'll be no doubt who the best point guard in the NBA is. (No disrespect to Nash's extraordinary achievements, just to point out that he's entering the later stages of his career, while Tony is making progress.)

By the way, Nash and Nowitzki always make funny look in the court. Here's another example from nba.com.

http://www.nba.com/media/dirknash_300_070402.jpg
(don't know how to post the picture)

[SpursDynasty]

Spurs:

2-1 vs Phoenix
2-2 vs Utah
2-2 vs Houston
2-0 vs Detroit
1-1 vs Miami
1-2 vs Dallas
1-2 vs Lakers

They should be able to beat Dallas with the way they're playing now. Other than being 1-2 vs Dallas and LA, they are playing perfectly acceptable basketball.

Besides, if they had played LA and Dallas during this 21-3 record, both would have been wins.

The Spurs went out and played a team they were supposed to beat and they beat them.

[Obstructed_View]

However, I'm certain that, at least for the vast majority of the time, Majerle was on Jordan during the Finals.

Majerle was on him for the first couple of games, but they put KJ on him starting with the triple overtime game. You are right though; Barkley was on Pippen at the end of game six because he went for the steal that allowed Paxson to get open for the three. Not that Pip was an easy cover, though.

[JMarkJohns]

Majerle was on him for the first couple of games, but they put KJ on him starting with the triple overtime game. You are right though; Barkley was on Pippen at the end of game six because he went for the steal that allowed Paxson to get open for the three. Not that Pip was an easy cover, though.

Damn it! That's not funny

I do remember them switching to KJ, but he was just a s of his former athlete and was unable to keep up. Not that Jordan was going to be limited then, anyways...

I do remember Barkley on Pippen for several of the games. They used a lot of Dumas on Pippen as well.

That team is easily one of the most talented team to never win. It absolutely sucks Barkley's back started acting up, that KJs knees were never right again, that Dumas couldn't kick the drug habit and that Chambers wasn't brought back. Two of the four turn in the Suns favor, then the next year... damn.

The 92-93 Suns stats... (just for fun)

Barkley: 26 ppg, 12 rpg, 5 apg...
Majerle: 17 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg...
Johnson: 16 ppg, 8 apg...
Dumas: 16 ppg, 5 rpg...
Ceballos: 13 ppg, 6 rpg...
Ainge: 12 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg...
Chambers: 12 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg...

Then a whole fleet of 6-point, 5-rebound bigs or 5-point, 3-assist guards.

I'll never forgive Ainge for double-teaming Grant on that baseline, leaving the League's top 3-point shooter open, when all that will surely beat you is that go-ahead three. I know Barkley gambled, but Ainge's gamble was senseless. And he was brought in as a player who should have known better.