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uh, the series is 2-2. I hope the Suns think they have this in the bag.And they overcame all the demons that the Spurs have held over them for so long.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6811514
Why Spurs, Pistons will meet in the finals
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Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 10 minutes ago
This run and gun free-for-all of street basketball was fun while it lasted — and we can't help but be surprised that the Phoenix Suns came from a double-figure deficit to pull out Monday night's Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2.
Still, we're in the second round of the NBA playoffs now and it's time to get serious.
NBA Playoff Roundup
Monday's action:
Suns rally for Game 4 victory
Cavs take command vs. Nets
Sunday's action:
Jazz slow down Warriors
Bulls avoid sweep, beat Pistons
Analysis:
Dime: Pistons still atop Hit List
Rosen: Out-Spurring the Spurs
Kahn: Cleveland wins ugly
Rosen: For Jazz, nothing cheap
Video:
Marques in the Paint: East
Marques in the Paint: West
Photo gallery ...
Monday's action
We saw the 67-win Dallas Mavericks come completely unglued in a six-game loss to the Golden State Warriors, who were firing up 3-pointers from Oakland to Petaluma and all the way to Dallas as the primary heroes of the first round. Never before had an eighth seed defeated a first seed in a best-of-7 series. A big part of the reason they won not only was Don Nelson smallball as much as the Mavericks just didn't know how to respond to the shootout coming from the likes of Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, role player Matt Barnes and Co.
The Utah Jazz have figured it out.
"They do what they do — it's no mystery," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We just have to make sure to challenge their shots. And we'll do what we do on offense."
Oh, the Jazz are playing faster. But that's primarily because Sloan and his staff now realize they're better when they're playing faster. And yet, it's really about executing down the stretch of games with high-percentage shots and physical play dominating the boards. That explains why the Jazz went up 3-1 over the weekend — finally knocking the wheels off the Bay Area Bandwagon that has indeed been refreshing considering the frustration of the fans.
Heading south, there was little doubt the Suns would run the Los Angeles Lakers out of whichever building they played in, but that's their theory now for three consecutive seasons under coach Mike D'Antoni since he signed Steve Nash and moved Amare Stoudemire to center.
"It's pretty easy to understand really," Suns assistant Alvin Gentry said. "The object is to outscore the other team and we'll see if they can keep up."
Generally speaking, most teams can't. The Suns have averaged 59 wins the past three seasons and reached the Western Conference finals in 2005 and 2006. This year, they led the league in field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and 3-point percentage, among other offensive categories. And contrary to popular opinion, they have improved dramatically on the defensive end, considering the growth of Raja Bell, Shawn Marion and the health of Kurt Thomas.
With the rule changes that allowed zones and prohibited hands-on defense on the perimeter, it was the perfect opening for D'Antoni's offense and Nash's run to the Hall of Fame. They predictably ran the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers out of the gym in the first round. But now they're playing the big boys.
The Pistons rebound, play tough defense and execute on offense. That's why they celebrate a lot. (Gary Dineen / Getty Images)
As D'Antoni crumbled the box score of free throws, rebounds and points that pushed the San Antonio Spurs up 2-1 in their series Saturday, he was clearly unhappy with the way the Spurs have pushed them around.
But the resounding reminder comes from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, "It's a physical game ... get over it."
Obviously, they did Monday. And they overcame all the demons that the Spurs have held over them for so long.
But, in the big picture, Spurs star Tim Duncan is dominating one bracket in the Western Conference playoffs and Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer is the primary inside figure in the other. When you get to the glass and score, you win. We're not talking anything fancy here. And it's not just in the West.
In the first round, the Chicago Buls were just too quick and athletic for the dinosaurs that are the defending champion Miami Heat. Then the Bulls ran into the Detroit Pistons, the guys who have been in the conference finals four years running and determined to bounce back strong from the "too cool" and burnt-out rap of last season's loss to the Heat. The Bulls are failing under the too-loud ticking of their "Tell Tale Heart."
Sure, the buzz around the league has been about the point guards and rightfully so if you look at the way they've played to this point. Only Cleveland's Larry Hughes isn't a natural point and not considered one of the best in the game.
If you consider the way Nash, Golden State's Baron Davis, Utah's Deron Williams, San Antonio's Tony Parker, New Jersey's Jason Kidd, Detroit's Chauncey Billups and Chicago's Kirk Hinrich have played, it's easy to make a case that point guard is becoming the most important position in the NBA.
Nonetheless, rule changes notwithstanding, we are seeing the same old adage come true that always has in playoff basketball. Rebounding and defense remain the key to success in the postseason.
It's why so many people think the Pistons and Spurs will inevitably meet in the Finals for the third time in four years. They have the best blend of defense, rebounding and the ability to run up the points in a hurry from any number of avenues.
There is no such thing as a lock, of course, as the Suns proved Monday night. Otherwise, everybody would bet and Vegas would become just another desert town seeking other ways to attract businesses. No doubt, the NBA brain trust has succeeded in implementing a faster and fan-friendly brand of basketball through the Suns and Warriors.
In the East, the Washington Wizards also figured into that category until injuries mangled their season. But the Cavaliers have moved deeper into the playoffs the past two seasons not only because of young superstar LeBron James, but as the best offensive rebounding team in the league and with defensive focus. Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson have the talent to upend the deeper and younger Cavs, but they don't have the help or the size to actually pull it off.
And they know it, which will explain the overhaul of the New Jersey roster this summer.
So that leads us to the Finals. The likelihood of another Spurs-Pistons meeting still looms with the consistency of a Duncan bank-shot or a Billups 3-pointer when everything matters most. Sure Nash and the Suns have responded to the Spurs, and once the Jazz put away the Warriors, their youth and depth could push the Spurs. And James could lead the Cavs right back into the faces of the Pistons with even more vengeance than the surprising seven-game series of a year ago.
It isn't likely. Fashionable play, Showtime dunks and 100-point games are all well and good. The fans love it and they already are bemoaning the possibility of another boring Pistons-Spurs matchup. Well, get over it. Unless the Suns have added an entirely new level of mental toughness to their repertoire to pull this series out, the 2007 NBA Finals entourage will be traveling from San Antonio to Detroit again.
This isn't old-school basketball as much as the fundamental manner in which championships are won ... that would explain the six won by those two franchises over the past 17 years. Soon enough it will be seven out of 18.
uh, the series is 2-2. I hope the Suns think they have this in the bag.And they overcame all the demons that the Spurs have held over them for so long.
The Spurs are boring no more. Who would've thought that a Spurs - Pistons matchup would have the Spurs as the dirty playing bad guys?
How does good, fundamental basketball always=championship logic work on how the Heat managed to win last year?
D.Whistle
I went over to real GM and I don't see allot of "we got this in the bag threads". More then not I see we are tied 2-2....whew.
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