Scott Bordow, Tribune Columnist
SAN ANTONIO - Until the Phoenix Suns actually, you know, beat the San Antonio Spurs, can we stop all the nonsense we’ve heard the last few weeks?
Like how Phoenix finally had San Antonio’s number after going 3-1 against the Spurs in the regular season.
Or how Shaquille O’Neal was the antidote for Tim Duncan?
And this quote, from coach Mike D’Antoni: “I think we’re the better team. Now we just have to go out and prove it.”
Oh, the Suns have proven something.
They’re still inferior to the Spurs.
And unlike Game 1, when Duncan hit his miracle 3-pointer, Phoenix couldn’t rationalize its 102-96 loss Tuesday.
The fact is, the Suns got whipped by a tougher team.
A smarter team.
A better team.
And all that isn’t going to change just because Games 3 and 4 will be played at US Airways Center.
“We still feel confident,” Amaré Stoudemire said. “We still believe we can do this thing.”
They may be the only ones who feel that way.
The fact is, the Suns aren’t much different with O’Neal than they were Shawn Marion.
If their shots are falling, they can beat anybody.
But if the shots stop falling and they have to rely on their defense?
Well, I guess I’d have to ask: What defense?
Phoenix shot 61.4 percent in the first half Tuesday and had a 61-54 halftime lead.
It was fool’s gold.
“You probably aren’t going to shoot 60 percent all the time,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
The man knows his basketball.
The Suns were 3-for-18 in the third quarter.
The score after three: San Antonio 81, Phoenix 72.
That’s what happens when your success is predicated almost solely on offense. The Spurs, on the other hand, win games with their defense.
Which is why they have four more championships than the Suns.
“Obviously the third quarter did us in,” D’Antoni said. “We didn’t look good. We looked like we panicked.”
Panicked?
You know what that says about the Suns?
They’re still not championship material.
The Spurs didn’t panic when they trailed by 16 in Game 1 or 14 on Tuesday. They dug in, fought harder and put the clamps on the Suns.
One example: Stoudemire had 25 points in the first half on 11-of-14 shooting. He looked like he would go for 50.
In the second half, he made 2 of his 11 shots and scored eight points.
The Suns, on the other hand, did nothing to slow down Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili. who combined for 61 points.
And now we know the truth.
The Suns miss Marion more than they’ll ever admit.
O’Neal is doing everything he can. He had 19 points and 14 rebounds and held Duncan to 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting. But Steve Nash can’t keep Parker out of the lane, Raja Bell is helpless against Ginobili and O’Neal isn’t quick enough to compensate for the porous perimeter defense.
The result: San Antonio had an incredible 128 points in the paint the first two games.
“It’s not an easy task,” said Grant Hill, who didn’t score a point in 19 labored minutes.
“If it were easy, everybody would do it.”
OK, but is it too much to ask for Phoenix to stop one of the big three, instead of watching Duncan, Parker and Ginobili combine for 51 of San Antonio’s 54 first-half points?
The Suns tried to maintain a positive vibe in their locker room. But the words that rang true after Game 1 sounded hollow Tuesday.
“We still feel confident going home,” Nash said.
One question:
Why?
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/114546
This series is still far from over. Spurs have shown droughts this season where when their offense goes, so does their defense. Of course up 2-0, I like the Spurs chance a lot, but I still do think Pheonix can take it up another level perhaps and stretch this out to at least 6 or 7 games. They may not win this series, but they aren't going to let it be over in 4 or 5 games.
They've decided to stay at home on the shooters like Bowen, Finley, Barry, and whoever else and play TD straight up. That allows Nash, Bell, and whoever else on the perimeter to get absolutely abused by Manu and TP, and Stoudemire isn't smart enough defensively to help while Shaq just can't do it physically and was never really good at it when he was able to do it physically. If Phoenix starts doubling TD and collapsing hard on the drives it's going to be Bowen from the corners, Barry and Finley from the wings or corners knocking down treys.
this is a good article
no excuses
the suns in the first half of both games could not play better then they did and in each of those games they should have been up 14-20 points
the suns could not have played better in the first half last night but why were they not even up by double digits!!!!!!!!!
man, even the phoenix writers/fans are doubting themselves. I love my spurs, but only 2 games have been played. Gettin some home cookin will help the suns big time. Not saying they'll win the series, but people who are saying it's over shouldn't get too caught up. We played at home, which we're much better at than playing on the road. Before we decide to say the series is over, let's try to win one in Phoenix yeah? Cuz if we lose both games, the momentum goes right back to the suns and they do have a solid team to beat us, whether we'd like to admit it or not
no the series is NOT over...
but this guy gets it.
If I was a Suns fan, I would be fed up with all of this "We're right there, we're playing well, we're in these games, blah blah blah."
When the same team beats you year in and year out, you'd like to hear one of your team leaders acknowledge that something has to change while there's still some games left in the current series. Right now, it sounds like the Suns are in denial.
This article was right on. The Suns are not championship material. Twice they had leads of more than 10. And twice they lost the lead and ultimately lost the game. Granted, the Spurs have been known to lose a big lead or two, but the Spurs have 4 championships under their belt despite it. The Suns have nothing. And after games 1 and 2, we all see why. They don't have the mettle to get past San Antonio.
I just love the fact that Suns fan has all but disappeared at this point.
Way to support your team, s.
I am loving the potentially accurate feeling that is growing of an improbable Spurs sweep! The Suns cannot stop the Spurs and there is no reason at all why the Spurs cannot put the Suns out of their misery in 2 more games!
You can't seriously believe the Spurs can sweep the Suns..
Last edited by 1Parker1; 04-23-2008 at 03:33 PM.
I'm sorry but I can see the spurs taking the next 2 games over there. The spurs have won over there several times before. Not saying it will happen but that's more possible than the suns winning game 5 in san antonio.
I don't like this kind of articles. They all seem to believe that beating the suns is a walk in the park.
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