Suns battle past Spurs Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 9, 2008 03:20 PM
So this is what they were talking about.
The Suns looked like the type of postseason team that they envisioned being with the Shaquille O'Neal trade, gutting out a 94-87 victory over that San Antonio team that they never could seem to beat.
Phoenix looked nothing like the defensive squad that had been run over in recent games, holding San Antonio to two points over the game's final five minutes to win Sunday.
Holding San Antonio to 34.9 percent shooting helped Phoenix remain the NBA's only team without a three-game losing streak this season. More importantly, it could go a long way in turning around the mental wall Phoenix had bashed into continually as it went 7-15 against San Antonio in the Steve Nash years. With a 2-1 series edge this season, the Suns will not lose a series to the Spurs for the first time since the 2002-03 regular season.
The victory does not move Phoenix out of sixth in the Western Conference but it created 3 1/2 games of distance between the Suns and the Denver Nuggets, currently the West's ninth team trying to get into the playoffs.
The Suns put a balanced effort of six scorers in double figures, led by Steve Nash's 19 points - the first time a Sun other than Stoudemire had led the team outright since Feb. 6. Nash also had 14 assists on Phoenix's 45.6 percent shooting night. The Suns only made 3 of 14 3-pointers but a near one was just as huge. Forward Grant Hill finished off a 9-of-13 shooting game by hitting a corner shot on the 3-point line that gave Phoenix a 90-87 lead with 1:15 to go. Manu Ginobili missed consecutive shots and Tim Duncan, covered by O'Neal, missed to send Suns fans into a roar as free throws closed out the game.
Ginobili went 7 for 19 from the field and Duncan was 6 for 19.
After the Suns' worst defensive stretch of the season, they emerged to allow only 38.1 percent shooting in Sunday's first half. But even that is not enough against the Suns' arch nemesis. The Spurs led 48-45 at halftime, mostly because the Suns could not close either quarter well. In the final three minutes of each quarter, the Suns scored once each time to give San Antonio leads.
The Suns scrambled like mad to cover their bases but had their backs broken by five San Antonio 3-pointers from Manu Ginobili and Ime Udoka, both coming off the bench. Phoenix did not shoot the 3-pointer much in the first half (1 for 4) and did not get to the free throw line as often either (4 for 5).
It was further perplexing how the Suns could be losing after a half of better defense when Shaquille O'Neal had racked up 12 points and 11 rebounds, Grant Hill had made 6 of 7 shots and Steve Nash dished out eight assists to go with seven points.
But the Suns' bench was letting them down for a second consecutive game, going 2 for 9 for six points. Gordan Giricek missed two 3-point tries, making the swingman acquired for his shooting 0 for 5 on 3-pointers as a Sun.
Phoenix retook the lead in the third quarter with more defense, despite losing Amare Stoudemire to his fourth foul 4:37 into the half. The Spurs missed 15 of their first 18 second-half shots, allowing Phoenix to get out to its biggest lead of the game - a 65-57 edge after Boris Diaw made his game's first shot attempt with 2:54 to play in the third quarter.
The only thing keeping the Suns from stretching its lead any more was its own 3-point shooting (1 for 10 through three quarters) and the Spurs' free throw advantage (18 to 10). When Spurs guard Bruce Bowen closed the third quarter with a 3-pointer to give San Antonio a 70-69 lead, the Spurs had outscored the Suns at the 3-point line and free throw line, 33-13.
Phoenix did not score on its first five possessions of the fourth quarter, losing ground at the juncture for the second consecutive game. After Diaw made his fourth and fifth turnovers consecutively, San Antonio took a 75-69 lead on a jumper from ex-Suns big man Kurt Thomas.
Despite fifth fouls to Stoudemire and O'Neal, Phoenix arduously worked its way back, pulling within one or two points four times before a run of five Stoudemire points gave Phoenix a 88-85 lead with 1:57 to go.
Poster Comment:
Nash, O'Neil & Stoudemire & friends took on Duncan, Parker, Gnobli, all of them. Both teams were healthy, playing all their stars.
this game was a lower scoring game with the big men at post being important. the type of game they said the suns couldn't win, and occur in playoffs. The suns shot 11% or so from 3-point range, that must be a season-low. The suns had 10 or more less free throws to shoot than the Spurs. both teams shot witha low shooting percentage. defense was key. in the end suns shut them down and went on 14-2 run.
O'neil is said to be in the process of improving conditioning. an awesome concept when you consider that he is shaquille o'neil. nash & co. are apparently changing their style of play to fit shaq.
stoudemire even fouled out with a few minutes left in the game. shaq stayed & suns kicked ass with nash at the point playing as a well-oiled machine taking down the world champion conference rival spurs on national tv in playoff-style basketball.