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Title: Nash scores 42 to outshine Kidd (Phoenix Suns Win 161-157)
Source:
Arizona Republic
URL Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1208suns1208.html#
Published: Dec 8, 2006
Author: Paul Coro
Post Date: 2006-12-08 07:27:35 by Red Jones
Keywords: None
Views: 5732
Comments: 140
Nash scores 42 to outshine Kidd Nash scores 42 to outshine Kidd's triple-double in Suns win Paul Coro The Arizona Republic Dec. 8, 2006 12:00 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - As the Nets home crowd was informed that Jason Kidd had just tied Wilt Chamberlain for the third most triple-doubles in NBA history, only Steve Nash could get Kidd to do something he rarely does on the court - smile. Nash patted the back of fellow point guard and his former teammate/mentor's head and said, "You've only got 75 more than me." De-icing Kidd's game face is not the only thing Nash can do. Only Nash could steal his thunder - and a Suns win, their league-best eighth in a row - as he did here in Thursday's dramatic 161-157 Phoenix victory in double overtime over New Jersey. advertisement Kidd was unbelievable. Nash was unbeatable. Kidd had 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Nets to a franchise scoring record but dribbled off his foot on a potential game-tying possession at the end of the second overtime and missed a game-winner at the close of the first overtime. Nash posted a regular-season career high of 42 points, added 13 assists, hit a three-pointer to tie the game at the end of regulation and had nine of his points and three of his assists in the decisive sixth period. A game after dishing 20 assists, Nash used the flick of his wrist and the smooth, outstretched scoop of his hands to hit 16 of 25 shots in Phoenix's second highest-scoring game ever (173 vs. Denver in 1990 is the record). New Jersey, fueled by a scolding from team President Rod Thorn, ran its hearts out against Phoenix but stayed in step to make the Suns a tired team rolling into Boston for tonight's game. "I would've been sick if we would've lost," Nash said. "That's what it comes down to is just not wanting to lose. I don't care how many points or what happens in the storyline. Win or lose, that's all I was thinking about. "We had won or lost a number of times. It's mentally a great challenge to stay focused and on top." Even topping last year's Suns-Knicks triple-overtime thriller in New York, the teams combined for a tie for the fourth most points ever scored in a NBA game. The only scar left on the game was Nets coach Lawrence Frank's decision to leave in Vince Carter when he told his team to take a foul at the end of the fourth quarter. Carter, who was 13 of 17 from the field for 31 points, fouled out with 4.8 seconds to go. With 4.4 seconds to go in regulation and the Suns in a 133-130 hole, Nash used the best screener in the business, Kurt Thomas, to shake loose and dropped the tying shot off of one of 14 Boris Diaw assists. Nash was 6 of 7 from three-point range, as was Raja Bell before he fouled out in the first overtime. It was the league's highest scoring game in 16 years. "I just told our guys I think we can go home tonight and turn on classic NBA and it will be on already because that was the best game I have ever seen," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. " . . . Those two points guards have the will. They wouldn't let their teams lose."
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#17. To: All, robin (#16)
Suns won against Minnesota tonight. The current streak is now at 13. Minnesota came on strong in 2'nd quarter and took the lead twice. They wanted to end the streak, for a while it looked like they would. but Suns kicked ass big-time in 3'rd quarter and won by 29 points. Suns now go on a 5 game eastern road trip. It is overwhelmingly likely the streak won't last much longer as they play Washington Tuesday and New York Wednesday. both are formidable on their own home court. But their achievements this year are already legion. Suns are the only team in the league that is still undefeated in 2007. below is 'gameboys' summary, a fans' blog. Post game After a strange first half where the T-Wolves lurked by shooting a ridiculous 70%+ three point land, the Suns put down the hammer in the third quarter. They posted 46 points and ran away with it. Amar&eacte; Stoudemire led the team with 25 points and Marion had a whopping 20 rebounds. Nash quietly led the troops, with 16 points and 11 assists. Everyone contributed, coming together in the second half to send a message to the East. They join an elite 8 teams with two 13 game streaks in a season. Good news: all but two of those teams won championships that year. The East is going to be smashed by this team. When it clicks its almost scary to watch. See you again in Februry, if this squad is still rolling they will have streaked to 18 games. The East is weak and the Suns are rolling. Here's wishing Thomas gets well soon.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The real story in DC last note was not SOTU, it was Suns playing the Wizards. that's what I watched instead of the liar. Suns win streak is now at 14. Washington was the team that broke the Suns' first win streak at 15 when they beat the Suns after Suns were snowed in at Denver & had to travel all day (several hours on bus) and then went straight to arena in phoenix to play basketball. Last night Suns came out & scored 41 in 1'st quarter racking up 20 point lead before game had been played even 10 minutes. Tonight they play New York nicks in New York. Suns are now 1 of only 5 teams in league history to have 2 streaks in the same season at 14 games or more. They are truly part of an elite group now. Suns shot 61% last night. Steve Nash is shooting 50% from 3-point range for the season and 53% overall, as well as leading the league in assists. Suns lead the league in all offensive categories. Problem is - dallas mavericks are still #1 in the standings. Here is the story. Suns' fast start lifts streak to 14 Phoenix hits 14 of first 18 shots en route to 41-point 1st quarter in Washington Paul Coro The Arizona Republic Jan. 24, 2007 12:00 AM WASHINGTON - A mile down Pennsylvania Avenue and around a corner from where the State of the Union address was taking place, Phoenix was presenting the "State of the Suns." The Suns' midseason address drew bipartisan support Tuesday, thrilling Valley viewers with a loss-avenging 127-105 rout of East contender Washington while drawing more admired reactions than the Wizards earned from the sold-out crowd. The Suns' approval rating is soaring, there is no energy shortage and they rarely have a deficit. On pace for a 66-win season that would set a club record, the Suns go after a victory tonight in New York that would match the franchise record of 15 consecutive wins they set five weeks ago. "I can't find anything wrong," coach Mike D'Antoni said apologetically after gushing about a team that put seven scorers in double figures. "I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world." Tuesday's game was hardly about revenge for the Wizards' 144-139 win that broke Phoenix's 15-win streak. If anything, such talk annoyed the Suns. They made this clear: they play Washington better when they fly in 22 hours before tip- off rather than two hours before it, like their first game after the Denver blizzard. "We weren't the same team that came into Phoenix (Dec. 22)," D'Antoni said. "I think we surprised them a little bit." The Suns pounced on the Wizards, hitting 14 of their first 18 shots to build a 20-point lead in the first 10 minutes. Any MVP quandaries with Steve Nash and Gilbert Arenas looked moot as Arenas went 1 for 6 in the first quarter and Nash was 5 for 5 on his way to a 7-for-7, 8-assist, 18-point half. Against a fully loaded Wizards team that entered Tuesday with the East's best record, the Suns went on a 16-2 run that was shortly followed by four straight possessions of three-point scores, including a gorgeous Nash left-handed drive that blew by one defender and split two more. The 41-point first quarter matched a season high and the Suns did not relent despite Amaré Stoudemire playing 10 minutes in the first three quarters because of foul trouble. As the lead approached 30 in the second, the Suns' barrage of 11 first-half threes took the life out of Washington. A team Arenas calls "The Suns of the East" was walking the ball up and went to halftime down 76-51. Nash had as many assists (14) as the Wizards. The Suns shot a season-best 60.8 percent to score more than the Wizards had given up in regulation this season. "We played almost as well as we could play in the first quarter," Nash said. "After that, we were a C-plus for the night. We were certainly an A-plus in the first quarter."
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
I wasted several minutes watching SOTU. The thread here on 4um on SOTU is a better way to catch up on the Liar. Good for the Suns.
The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws. – Tacitus
I can't say enough about this Steve Nash fellow. I think he's about 34, he's only 6'2". He's a guard that runs the team very well, leads the league in assists AND ALSO shoots from 3-point range as well as any while he shoots 90% from free-throw line. He's won the MVP award each of the last 2 seasons and as he's improved his stats this year it is hard to think he won't win it for the third consequtive time which practically no players in league history have ever done. and he does this late in his career after some thought his best was behind him. Remember, Suns started 1-5 and have only lost 3 games since then. In 35 games they've lost 3. And Stoudemire the big center who is about 23 years old was out for year & a half while recovering from knee surgery before this season. He says he's going to add 4 inches to his vertical jump and keep improving. The other center Kurt Thomas is out for 6 weeks with injury. When playoffs come it will be very big for Phoenix. this team has never won an NBA championship. this team has always been the great offensive juggernaut of the league, but never won it all. The chicago bulls' players said Phoenix was their toughest opponent in their years of domination. this year!!!!! the juggernaut won't be stopped.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
oh the Suns won last night. They beat New York in New York by 7 points. now the streak is 15 games. they play Milwaukee tomorrow night.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Dallas Mavericks lost last night. That means Phoenix has best record in the league. Suns are 34-8. Dallas is 35-9. Suns play tonight against Milwaukee. below is story. Bulls snap Mavericks' 8-game streak Associated Press Jan. 25, 2007 08:33 PM CHICAGO - Ben Gordon scored 30 points, Luol Deng added 21 and the Chicago Bulls snapped the Dallas Mavericks' eight-game winning streak with a 96-85 victory Thursday night. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 28 points and 11 rebounds, who lost for just the second time in 23 games. After nearly blowing an early 17-point lead, the Bulls pulled away late in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki's 3 closed Chicago's lead to 79-76 with 4:31 left. P.J. Brown followed with a basket for Chicago and Kirk Hinrich followed with a 3, making it 84-76. Erick Dampier's dunk for Dallas cut the lead to 86-81, but Brown answered for Chicago by going around Nowitzki for a basket and hitting a jumper to put Chicago up 90-81 with 1:16 left. Brown scored of six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Suns won last night against Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee. This is #16 in the current streak. That is a franchise record. They have 2 more games on this road trip, Cleveland on Sunday & Minnesota on Monday. Then they come back home & play San Antonio, then Utah. Cleveland is a top eastern team. San Antonio & Utah are both very good. The streak can't last much longer. Every team is gunning for the Suns now. Story is below. No. 16 not so sweet Suns' record win comes despite lackluster effort Paul Coro The Arizona Republic Jan. 27, 2007 12:00 AM MILWAUKEE - Instead of champagne, the only thing spraying in the Suns postgame locker room was deodorant aerosol. Instead of celebratory hugs, there were only good-natured jabs being exchanged. The Suns set a franchise standard Friday in Milwaukee with a 98-90 victory, a club record-breaking 16th consecutive win that went immediately into the corner garbage with a toss more accurate than the night's shooting. Phoenix could not be too giddy about its record achievement after another lackluster effort needed to be saved by Raja Bell's 7-for-11 three-point shooting and Shawn Marion's 23 rebounds, his second 20-rebound game in six days after have one previously during his eight-year career. The Suns needed a stellar play from each late, a Bell three that made it 96-90 with 19.9 seconds to go and a Marion block that prompted a Bucks 24-second violation, to dispose of an injury-depleted Bucks team that lost for the sixth straight game. "We're not going to quibble," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We'll take this one and go on to the next one. I told our guys, 'We'll just throw this game away,' in the sense that we'll be proud of the streak and proud of what we've done and really happy about it." The Suns looked as though they might overcome some rugged offense early because a spell of zone defense surprised Milwaukee and shut out the Bucks for four minutes to put Phoenix ahead 20-9. But the Suns bench offered little, going 3 for 24 from the field to help keep the Bucks. The game had an undesirable pace and rhythm for Phoenix. D'Antoni said giving the team a day off Thursday probably contributed to Phoenix's first sub-100 point win since the Jan. 2 Chicago game. Phoenix had to rely on defense in the fourth quarter after losing much of a 14- point, third-quarter lead. Milwaukee missed 11 of 17 shots in the fourth as it tries to survive on Earl Boykins' and Charlie Bell's offense in the absence of Michael Redd and Mo Williams. "Our activity caused some problems," Marion said. "By doing that, we could get some loose balls, rebounds and steals. Sometimes, you can't go out and blow everybody out. We're just poised and taking what's given to us." The Suns led 91-81 with 4:43 to go but missed their next six shots and fouled frequently to help Milwaukee back. The victory was not safe until the Bucks defense collapsed hard once again on Nash and Amaré Stoudemire's pick-and-roll, leaving Bell in the corner alone for the cincher. "It was a win, but we didn't play the way we need to play to beat good teams," Bell said. "But we got away with it." Nash is finding the theme predictable. The Suns come out blazing for perceived challenges and have a wait-and-see look against teams with poor records or missing stars. "It's hard to feel real proud of it (the streak) because we haven't played as well as we can during most of the streak," Nash said. Who's been better? Here is a list of the teams in NBA history that have won more consecutive games than the Suns' current 16-game winning streak. TEAM STREAK SEASON L.A. Lakers 33 1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks 20 1970-71 LA Lakers 19 1999-2000 Chicago Bulls 18 1995-96 Boston Celtics 18 1981-82 New York Knicks 18 1969-70 San Antonio Spurs 17 1995-96 Boston Celtics 17 1959-60 Washington Capitols 17 1946-47
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Suns' record win comes despite lackluster effort I hope they don't find winning a bore.
The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people. ~Ron Paul
Suns just defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on national tv. They went into half-time tied. but in 2'nd half the Suns led the whole way. Cleveland is one of the top teams in the east. Suns beat them by 15. Steve Nash played 35 minutes, always handles the ball and had zero turnovers. They play Minnesota tomorrow night and will try to extend the streak to 18. here is story. Suns top Cavs to extend win streak to 17 By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) -- Steve Nash scored 23 points and kept Phoenix's high-energy offense purring with 15 assists as the Suns extended their winning streak to 17 games - the NBA's longest in seven years - by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-100 on Sunday. Shawn Marion added 23 points, Amare Stoudemire 22 and Leandro Barbosa had 19 for the Suns, who improved to 34-4 since opening the season 1-5. Phoenix, which had a 15-game win streak earlier this season, also matched a franchise record with their ninth straight road win and are 20-1 vs. Eastern Conference teams. The Suns haven't lost since Dec. 28, and with the way their running and sharing the ball right now, it's going to take a spectacular effort to beat them. LeBron James scored 30 points and Drew Gooden 19 to lead the Cavaliers, who were within four points going into the fourth. However, they couldn't match the Suns' blazing up-and-down pace and managed just 13 points in the final 12 minutes.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
the streak ended tonight in Minnesota. Minnesota Timberwolves played great in beating Suns especially Kevin Garnett who had 43 points. Suns were close the whole game and even up most of the game. but in the 4'th quarter they just plain did not do well. and Minnesota beat them. the crowd loved it. Suns are now tied with Dallas with best record in the league at 36-9. this is the first defeat for the Suns all year long. now it is back to Phoenix to play western conference teams. they won 4 out of 5 on this road trip to the east. They're now 20-2 against Eastern Conference teams. but they need to focus on beating the top western teams now because that's the competition. San Antonio on Thursday in Phoenix, then Utah on Saturday also in phoenix.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Wow! Home games next, that should be good.
The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people. ~Ron Paul
possibly the Suns have been a little bit lucky with these 2 big win streaks. because their schedule has been loaded with teams who don't have the best records, and some of those teams had their top players out when the Suns played them. So now the challenge is to beat the top teams like San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Utah & Los Angeles Lakers. But Suns succeeded in getting attention of all NBA fans.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
here's how the Suns have done since the last winning streak ended at 17. They beat San Antonio in Phoenix last Tuesday by a very nice margin. then they lost to Utah also in Phoenix on Saturday in a close game where they were down most the whole game but came back in the end to make it close. Then they beat Denver last night in Denver, but again the Suns were down the whole game and had to come back in the end. Tonight they beat Portland in Portland. they were ahead mostly the whole game, but in the end Portland came back & made it close. Portland took it into overtime and the Suns won by 5. Tonight's game was completely without Steve Nash who is considered a key person on the team as Nash is out with minor injury. The knock on the Suns is still that they don't do well against the top western teams. The top teams they need to be able to beat when playoffs come are Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Utah & LA Lakers. These are the teams the Suns haven't done well against, but haven't played them much either since the first 6 games of the season when the Suns lost 5 of those 6 games.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
That's no easy task. Good luck!
All wars are fought for money. The Suns lost last night against Atlanta in Phoenix. Atlanta has one of the 3 or 4 worst records in the league. Now phoenix is 39-11, a full 2 games behind Dallas who is 41-9 after winning easily last night against Houston. It's starting to look harder & harder to catch Dallas. The story last night was that Steve Nash was out for the 3'rd game in a row. He has a bruised shoulder. They're letting him rest it because they don't want it to turn into a nagging injury with the rest of the season coming and steve not going to get any rest even on all-star weekend. Steve Nash is the phoenix point guard & the play-maker, the catalyst. he leads the team in assists. Ever since Steve first arrived in phoenix 3 years ago the team is very good with him & mediocre without him. that's why he's two-time MVP winner. and likely will get it a 3'rd consequtive time. If he does that, then I think he'll be the only player in league history to do that 3 times in a row. here are pictures of Steve Nash. he used to play for Dallas Steve likes soccer & hockey too. He's from canada. This is Steve in game a few nights ago where he sat on bench - bruised shoulder Steve getting drunk steve gets a hair-cut once every 2 years. Nash is 2'nd best in league at free throw percentage. 2'nd best in league at overall field-goal percentage. and 2'nd best in league at 3-point field goal percentage. and #1 in league at assists. he can score as well as any from the outside. and he can take it right to basket in the middle of big men, and score. he rarely turns ball over. the fans don't recognize him as being best player in the league. that's why he's 2'nd string western conference all-star this year. the coaches do though, that's why he's likely to win MVP award for 3'rd consequtive year this year. A knock on the Suns is they don't have a great bench. Last night they let this guy play named Marcus Banques as point guard in 2'nd half. He scored a lot of points, but the ball didn't get passed around when he was in and our team lost badly. they've got 7 very good players and with Nash healthy they are formidable. it'll be tough to win the NBA championship. but they'll try.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Lost without Nash Suns' 11th loss of season comes to lowly Hawks Paul Coro The Arizona Republic Feb. 10, 2007 12:00 AM Joe Johnson recognized what was going on Friday as much as anybody. He saw it two years ago when he was with the Suns and Steve Nash was out hurt. The Suns barely resembled their high-paced, high-flying, high-scoring selves as they lost three games in the East without their soon-to-be MVP. Again faced with trying to generate the NBA's most powerful offense without its driving force, the Suns were able to escape defeat against one losing team in Portland but weren't so successful against Johnson's Atlanta Hawks on Friday, suffering a 120-111 loss at US Airways Center. advertisement "I understand, been there in that situation," Johnson said of a Nash-less Suns. "It's tough when the head of your engine is out, your big playmaker." Phoenix fell to 4-10 without Nash in the past three seasons. But even with the qualifiers of Nash's absence and Boris Diaw's back spasms limiting him all night, this was the Suns' worst game of the season. "Honestly, pretty disappointing," said coach Mike D'Antoni, whose Suns are 3-3 since a 17-game win streak. "I think we took a step back. We need to step it up. Certain guys need to step it up, and we didn't do it. Our intensity wasn't there." The Suns showed they could dominate Atlanta with an 11-4 start to the game and a 13-4 start to the second half. Stoudemire scored 14 in the second half's first 3:32, but Phoenix lost command when he left four minutes later with his fourth foul. For the rest of the game, they were outhustled and outexecuted. Raja Bell lamented the team's inability to follow the game plan and in-game instructions. "They wanted it more than we did," Bell said. When asked why that would be, "I don't want to say what I want to say." The Suns wasted Marcus Banks' best game with the Suns (20 points) but still had a chance when they led 96-95 with 5:39 to go. A scoreless stretch of five consecutive missed shots, two of which Josh Smith blocked, gave Johnson the chance to hit a second clutch three-pointer that put Atlanta ahead 106-97 with 2:36 to go. Johnson scored 17 of his 32 points in the fourth. "It's not a personal thing," Johnson said of beating his former team. He is trying to lead a revival of the Hawks, who have won four road games in a row. "I'm getting used to being a leader," Johnson said. Just as the Suns should get Nash back Sunday, the concern switches to Diaw's back spasms. They began Tuesday in Portland. Diaw aggravated his back on a layup in the first quarter, costing the Suns a second playmaker. "I wanted to dunk it, but my back stopped me," said Diaw, who did not play the second quarter or the game's final 3:54. "I was ready to come in but I wasn't 100 percent, and I didn't want to hurt the team."
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Basketball is a rougher sport than most people realize (especially pickup ball). What a versatile athlete.
Those who make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities. – Voltaire
Suns lost last night against Chicago in Phoenix by over 10 points. It was the first double-digit loss of the season. Nash was out again, and it looks like he's going to be out for a while as they announced he won't play tomorrow night and he won't play in this weekend's all-star game either. now the Suns are a full 3 games behind Dallas. it's extremely well demonstrated now that the Suns' quality of play is very much dependent on Steve Nash.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Last night the Suns lost 114-90 against Seattle. It was the 4'th game in a row without Nash and the 3'rd loss in a row. Nash says the team seems to have gotten used to him running things on the court and become dependent on him. Without him they're just not the same. Good news is we have all-star break and Nash will sit that out and rest. When the break is over in 1 week the Suns will get back from injury center Kurt Thomas, as well as Steve Nash and Boris Diaw. So after the break they'll come back. They still have 2'nd best record in the league. and time to make a run at Dallas. I think only foolish people doubt that Steve Nash is the legitimate MVP of the league.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
That's impressive. Playing w/o Nash didn't hurt his reputation.
In Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward's book about the Iraqi war, Plan of Attack, Lt. Gen. Tommy Franks, who was in charge of the operation, famously called Feith the "dumbest f****** guy on the planet."
here's a story from Arizona Republic saying that many basketball insiders expect that Phoenix will not win championship this season. but time will tell. Insiders favor Mavs over Suns Paul Coro The Arizona Republic Feb. 17, 2007 12:00 AM LAS VEGAS - Steve Nash can win the big one, but the Suns can't. That is the consensus among those watching Nash's bid for a third consecutive Most Valuable Player Award and Phoenix's quest for its first NBA title. The Suns have earned some respect. Coach Mike D'Antoni went his entire 30- minute media session Friday without being questioned about whether his style can win a title. But as much as the NBA gets comfortable with the idea of a Canadian three-time MVP, most league personnel and observers can't see the Suns getting past the Dallas Mavericks. advertisement "Dallas has been there," Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. "They've got the bitter taste of losing in the Finals. With that taste in their mouths, that experience and the way they've been going, Dallas is a huge favorite to me." For some, it's not that Phoenix can't win the title. With center Amaré Stoudemire back, Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas said the Suns have a dominating inside presence to give them "a great chance." "With Stoudemire back, no question they could (win a championship)," Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins said of the Suns. "Because you have to double him, you have everyone on the wings open for jump shots. Last year, they didn't have a great post player, and you were relying on those wings to break people down for shots. They have a shot with Dallas and San Antonio, but people don't even talk about San Antonio." But, as usual, the debate returns to Phoenix's defense. "Anybody can win a championship if you get hot with the scorers they have," said former center Bill Laimbeer, who won two titles with the Detroit Pistons. "If you make big shots and happen to get big stops, you can win. In a knockdown, drag-out series with both teams playing at their peak, it's unclear if (the Suns) could get enough stops to get it done." Former defensive star Michael Cooper, who played on five Los Angeles Lakers title teams, had even stronger doubts. "Not this year," Cooper said. "The Suns have a big team ahead of them that is so hungry that it's incredible. Dallas is going to be tough to beat. The Suns can put points on the board, but in order to win a championship, you've got to be able to stop some people. Until they get that in their repertoire, it's going to be difficult for them to challenge." Like Wilkins said, San Antonio has been omitted from much of the West title talk. But that's not true in Dallas, where guard Jerry Stackhouse recently said the Mavericks are more concerned with the Spurs, even as the Suns pressed them for the Western Conference's top seed. "Before it's all said and done, San Antonio is going to be there," Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "They are too experienced, with a great coach. They're going through a little slump, but once the playoffs come around, they'll be right there. Everything goes through them in the West." Nowitzki appears to be Nash's toughest challenger in the MVP race, especially if the Mavericks continue to have better overall and head-to-head records. Nash thought Nowitzki, one of his best friends, deserved it last season and is more worthy this time. "Dirk has shown so much growth in being a leader and selling out for his teammates, doing the little things to help his team win," Dallas All-Star forward Josh Howard said. "Steve deserves to be an All-Star, but it's time to move on. Steve can get the MVP next year. I want Dirk to get it this year." To some, Nowitzki is penalized for his good health. Nash's shoulder injury has caused the Suns to struggle recently, fueling his MVP consideration like it did during the 2004-05 season. "A lot of people, if Steve has been playing, might've been reluctant to give him three in a row," TNT analyst Reggie Miller said. "This is going to, as people have mentioned, help his case because he is the system. People see the system goes down without him."
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
you're right - everyone in the league was reminded how important Nash is to the Suns. He was out for 4 games, Suns lost 3 and played mediocre teams too. The same thing happened in each of the 2 previous seasons when he was out. Over a 3 year period since Nash came to Phoenix from Dallas when Nash is out with injury they win less than 25% of the games. and when he is not injured they win almost 75%. Nash came back from injury last night against the LA Clippers. Suns won 115- 90. Tonight they are up 14 points early in 3'rd quarter against Boston. Nash is in the game.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Suns beat Minnesota Timberwolves in Minnesota last night 116-104. Minnesota is the team that broke Phoenix' 17 game win streak last month. Kevin Garnett, the Minnesota star, played great as usual. But Phoenix just had too much firepower with Nash dishing assists out. Nash only scored 9, but had 15 assists. Shawn Marion of Phoenix had an excellent game. Marion has developed a pattern where without Nash in the game he doesn't do well, but with Nash he really shines. Next up is Atlanta on Sunday. Suns are still 3 games behind Dallas who just doesn't lose.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Sounds like more fun. If Nash stays uninjured for the next game against Dallas, who knows?
Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is. ~George W. Bush The Suns beat Atlanta on SUnday as we said, but you're never going to believe what the Suns did tonight. The Suns' games against eastern conference teams have been front-end-loaded on their schedule. and they have not lost a signle game on the road against an eastern conference game this entire season. That is an incredible record. and no team in league history has gone all season without losing on the road against a team from the opposing conference. Tonight the Suns played the 2'nd to last game against eastern conference teams on the road, all they had to do is beat Indiana tonight & Philadelphia tomorrow night on the road and they'd be the first team in league history ever to win all road games against the other conference all through the regular season. At end of 3'rd quarter they were down by 15 points. But in 4'th quarter they came back and kicked ass. Nash scored like crazy in 4'th quarter, Suns outscored them 2-1 and won the game 103- 92. They were down by 15 at end of 3'rd quarter and won by 11 at end of 4'th. The final matchup against eastern conference team is tomorrow night. If they win, then they will be the first team in league history to sweep the entire regular season on the road against the other conference. Philadelphia is a weak team. It is highly likely they'll win. It will all come down to the contest against Dallas in Western Conference Finals and that will not happen until late May. Dallas just never loses it seems. Suns are the great offensive team that is very exciting to watch, but everyone says they will lose to Dallas. We'll see.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Suns did lose tonight against Philadelphia 76'ers in Philadelphia. It was so ironic because after beating 14 of 15 eastern conference teams on the road this year prior to tonight all they had to do was win this last road game against an eastern conference team and thus they'd be the first team in league history go undefeated on the road against opposing conference the whole regular season. It seems the only team that lost only 1 game against opposing conference on road was Philadelphia in 1982-83. So they were literally trying to beat Philadelhia's record, and the team they had to beat to do it was Philadelphia. And Philadelphia has the worst record of any team this year in the league. Suns had 2 key players out with injury, Shawn Marion & Boris diaw. The Suns were just plain flat the whole game. Philadelphia kicked butt. But now it's time to focus on learning how to beat the top western conference teams. They'll play Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 1:30 PM on national tv.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
what are the chances?!
Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is. ~George W. Bush thanks for your interest. Glad you took time to read to see how ironic it was they lost to Philadelphia last night. Philadelphia wanted to protect the record and do something significant this season. They were really up for the game. They scored the first 10 points of the game and led by as many as 15. Suns did fight back and take the lead late in 4'th quarter, but Philly won in the end, very exciting. I think I'll stop posting on the Suns until playoffs come because it is a very long season. The regular season is 82 games long and it is really just a practice for the playoffs. They have 24 games yet to play in regular season. It is very unlikely they'll catch Dallas who has a remarkably good record. They'll be doing very good just to stay out in front of San Antonio & Utah in western conference. Now it is time to practice beating the western conference teams they have to play in playoffs. When playoffs come in late April I will likely post about Suns again. I was just so excited that they had the big game where they scored 161 points and then the 2 big winning streaks. But I'll wait until playoffs because it drones on forever. Suns are a big story this year for NBA fans because of their high scoring, exciting style of play. But until they beat Dallas in the western conference finals which will be in late May, they'll be an underdog.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Since I posted last about the Suns the Suns have built a 6 game win streak including tonight's win over Dallas. They beat the LA Lakers in a close game 99-94 where the Vegas bookies didn't even give the Suns a point spread, picked it even, despite the game played on PHoenix' home court & Phoenix having a significantly better record than the Lakers. That was big game because Lakers are very good team and the conventional wisdom has built up that Phoenix doesn't do well against such teams. Then the Suns squeaked by 2 mediocre teams in very tight games in Phoenix. Then they beat Houston Monday by over 20 points. That was a big game because Houston is a very good team. Dallas on Monday lost to Golden State Warriors and that ended their 17 game win streak. and tonight in Dallas the Suns got off to very quick start leading by as much as 16 in the 2'nd quarter. Then the Mavericks came back and closed to 7 at the end of the half. In the 3'rd quarter Dallas slaughtered the Suns and went up by 16 themselves. Then in the 4'th quarter both teams played well and it was very intense. The Suns were down by 12 with 10 minutes left. The Suns played fantastic defense and actually forced Dallas to not score many times. The Suns also were on fire in 4'th quarter offensively. Stoudemire the Suns center had 41 points for the game shooting 16 of 19. Nash scored 15 of his 32 points in the 4'th quarter. And amazingly, the Suns were down by 5 or 6 going into the last minute of regulation play, Nash scored 10 points in the last minute of play. He was awesome. The game went into overtime on a shot by Nash. Then in 1'st overtime the Suns were dominant, but Dallas came back in the end and put it into 2'nd overtime. In the 2'nd overtime Nowitzky of Dallas finally got tired and the Suns won, 129-127. That was a really big game. The background you might not know is that Dallas' best player is Nowitzky who is from Germany. And when Nash played for Dallas he used to work out all the time hours each day with Nowitzky. They are best friends in real life. They're both white fellows. They're both competing for the league MVP award. It was amazing to see 7 foot tall Nowitzky guarded by 6'2" Nash. You should've seen & heard the Dallas crowd. They stood on their feet all through the 3'rd quarter yelling as they know full well that Phoenix is likely their #1 competition. The way Phoenix scored so much in the last minute of play and took it into overtime shocked them. and then when Phoenix came from behind & took it again in the end of the 2'nd overtime they became silent. They were shocked. Nash made several super-plays especially at end of 4'th quarter. Everyone knows now that the showdown in May will be Phoenix and Dallas. But San Antonio has a 14 game win streak going and is coming up from behind Phoenix in the standings.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
I enjoy these updates especially the trivia. Yesterday I filled out my March Madness brackets for the Fantasy pool at work. A coworker said he read that March is the least productive month for employers and the highest producing month for bookies. :P
Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is. ~George W. Bush I'm glad you liked the updates. Last night will be seen as a preview of playoffs. The last quarter was super-intense in every possession and considered 'playoff' intensity. The Suns still before end of season in about 15 games get to play Dallas once more, San Antonio once, Houston once and Lakers twice. All those teams the Suns are likely to meet in playoffs and they'll focus on beating those teams. But in last 2 weeks Suns have beaten 3 top western teams, Houston, LA Lakers & Dallas. When playoffs come in late April there'll be 4 rounds of 7 game series until the eventual champion is selected in early June. It will be a big thing for the people who live in Phoenix. and as I said on other thread - the troops in Iraq too are big Suns fans.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Detroit Pistons beat the Suns last night in Phoenix 105-83. Detroit has the best record of all eastern conference teams and is known for defense. This was the first time all season the Suns scored less than 90. a huge victory on Wednesday night against dallas followed by a huge defeat against detroit Friday night. Suns have completed all their games now against eastern conference teams unless they make it to the NBA finals in June. And it seems most likely that Detroit or possibly Miami would come out of the east for that finals series. Suns finished 25-5 against all eastern conference teams for regular season. now all the remaining 13 games or so are with western conference teams. Detroit played excellent.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What a record! I'm enjoying following March Madness when I can. Future Suns on those courts somewhere. ;P
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12 KJV
yes, what a record. but tonight the Suns lost big again. Denver Nuggets won 131-107 in Denver. This is the 2'nd straight game after the big win over Dallas the Suns have been slaughtered. In both games Suns' 3-point shots were very low, like 15% & 22%. Suns are the best 3-point team in the league and average over 40%. They were weak in every category. Alan Iverson of Denver played great. and the Suns are healthy - all 8 of their top players that frequently play are healthy. absolutely incredible to win against Dallas and then lose so badly afterwards.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Suns played Dallas again on national tv today just like they did on March 14. Suns won again. Last time remember Suns won a come-from-behind double overtime game that was very emotional and played in Dallas. After that game Suns had a big emotional let-down and went 4-4 since then while Dallas went 9-0. In today's game it was very competitive with both teams playing great from the beginning. Dallas was up by 4 at their biggest lead in 1'st half. But Suns went into the half up by a few. and in 2'nd half Suns just wouldn't let up while Dallas finally got cold. Suns won by 22 going away in 4'th quarter. They shot 65% field goal percentage which is the highest of any team in the league this entire season. and they did it against one of the best defensive teams. The thinking on Suns is that they are bored with regular season and only get up for big games. There's still 9 games left in regular season and Suns play a lot of top western conference teams in that time. There's no way they'll catch Dallas as Dallas' winning percentage is about 85% while Suns is 75%. But it'll be challenge to stay ahead of San Antonio who is 2 games back & on a tear. Dallas wins consistently frequently winning by less than 5 points, but Suns have that explosive scoring and when that happens nobody can beat them. In playoffs the last 3 years since Dallas traded Nash to Phoenix in the playoffs these 2 teams are 12-12. Suns just closed out the regular season series against dallas at 2-2. Everybody's looking forward to playoffs.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Suns lost tonight 120-117 to Houston rockets. But the Suns were down 118-117 with 1 second left. and they were down by 9 with 2 minutes left. The Rockets played great, it was a fantastic game. Suns have 1 more game in the regular season. They will probably beat the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night and finish with 62 wins for regular season, just 1 shy of the franchise record 63 wins. They will finish with 2'nd best record. Dallas will win 67 or 68 games. The western conference has 4 top teams, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio & Houston. The last 10 days the Suns have lost to both San Antonio & Houston. But that's not such a bad thing. Those are very good teams. Any of these 4 top teams of the west when they play each other in the playoffs it will be a 6 or 7 game series. In the east the top teams are Detroit and Chicago. In one week we'll be playing in the playoffs. We're ready now. Houston played fantastic tonight. Their shooting percentage was very high, I think the Suns did great to come back and almost win in the end. First round in the playoffs the Suns should win easily in 5 games hopefully. But the 2'nd & 3'rd rounds will be against the likes of San Antonio or Dallas and those will take 6 or 7 games to win. It will be a great playoffs season.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Very good!
"The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes nor between parties either — but right through the human heart." — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Phoenix Suns won the first game of the playoffs, beating Los Angeles Lakers. Suns were down most of the game and came back to win easily. I think Kobe Bryant was very cold the last quarter and a half and that was the difference. But this a heckuva lot better than last year when the Suns went down 3-1 against the Lakers in the first round and had to win the last 3 games to advance. Suns need to win 16 games total to win the championship. Only 15 more.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Steve Nash is not the only player on the team. Here's a picture of Leonardo Barbosa. Yesterday he received 'Sixth Man Of The Year' award from NBA. http:/ /www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0424barbosa0424.html He's from Brazil. In the game against Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday he was fantastic. Soon they'll give out the 'Most Valuable Player' award and we're hoping that will be steve Nash. If he gets it, then he'll join an elite club of I think only 3 players to ever receive that award 3 years in a row. The top 3 teams in the west are Dallas, Phoenix & San Antonio. Both Dallas & San Antonio lost in game 1 of the first series. Tonight Phoenix plays game 2 against LA Lakers.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
From what you've shared, Nash deserves MVP.
"The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes nor between parties either — but right through the human heart." — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
from what I can tell the 2 players who are in serious competition for the MVP award are Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas & Steve Nash of Phoenix. Dirk's team won 85% of their games, the best record in league. Steve's team won 75% of their games, the 2'nd best record. Here are the stats from both players. http://www.nba.com/pl ayerfile/steve_nash/index.html http://www.nba.com /playerfile/dirk_nowitzki/index.html Since Steve played on the Dallas team, these 2 guys used to work out together and are according to media reports 'best friends' to this day. When they ask Dirk who will win the MVP he says 'Steve Nash'. When they ask Steve who will win the MVP he says 'Dirk Nowitzki'. Steve's shooting percentages are several points higher. They both shoot 90% on free throws. Dirk scores 25 points per game, Steve scores 19. Steve gets 4 rebounds per game, Dirk gets 9 rebounds per game. Dirk gets 4 assists per game, Steve gets 12 assists per game. and neither one fouls very much. Dirk's from Germany. Steve's from Canada. Dirk's 7'0". Steve is 6'2".
Galatians 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
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#18. To: All (#17)
#19. To: Red Jones (#18)
The real story in DC last note was not SOTU, it was Suns playing the Wizards. that's what I watched instead of the liar. Suns win streak is now at 14.
#20. To: robin (#19)
#21. To: robin (#19)
#22. To: All (#21)
#23. To: robin (#19)
#24. To: Red Jones (#23)
This is #16 in the current streak. That is a franchise record.
#25. To: robin (#24)
#26. To: All, robin (#25)
#27. To: Red Jones (#26)
#28. To: robin (#27)
#29. To: robin (#27)
#30. To: Red Jones (#29)
The top teams they need to be able to beat when playoffs come are Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Utah & LA Lakers.
~Socrates
#31. To: robin (#30)
#32. To: All (#31)
below is today's article from Arizona Republic. note that without Nash Suns in last 3 years since Nash came the Suns are 4-10. In other words, it seems without Nash the Suns are one of the worst teams in the league. with him they're one of the best.
#33. To: Red Jones (#31)
#34. To: robin (#33)
#35. To: robin (#33)
#36. To: Red Jones (#35)
So after the break they'll come back. They still have 2'nd best record in the league. and time to make a run at Dallas.
#37. To: robin (#36)
#38. To: robin (#36)
Playing w/o Nash didn't hurt his reputation
#39. To: robin (#36)
#40. To: Red Jones (#39)
Next up is Atlanta on Sunday. Suns are still 3 games behind Dallas who just doesn't lose.
(About the quote: Speaking on the war in Kosovo.)
#41. To: robin (#40)
#42. To: robin (#40)
#43. To: Red Jones (#42)
was Philadelphia in 1982-83. So they were literally trying to beat Philadelhia's record, and the team they had to beat to do it was Philadelphia
(About the quote: Speaking on the war in Kosovo.)
#44. To: robin (#43)
#45. To: robin (#43)
(Edited)
#46. To: Red Jones (#45)
It was amazing to see 7 foot tall Nowitzky guarded by 6'2" Nash.
(About the quote: Speaking on the war in Kosovo.)
#47. To: robin (#46)
#48. To: robin, Brian S (#46)
#49. To: Red Jones (#48)
This was the first time all season the Suns scored less than 90
#50. To: robin (#49)
#51. To: Robin (#50)
#52. To: robin (#49)
#53. To: Red Jones (#52)
In one week we'll be playing in the playoffs. We're ready now.
#54. To: robin (#53)
#55. To: robin (#53)
#56. To: Red Jones (#55)
he'll join an elite club of I think only 3 players to ever receive that award 3 years in a row.
#57. To: robin (#56)
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