Detroit at PHX

[Reality]

mini statement game.
Who do you like?
I'm gonna say i think the Detroit guards will keep up with/slow Nash down enough to win.  At PHX tho it wont be easy.

[westkoast]

Im gonna go with PHX.  Billups cannot guard Nash effectively for the whole entire game.

[SPURSX3]

I hope detroit comes through for san antonio and beats the Suns.

[rickortreat]

I think the Suns will be too much for Detroit.  Between Stoudamire and Marion, Detroits defense will be so occupied that everyone will get open.

Suns are more athletic than Detroit.  As long as they can control the tempo, I don't think Detroit can stay with them.  

[Reality]

That was fun.
Detroits D in the final 1:10 baffled me.  Pistons blow end of 3rd Qtr 10 point lead to trail by 7 in the 4th.  17 point swing.  Fought back to trail only 95-94, bout a minute left.  Letting Nash get that wide open 3 when both Detroit players went for the "roll" on the pick n roll.  Props to Nash for drilling it.  More baffling was the next PHX possession when they switched thus BenWa was on Nash.  Okay still dont need to give up BenWa, just go with it and play him.  Seems like BenWa instead said "this won't work" and hacked an intentional foul on Nash.  Hello?!  90% FT shooter.  

The Stoudamire 5 step shuffle. :rolleyes:

Okay well at least Pistons got the final shot off.

[jn]

"The Stoudamire 5 step shuffle."

Worst. Call. Ever!  I was expecting Sheed or Brown to rip the refs throat out with their teeth.

Entertaining game though.    

[rickotreat]

Stoudamire 5 step shuffle?  Like he wasn't fouled on the play?  A couple of times at least?  

Suns didn't control the tempo as I had hoped, but they did grind it out against a tough Piston team and shoot lights out under their pressure.  

Ben Wallace on Nash was a joke.  Brown couldn't figure out how he wanted that play defended all night.  Whatever they tried, the couldn't defend it effectively.

Suns are a scary good team.    

[westkoast]

Boy did Nash have his way with the Pistons defense last night.  When you have almost as many assists as you do points you know that you are running your offense perfectly as the point guard.

[Guest_Randy]

I enjoyed this game a lot -- very exciting with a lot of runs.  I still don't know if this was the "statement" game that it was promised to be.  In the end, the Suns still have to prove they can execute their offense and play defense well enough in the playoffs to win a title.  

I do think, at this point, that Stoudamire is incredibly tough to guard -- very explosive to the basket.  Steve Nash again proves why he is the MVP this year, IMO.  Several players (on both teams) had poor nights shooting the ball -- Hamilton and Ben Wallace as well as Johnson and Marion (obviously some of this was due to defense).  

I think that the Suns have a real shot against SA -- but I still think that SA wins -- if not on experience alone!  TD can't guard Amare but Amare can't guard TD either.  The Spurs have a couple of great defenders in Bowen and Manu (not to mention Barry) but the screen and rolls that the Suns run will eventually get shooters open.  Marion is a very good defender as well but I still think that San Antonio edges Phoenix.  It's obvious that Phoenix counts on Steve Nash a lot -- perhaps too much -- when he leaves the game, it gets ugly for Phoenix.  Nash is going to have to play HUGE minutes down the stretch for Phoenix!

[Reality]

It's obvious that Phoenix counts on Steve Nash a lot -- perhaps too much -- when he leaves the game, it gets ugly for Phoenix.  Nash is going to have to play HUGE minutes down the stretch for Phoenix!

Randolph,

True it is that Nash is a huge piece of the puzzle, however last night was indeed a mini statement for PHX.  Not because they won, but because it did not get ugly when Nash left.  It got better for PHX.  Nash was playing thru a hurt hamstring.  Det was up 74-62 when Nash sat for almost a qtr.  3:00 left in 3rd till 6 min left in 4th.  In that span p.g. Leandro Barbosa the Brazillian Spurs Draftee did okay.  He did fine.   Stoudamire and Jimmy Jackson had some nice back n forths and the Suns actually closed to 84-83.  11 point swing.  All with Nash on bench.  

This is a huge change compared to previous Nash outs.  Earlier this year when Nash Crashed the Suns eclipsed from 118ppg to like 88-90.  ouch.  However in the most recent entire game Nash sat out, the Suns did much better then earlier Nash outs.  Add last night and it could be the Suns have figured out how to play when Nash rests, which he will need to do at least 5 minutes a game in Playoffs.

With all that PHX did it was surprising to see Larry Browns team act so befuddled over a simple pic n roll.  Lets see what comes next.  Phx-Detroit would make a nice 7 game series but I think the Spurs have the bases covered to take out PHX, should it come to Spurs-Suns.