VS
It took me 30 minutes to figure out how to do the pictures.
First Half Thoughts
- Amare Stoudemire is going to have to step up his defense if the Suns want to have any shot at the title. For one he’s getting outplayed by Erick freakin Dampier (8 pts, 6 reb) and secondly he is killing them on pick-and-roll defense. It’s ok though San Antonio doesn’t run that so they should be alright. Oh wait yeah they do.
- Devin Harris is pulling a Rondo in the first half with 14 points, only 1 assist. Never good when Dirk has more assists than your point guard. He got them going in the first quarter and was the main reason they built that 17-point first quarter lead.
- Very weird to see Phoenix use defense to get themselves going in that 2nd quarter but it happened.
- Phoenix has to box out and stop giving Dallas second shots, they have to get to the foul line and they have to get something from Boris and Amare.
8:08 – First pick and roll of the second half and Amare still looks confused. Josh Howard ends up taking it to the rack for a runner to put the Mavs up 60-54. Huge sequence as Amare got his dunk attempt BEAT UP by Dampier but he sprinted back and blocked Devin Harris’ layup attempt. Jeff Van Gundy…..giddy to say the least.
8:10 – Devin Harris clanks his first jumper of the half which leads to a Phoenix fast break. Grant Hill and-1. Harris then goes by Steve Nash for a layup. Hmm. The sad part is Nash was playing off him trying to force him to shoot a jumper.
8:11 – Dirk forces up a shot, misses it and Phoenix goes on the break. One Matrix dunk later and the Suns are only down 64-63. You’d think Dallas would learn to a) not take bad shots or b) run back on defense. They learned neither.
8:13 – The KIA Motors commercial with all the people going ‘3…2…1….EHHHHH’ plays for the 100th time tonight. I want to vomit until I watch the dad’s defense against his daughter at the end. Gets me everytime, any real dad would’ve blocked her shot.
8:16 – Devin Harris penetrates, jumps in the air and somehow finds Josh Howard for an open three. I only talk about this because even the cameraman didn’t know where Howard was.
8:17 – Josh Howard with a transition jumper and they are killing. The zone defense is causing Phoenix some issues because Amare is just getting bodied by Dampier and there is no one to kick to. As I type that Devin Harris hits a three and just like that its 72-63 Dallas with 7:11 left in the third. The runs in this game have been crazy. I almost guarantee the Suns come back.
8:22 – Raja Bell clanks a corner three…he’s gotta start getting that shot going he’s like their only shooter. Nash forces it in to Stoudemire and its a turnover. Amare is officially on some other planet tonight.
8:23 – Dampier ges another offensive rebound. He has 4, the Suns have 4. Amare gets torched on another pick-and-roll…almost saves the day with a block but its a goaltend. 74-65 Dallas.
8:24 – Eddie Jones flops on Amare and the refs give it to him. Yucky. Somewhere a Suns fan is writing a letter to David Stern crying. Dirk with a nifty left hand layup and just as I count the Suns out Seve Nash drains a three. And just as a type that Dirk hits a two. This. Is. Hard.
8:26 – Steve Nash gets Amare a two-hand dunk which hopefully will give him sort of confidence. 78-72 Dallas.
8:29 – Grant Hill must have laced his FILA’s up, eaten his McNuggets and drank some Sprite cause he just blocked Josh Howard’s shot like he had two ankles. Rare missed layup by Nash in transition though.
8:29 – Story of Boris Diaw right here: Nash penetrates and finds Diaw under the hoop. Should be a layup right? No. Two defenders run at Diaw and he backs up and shoots a midrange jumper. Only Boris would turn an open layup into a contested midrange jumper.
8:30 – Diaw drains a Duncan like bank shot to cut the lead to 78-74. And no I’m not apologizing.
8:32 – JVG basically calls Howard a dirty player in nice words. Does anyone else think Avery needs to shave the mini-fro? Steve Nash is out of the lineup and it does not look good. Boris Diaw just threw a pass to no one…what is wrong with him?
8:34 – Phoenix is giving up entirely too many offensive rebounds right now and it is killing them. Josh Howard is taking over the game. He has 20 points on 8/17 shooting but he is getting to the line. He reminds me of D-Wade with the way he’s throwing his body all the way around.
8:39 – Avery Johnson makes me happy that they are interviewing the coaches in between quarters. He should be miked up at all times. Start of the fourth quarter…Phoenix has got to make a run here pretty fast.
8:40 – Reasons why Phoenix is losing: Only 3 three-pointers, 8 free throw attempts compared to Dallas 19, 12 turnovers, Amare being on a different planet and Boris Diaw sucking. I could have kept going.
8:42 – Steve Nash needs to get back in AND Boris Diaw should not be anywhere near Dirk on defense. Yet Barbosa is “running the show” and Diaw is getting demolished by Dirk.
8:42 – Shawn Marion switches on him and they get a turnover. Simple Simon. But then he overthrows Raja on a fast break. Put. Nash. Back. In.
8:43 – Phoenix again turns the ball over minus Nash. Devean George with a breakaway AND HE MISSES THE LAYUP. Gets his own rebound and puts it in. 89-77 Dallas with 9 minutes left in the game…Steve Nash STILL not in the game.
8:45 – Jeff Van Gundy makes the ‘Marcus Banks’ argument as Nash re-enters the game. Does anyone remember when Marcus Banks dropped 20 earlier (all 3’s) and some idiot picked him up in fantasy. I sure do.
8:51 – Jason Terry with a deep 3 to put Dallas up 96-82. The crowd is roaring and Phoenix has looked awful this quarter. Harris wraps Amare up before he gets a sure dunk..I’ve never seen that before but I like it.
8:52 – Marion floater off a pick and roll cuts the lead to 10…can Phoenix make one last run???
8:53 – The answer…NO. Phoenix gave up three straight offensive rebounds. You can’t give anyone four chances to score.
8:54 – Another offensive rebound for Dallas…this is ridiculous. Howard and Dampier both have 5 offensive rebounds or 1 less rebound than Amare has on the whole night.
9:00 – Avery doesn’t go to Howard, instead running a play for Dirk. Unfortunately Shawn Marion owns Dirk and makes him lose the ball and forces him into a tough fadeaway. Phoenix actually gets the rebound for once and Nash delivers to Amare who gets a dunk AND ONE. 98-1 Dallas with 4 left.
9:00 – Amare blocks Josh Howard and then rips it from his hands. They needed this like five minutes ago. Nash attacks the basket and gets fouled. He can cut it to five and put Phoenix right back in this game. He of course makes one of two, 98-92. Phoenix really needs a stop.
9:02 – They of course foul. Terry makes both free throws but you can’t count the Suns out as Nash gives Amare a dunk and Marion gets a steal. He gets fouled. It’s 100-94 with 2:56 left in the game.
9:07 – Marion makes the mistake of the game. Stackhouse is posting up Raja Bell and Marion stupidly goes down to help. Ok if he was guarding Dampier. Unfortunately he was guarding Dirk who calmly drains a three pointer. 103-96 with 2 minutes left.
9:08 – Amare with a turnaround J to cut it down to 5. They absolutely positively need a stop. Dirk posts up Marion and drops in a shot to put them up 105-98. Nash responds with a 2 to cut it to 5 with 1:10. They need a stop and they get it! Amare flops on Dampier off the ball and its still anyone’s ball game.
9:09 – The winner of the worst flop in NBA history: Amare Stoudemire.
9:10 – Nash got stripped and immediately complains to the refs. The Suns are quickly becoming a bunch of whiners. Dirk gets fouled and makes one of two. Amare lays it in to cut it to 106-102.
9:11 – Jason Terry turns the ball over, Nash throws a layup off the glass and misses. Amare gets the rebound and gets hacked by Dirk…..ANNNNND ONE! He’s going to the line and he makes it. 106-105 Dallas with 8.5 seconds left. Holy crap.
9:13 – Ball goes to Dirk and he gets fouled. 7.3 seconds left as Raja Bell sprained his ankle on the play. HASSSLEHOFF! Dirk makes the first one.
9:16 – The ‘foul or dont foul’ debate is on. Dallas doesn’t as Phoenix runs a nifty play inbounding to Marion in the mid-post who skipped it to Steve Nash. Unfortunately he airballed it and the Mavs pull out the win. Lord only knows what would have happened had the Suns actually played hard in the first and third and found a way to rebound the ball.