San Antonio 92, Phoenix 87 (SA 4-1)
The past few years, the elimination of the Suns has come with a heavy seasoning of ‘what if’s’ and ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’s.’
Not this year.
Execution was the name of the game and the Suns absolutely did not execute. Point blank. There is nothing else to say about it. Not just tonight but the whole series. I sat here staring at the blank screen trying to figure out how to recap this game. It doesn’t matter that the Suns played great and came back and all of that. It doesn’t matter that Shaq missed all those free throws. What matters is that the Phoenix Suns did not execute late when the game was on the line and left the door open for the Spurs. My mom told me my freshman year of college when I was trying to social, if you leave your front door open long enough, someone is going to rob you. The Suns refused to close the door and can’t be surprised that the Spurs came in and took everything.
Awful analogy aside, that’s what it came down too. Steve Nash nails a big three to tie the game and Amare blocks Tony Parker’s layup on the other end. Everything right there would signify a big play. A Championship Play. I felt the series was going back to Phoenix, all they had to do was make a play. Chance #1 with the ball in their hands and Robert Horry of all people taps it away from Steve Nash. The same Robert Horry who has been MIA all year. The same Robert Horry who wouldn’t have been in the game had Tim Duncan been able to check in. Parker gives the Suns another chance by making one of two free throws. Chance #2 and Steve Nash throws a horrendous bounce pass to three Spurs and 1 Amare. Chance #3 has Boris Diaw literally gag and throw it to Brent Barry on the bench. And Chance #4, down 3, sees the ball go off Steve Nash’s hands and out of bounds.
(By the way, Bruce Bowen totally pushed Nash in the back with his left arm the whole way. But I disgress)
You cannot execute that poorly in the 4th quarter of the playoffs against anyone. Especially not against the defending champions on their home court. It would be like a parent leaving the cookie jar open all day, eventually their kids are going to eat the cookies. You can’t yell at them because you left it open. And we can’t make excuses for the Suns because they had the chances and couldn’t get it done. 4 turnovers in the final two minutes…yucky.
I could sit here and ramble on about how the Suns played a great game and this and that. It doesn’t matter because they couldn’t make championship plays down the stretch. No execution and that’s the real reason why this series is over. If they have that execution, if they make those plays, the Suns could have easily been the one’s winning the series 4-1. The only problem is, San Antonio made those plays every game and that’s why they won the series in 5.
One last thing…I find it funny that everyone was so eager to praise Steve Nash during his MVP run but no one is ready to call him out for not showing up this series. He didn’t. If T-Mac played like Nash did over the past three games he would be crucified so to speak.
Also…Mike D’Antoni should not be fired. That’s ridiculous. No Western Conference coach should lose their job because of this season. This was the toughest conference in league history. Teams who had great 52+ win seasons were guaranteed to go home in the first round. And honestly, who is out there on the coaching carousel that is a better option for the Suns than D’Antoni? Exactly. Don’t make a move just to make a move. It takes time to win a championship. Remember this is the same guy who got Shaq thrown on him, pretty much the opposite of his entire philosophy. He had to change everything he had preached, everything about his offense mid-way and find a way to work Old Shaq in the mix. And he did it magnificently in one of the better coaching jobs of the season. People say he got severely outcoached this series…first off he’s facing off against Popovich. Next, he made some pretty key adjustments (i.e. finding ways to make Boris Diaw dangerous. So let’s just cut this out. I can’t believe I actually have to say these things, its common sense.
Houston 95, Utah 69 (UTAH 3-2)
When a playoff team’s back is against the wall they have a few options. Win or Go Home obviously. But they can lose, win a tight one to keep their hopes alive, or win a big one. Houston won….big. I hesitate to say that this was a momentum changing win, but it definitely did nothing but boost the Rockets.
Let’s face it…ever since Alston has returned to the Houston lineup, the Rockets have won 2 of the 3 games, including one in Utah. The game they lost they were in until the very end and were a free throw rebound away from who knows what. They have to be confident, especially after a performance like tonight. It wasn’t like Alston or Scola had 30 or someone stepped outside of their box. Guys stepped up, but they played the way they could. Except the defense was terrific.
Utah has to be a little worried. Confident, but worried. Tonight their bench gave them zilch. Harpring, Milsap and Korver combined for 5 points. That’s 1 more than Houston got from Aaron Brooks and Mike Harris who only played two minutes. The Jazz have looked shaky ever since that Game 3 loss, and one has to wonder if they have what it takes to close a series out. Houston is going to come at them with desperation, can Utah respond? Let’s not forget the Jazz were 37-4 at home this year…unfortunately they are only 1-1 in the postseason.
Game 6 is their best chance, because I guarantee if this series comes back to Houston the Rockets prevail.
That’s a monster if.
New Orleans 99, Dallas 94 (NO 4-1)
24 points. 15 assists. 11 rebounds. Chris Paul, ladies and gentlemen.
Another year and another first round failure for the Dallas Mavericks. I will give them this: they fought. They could have easily packed it in during that second half, especially late. After a players only PRACTICE, it was pretty much expected that they would. But they fought. They didn’t necessarily play smart (ie Devean George taking a fadeaway threes when they still had a chance) but they fought back and were a Tyson Chandler tip-out from who knows what.
For Dallas, they were simply too old and without enough firepower to compete. Their bench is completely depleted especially on the perimeter with Jerry Stackhouse looking horrible all series, Devean George looking even worse and Eddie Jones not playing. Maybe that team would have been dangerous in 2001, but in 2008 it gets you beat. Paul was just toying with George all night in a rude fashion, kind of like a D-1 player playing pickup against a 5’3 scrub. It’s just cruel to watch.
The hammer is going to fall down and it is likely to fall right on Avery Johnson. Forget Mark Cuban, no one will target him. They’ll target Avery. And with good reason. I’m not sure what his legacy will be to be completely honest with you. But I swear, he has never been the same coach since Pat Riley and the Heat ran circles around him and Dallas in the Finals. Last year against Golden State it’s as if he wanted to prove that he would never be outcoached again…so he over strategized his way to a historic loss.
New Orleans definitely silenced the nay-sayers through the brilliance of Paul but also the play of his teammates. He doesn’t get 15+ assists three times without them knocking down shots. Kudos to Byron Scott for getting everyone else on that team to believe in themselves and kudos for Paul for raising their game with his. They will be handful for the Spurs.
The good news: at least Josh Howard can smoke for a few months.
Detroit 98, Philly 81 (DET 3-2)
The good news for Philadelphia: Andre Igoudala finally showed up in a bi
g way.
The bad news: no else on his team did.
The even worse news: the real Pistons showed up.
The worst news of all: the real Chauncey Billups was in the building.
Iggy may have tossed in 21 points but none of his teammates his double figures until it was far too late. Also, Chauncey Billups had 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter. That 14 points was three more than he scored in Game 3, five more than he scored in Game 2 and equivalent to what he scored in Game 1. Let’s welcome Chauncey to the 2008 NBA Playoffs!
If we’re praising Atlanta for taking a hold of a lost series, we have to say that Philly had it and is watching it slowly slip away. They definitely had their chance but that third quarter in Game 4 is going to haunt them for a while. Maybe they can ride the swagger and passion of Mo Cheeks and the Philly crowd to a Game 6 win. Then again, maybe they can’t. Can we really trust Iggy, Andre Miller and Willie Green on the road in a Game 7? I’m not so sure.
When the Pistons are the Pistons they are tough. The only problem is they don’t know when they want to be the Pistons.