azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
May. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
When the TKO was recorded, Joe Johnson looked like a sparring partner who jumped in the wrong ring.
When the final buzzer sounded, his teammates didn't look much better.
They were spared only the stitches and the hospital visit.
Yes, you can put the brooms back in the closet. The race to a title has been temporarily derailed. The entire look of the postseason has changed.
Suddenly, the Suns hit the road with a heavy burden of pressure, needing to steal a win in Dallas to keep the edge in this series. This task arrives with the uncertain future of Johnson, who will miss Game 3, possibly much more.
"A broken cheekbone, right?" Shawn Marion said. "My prayers go out to my man."
Technically, it was an orbital fracture and a mild concussion, and the news couldn't be worse. Marion might want to save a prayer for a basketball team that didn't have much depth to begin with.
"Joe is a key player; Joe brings a lot to the table," Amaré Stoudemire said. "If he's not there, we're just going to have to bring the same intensity."
Ugh. Jimmy Jackson will replace Johnson, but the two JJs are not exactly the same, and the growing civic giddiness will be replaced by anxiety and dread. This is how fast the postseason can change.
"These are the things that happen in the playoffs," Quentin Richardson said.
So, after imposing their will on the fragile, fraying Grizzlies, the Suns find themselves tested for the first time this postseason. It would've been bad enough to lose a game like they did on Wednesday, when the hosts were trapped, caged and jarred out of their high-flying offense.
They lost their treasured ball movement, getting suckered into a bunch of individual battles. They incurred a stunning violation for not getting the ball across halfcourt in time, which is like a NASCAR driver being cited for driving too slowly.
"We weren't sharp, and then the biggest thing was that I thought we got out of character," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said.
But they lost their poise, too. They lost chances to steal the game near the finish line. Needing a basket to tie on their final possession, the best team in basketball settled for a desperate three-point attempt from Richardson.
"It was just me. I was going for the kill," Richardson said. "That's who I am. That's what I know. If I had to do it all over again, I'd take the same shot."
After taking a hard fall in Game 1, the Mavericks vowed they would get off the canvas. There were no signs of a lingering rift between teammates. The stylish Michael Finley filled it up on one end and did his part to control Stoudemire on the other. Dirk Nowitzki's game-winning shot trumped the game-tying shot of his buddy, Steve Nash. Even the Mavericks' coach, Avery Johnson, found his footing.
"I'm not wearing those old church shoes anymore," said Johnson, who also took a tumble in Game 1. "Can't wear anything with alligator on them. That's only for Sundays."
Now, the Suns are scrambling. The momentum has shifted, and so have the perceptions. They need to win without their blossoming star, a player who has never missed a game during his career in Phoenix.
"We're a little disappointed. It didn't seem like we played Suns' ball," Marion said. "Good news is, we have a better road record than we do a home record."
Yes, and now is the time to prove that some numbers don't lie, and some dreams don't die easily.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/0512bickley0512.html
The Arizona Republic
May. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
When the TKO was recorded, Joe Johnson looked like a sparring partner who jumped in the wrong ring.
When the final buzzer sounded, his teammates didn't look much better.
They were spared only the stitches and the hospital visit.
Yes, you can put the brooms back in the closet. The race to a title has been temporarily derailed. The entire look of the postseason has changed.
Suddenly, the Suns hit the road with a heavy burden of pressure, needing to steal a win in Dallas to keep the edge in this series. This task arrives with the uncertain future of Johnson, who will miss Game 3, possibly much more.
"A broken cheekbone, right?" Shawn Marion said. "My prayers go out to my man."
Technically, it was an orbital fracture and a mild concussion, and the news couldn't be worse. Marion might want to save a prayer for a basketball team that didn't have much depth to begin with.
"Joe is a key player; Joe brings a lot to the table," Amaré Stoudemire said. "If he's not there, we're just going to have to bring the same intensity."
Ugh. Jimmy Jackson will replace Johnson, but the two JJs are not exactly the same, and the growing civic giddiness will be replaced by anxiety and dread. This is how fast the postseason can change.
"These are the things that happen in the playoffs," Quentin Richardson said.
So, after imposing their will on the fragile, fraying Grizzlies, the Suns find themselves tested for the first time this postseason. It would've been bad enough to lose a game like they did on Wednesday, when the hosts were trapped, caged and jarred out of their high-flying offense.
They lost their treasured ball movement, getting suckered into a bunch of individual battles. They incurred a stunning violation for not getting the ball across halfcourt in time, which is like a NASCAR driver being cited for driving too slowly.
"We weren't sharp, and then the biggest thing was that I thought we got out of character," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said.
But they lost their poise, too. They lost chances to steal the game near the finish line. Needing a basket to tie on their final possession, the best team in basketball settled for a desperate three-point attempt from Richardson.
"It was just me. I was going for the kill," Richardson said. "That's who I am. That's what I know. If I had to do it all over again, I'd take the same shot."
After taking a hard fall in Game 1, the Mavericks vowed they would get off the canvas. There were no signs of a lingering rift between teammates. The stylish Michael Finley filled it up on one end and did his part to control Stoudemire on the other. Dirk Nowitzki's game-winning shot trumped the game-tying shot of his buddy, Steve Nash. Even the Mavericks' coach, Avery Johnson, found his footing.
"I'm not wearing those old church shoes anymore," said Johnson, who also took a tumble in Game 1. "Can't wear anything with alligator on them. That's only for Sundays."
Now, the Suns are scrambling. The momentum has shifted, and so have the perceptions. They need to win without their blossoming star, a player who has never missed a game during his career in Phoenix.
"We're a little disappointed. It didn't seem like we played Suns' ball," Marion said. "Good news is, we have a better road record than we do a home record."
Yes, and now is the time to prove that some numbers don't lie, and some dreams don't die easily.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/0512bickley0512.html
