Bobcats at Suns 7PM FSN AZ

[FArting]

After their worst offensive showing of the season, the Phoenix Suns will get a chance to rebound against a team they've dominated in recent years.
The Western Conference-leading Suns will try to avoid their first-ever loss against Charlotte as they host the Bobcats on Monday.Phoenix (33-14) lost 84-81 to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, ending a three-game winning streak. The Suns are the second highest-scoring team in the league with 109.2 points per game, but were held under 90 for just the third time in their lowest-scoring night of the season.The Golden State Warriors lead the NBA with an average of 109.6 points."We never got into a good rhythm offensively," said Suns forward Grant Hill, who scored 10 points. "I don't know if it was us or their play defensively. We never got in sync offensively."Shawn Marion had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Steve Nash added 17 points and eight assists, and Amare Stoudemire finished with 16 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, who shot just 38 percent. The only time they posted a lower percentage came on Jan. 10, when they made 36.1 percent of their attempts in a 108-86 defeat at Utah.Phoenix, tied with the Jazz for first in the NBA with a .492 field-goal percentage, fell to 2-8 when scoring fewer than 100 points."We just didn't have a great energy about us offensively, and I don't know why," Nash said. "We just never broke into our rhythm. It happens from time to time, but it's disappointing because we could have won regardless."The Suns will have a good chance to bounce back on Monday -- they are one of just two teams, along with Dallas, never to have lost to Charlotte (18-30). In seven games against the Bobcats, Phoenix has averaged 117.9 points and outscored Charlotte by more than 17 points per game."We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but it's like (Suns coach) Mike D'Antoni said -- if shooting the ball is our problem right now, then we can easily cure that because we're such a great offensive team," Stoudemire said. "But defensively we're doing good."
Eight Suns scored in double figures in the first meeting between the teams, a 115-83 rout in Charlotte on Nov. 6."That Phoenix team is a tough team. They play well together," said first-year Charlotte coach Sam Vincent, who suffered his first loss in that game. "They just kind of overmatched us tonight."
The Bobcats have managed to record their first-ever wins against two teams this season, beating the Los Angeles Clippers twice and Memphis once.However, they have dropped their last three games, including Saturday's 117-101 defeat in Denver. Jason Richardson matched his season high with 38 points but managed only two free throws in the fourth quarter for Charlotte, which is wrapping up a five-game road trip.Raymond Felton scored 14 points on a sprained left ankle, but Gerald Wallace, who leads the team in scoring at 21.2 points per game, sat out with a sprained right ankle. Vincent said he expects Wallace to miss about a week."We want to be more cautious than aggressive," Vincent said. "We're not going to push it. We're going to give him the time to rest."

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=280204021

Bobcats 95
Suns 115

Amare

 

[kman72]

im a bobcat fan an am pretty sure yall will destroy us, our best player (wallace) is out. an felton and mcginnis are both playing hurt. we can't really run like yall, hopefully J-rich shoots well is our only chance!

 

[jbeecham]

Hey KMan72, I wouldn't count your Bobcats out just yet. When one of your main guys is injured, it can make everyone else on your team increase their intensity. The Suns have a tendency to take teams more lightly when a guy is injured on the other team (especially if that team is sub .500). They think they can just show up and win without trying too hard or "turn it on" when they need to and win. We've lost to some bad teams and injured teams because of their cockiness. I'd rather play the Bobcats at full strength to reduce the chance of the Suns taking them lightly. You'd think they'd learn by now you can't do that in the NBA after losing to the TWolves twice, the Heat (with no D-Wade) & the Clippers.

 

[elindholm]

After their worst offensive showing of the season, the Phoenix Suns will get a chance to rebound against a team they've dominated in recent years.

Unfortunate choice of words. The Suns always have the "chance to rebound," but they rarely take advantage of it. It's like any time the ball doesn't go in the basket it picks up cooties and no one wants to touch it.

 

[LV-Suns]

im a bobcat fan an am pretty sure yall will destroy us, our best player (wallace) is out. an felton and mcginnis are both playing hurt. we can't really run like yall, hopefully J-rich shoots well is our only chance!

just asking
whats up with Okafor this year?

 

[mjb21aztd]

Lets go suns beat the bobcats

Suns 115

Bobcats 103

Leading Scorer Amare

 

[HooverDam]

One thing we can all agree on, the Bobcats logo and colors are heinous.

 

[Bufalay]

i hope the bobcats win, we need them to catch the hawks!!!

 

[jandaman]

i hope the bobcats win, we need them to catch the hawks!!!

i like this thinking... Hawks still can miss the playoffs.... hehe

But Suns will win... should win

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Earl Boykins picked up by Charlotte, heh.

 

[Roca Dolla]

...................

 

[Nash2Amare]

defense bloooows

 

[kman72]

okafor is kinda overated, often injured with knick nack stuff, good player but thinks hes as good as (dwight Howard) an wants that kind of $. but he is averaging like 15 and 10 but its all dunks an easy layups nothing really on his own. its his last year on cobntract alot of trade talk is starting to begin. weve already offered multiple contracts but he wants max $!!! ohhh but he is a really good blocker the guy times alot perfect get 2-3 blocks most games, last year he had a game with 10 blocks!

 

[Proteus]

Hmmm...poor defense and poor offense, yet we lead 31-28 at the end of the 1st quarter.

Suns shot 42% field goals and the Bobcats 60%.

 

[Roca Dolla]

suns defense is a joke!!!

diaw is a pusssy!!!

deantoni is a moron!!!

 

[mjb21aztd]

what the heck we should be blowing out the bobcats without Wallace come on suns wake up... I always hate how we play down to the other teams lvl

 

[Ciani]

Looks like it was a terrible idea to start Hill over Diaw. Of course it can work in the long run, but I dont believe it, the Suns played much better basketball with Boris in the starting lineup.

 

[green machine]

suns defense is a joke!!!

diaw is a pusssy!!!

deantoni is a moron!!!

 

[mjb21aztd]

Come on hope that shot counts by Marion

 

[JS22]

Does anyone honestly think the Suns are a Championship team?

 

[Ninjafish]

Does anyone honestly think the Suns are a Championship team?

Uh, yes?

They're #1 in the west, even if they do have a bad habit of playing down to teams.

 

[Proteus]

Great shot by Marion.

Overall a poor half by the Suns offensively and defensively. Suns are shooting 43.5% and the Bobcats are shooting 52.5%.

Yet we still lead 54-51 at the half.

Boris seems to have regressed coming off the bench and Hill has shot poorly.

 

[kman72]

we (the bobcats) decided to play big, wallace out hurts our Offense alot, but hey were still in it, if we don't get a lead in the 3rd were in trouble we always play good for 3 quarters then we struggle, we were up last game against denver by 5 at the end of the 3rd then we lost by almost 20, so we need a good 3rd then a solid 4th

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I don't know how many people are going to agree with this but I think barbosa and the "confidence" the coaching staff has given him is a detrmient to this team.

Ever notice that when Barbosa gets "his" we always seem to play a closer game or lose. And he always seems to get "his" against scrub teams. Case in point tonight.

To me Barbosa is a black hole and I think the rest of the team just stands around and watchs him half the time. For a team that requires total commitment from everybody else to have energy, be scrappy and play frantic "D" I think Barbosa just takes the wind out of everyone with his forays to the hoop and pop-gun mentality shooting the ball.

Again its ridiculous he takes the most shots on this team. And hes so damn cute and cuddly that any time anyone takes him to task, they look like the bad guy. I'm sure its frustrating for a guy like Amare as one of the five best scorers in the league to watch this little 6'3 whippet jack it up without even looking else where.

I might be sitting alone but consider me part of the trade Barbosa bandwagon.

 

[LV-Suns]

okafor is kinda overated, often injured with knick nack stuff, good player but thinks hes as good as (dwight Howard) an wants that kind of $. but he is averaging like 15 and 10 but its all dunks an easy layups nothing really on his own. its his last year on cobntract alot of trade talk is starting to begin. weve already offered multiple contracts but he wants max $!!! ohhh but he is a really good blocker the guy times alot perfect get 2-3 blocks most games, last year he had a game with 10 blocks!

alright
just wondering when i saw couple game when Nazr was getting almost the same mins as Okafor on some games