Calm Down: A Series Doesn't Begin Until The Home Team Losses!

[High Stakes]

Enough with all the fire MD talk, enough with the barbosa, diaw, and bell BLOWS talk (even though they do).....There is still hope fellas, if we can somehow win on friday night, the series will be 1-2....you know the suns will come out like gangbusters mid-day game on ABC and can even the series at 2-2....if this happens the momentum is back on our side. we go back to SA 2-2 knowing we can beat their a**...all of a sudden it is 3-2 and we have 2 close out opportunities....

Ye' with little faith, lets keep the negative/draft chatter until the final whistle has sounded....granted we could get swept but lets DO THIS....

 

[AfroSuns]

I seriously think this series will go 7, the question is will the suns have the mental and physical toughness to win a decisive game in SA? If they can tie the series by sunday, i think they can pull it off.

 

[Stout]

It's nice in theory, but we could not prove during the regular season that we could shake those huge mental lapses, although then it didn't cost us nearly as much. We haven't proven in the first two games that we can shake those huge mental lapses, and in the playoffs, it does and has killed us. Why should we expect any different? Good Lord, I hope we can get past the stretches of stupidity by coach and players both, but how can I believe it's possible? I'll still watch when I can and still cheer, but I doubt we can win the series.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It's nice in theory, but we could not prove during the regular season that we could shake those huge mental lapses, although then it didn't cost us nearly as much.

it cost us the 3 seed and a likely first round sweep. I'd say it cost us plenty there too!

 

[Stargazer]

Lots of doom and gloom around here, but things aren't as bad as they seem.

1. The Suns will certainly win Game 3 at home. (If not, I give up.)

2. In Game 4, the pressure will shift back to San Antonio, who will know that if they lose, they let the Suns back into the series. Coming off of a win, with home court advantage, this should be a very winnable game for the Suns as well.

3. If the Suns do win Games 3 and 4, then the pressure will really be on SA, who will rightly see Game 5 as do or die, but will be coming off of two losses to the Suns, and may by then be thinking that Games 1 and 2 were flukes. Winning 2 of the last 3 is very doable.

Yes, several things have to go right for the Suns under this scenario, but the point is that those several things are linked in the sense that each one makes the next one more likely. There's a log of basketball still to play.

 

[oneofthesedays]

SAS is not as dominant a road team as they once were. If PHX can keep the Spurs big 3 out of the paint and force them to shoot jumpers it should be an easy win. Easier said than done obviously, but that is the key to beating the Spurs. Make them hit jumpshots, their role players have consistently NOT done that all season. It won't change just because it's the playoffs.

 

[strike19]

you know the suns will come out like gangbusters

More like keystone cops.

The series is going back to San Antonio with the Spurs up 3-1. And before anyone says anything about coming back on the lakers in '06, let's keep in mind that the Suns are playing the Lakers. They're playing a Spurs team that is much much better than that Lakers team.

Good luck, Suns and Suns fans. Hopefully your team can make it back to Texas.

 

[Bong]

I applaud you for keeping things in perspective. The Spurs got lucky and had lots of help to hold homecourt but that is going to end as soon as this series goes back to SA. Suns win in a delayed sweep.

 

[mojorizen7]

The SUNS needed a split in S.A.,the SPURS new that and won both.
The SPURS need a split in PHX, they'll prob get it.

 

[Michael]

Calm Down: A Series Doesn't Begin Until The Home Team Losses!

With the above stated and the home team winning every game, the series would be over (in 7 games) but would have yet to begin.

Unfortunately, the Suns don't have home-court advantage and have to win a game on the road.

 

[NightHawk11and81]

Actually, I think the series begins when the ball is tipped at the start of game one.

 

[BigJit]

Does Bong really believe that "Spurs got help" garbage?

 

[boisesuns]

would it be better to send it to game 7 and then lose?

 

[elindholm]

There's a log of basketball still to play.

"Log of basketball" seems like a good metaphor for the quality of effort the Suns have been ... uh ... producing.

 

[tobiazz]

With the above stated and the home team winning every game, the series would be over (in 7 games) but would have yet to begin.

Ha, good point. Hard to say a series that goes down to game 7 has yet to begin.

To put things in perspective, the Suns need to win 4 out their next 5 games, or 80%. Winning 80% of your games is tough enough when you aren't playing the Spurs each game.

Wow, I just flipped past the Lakers game for some reason and caught Stu Lantz saying his gut tells him the Suns will pull it out. I think you have to take advantage of every opportunity to be a chamipion and Game 1 was the opportunity. Before the series I thought the Suns would win in 6 and then lose to the Hornets in 5-6.

 

[TJ]

We dug ourselves in a big hole, but have bounced back in the past. The objective from now on is to take one game at a time. Win game 3, then go on to game 4. If you come out of that with a 2-2 tie, then it turns into a best of 3 series.

With that said, D'Antoni needs to look at some serious game tape and figure out a way to defend the damn pick and roll, because the Sterns have been executing that to perfection all series long. Moreover, we need to regain that philosophy that if we can somehow neutralize on of the big three, then we will be in good shape.

Go Suns!

 

[TheHopToad]

Wow, I just flipped past the Lakers game for some reason and caught Stu Lantz saying his gut tells him the Suns will pull it out.

I'm sure Stu wants the Suns to pull it out. He remembers that the only times the Suns have staged big playoff series turnarounds was against crappy Laker teams that he broadcasted for.

However, there are no Sedale Threatts or Smush Parkers on this Spurs team.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

We dug ourselves in a big hole, but have bounced back in the past. The objective from now on is to take one game at a time. Win game 3, then go on to game 4. If you come out of that with a 2-2 tie, then it turns into a best of 3 series.

With that said, D'Antoni needs to look at some serious game tape and figure out a way to defend the damn pick and roll, because the Sterns have been executing that to perfection all series long. Moreover, we need to regain that philosophy that if we can somehow neutralize on of the big three, then we will be in good shape.

Go Suns!

the only way I can see that happening is if the suns play a 2/3 zone.

One thing that needs to happen and D'Antoni won't do it because he is a fool, is hack a oberto or hack a Duncan as soon as they pull the hack a shaq, just kill the game instantly, instead D'Antoni thinks Boris will lead them to victory via mismatch on size, yeah I am drinking, but at least as a drunk I still think Boris sucks ass.

 

[Louis]

Thank goodness a series doesn't begin until the home team loses because I thought the Suns were down 0-2.

 

[jandaman]

Spurs are the best team come playoffs time... well consistently elite anyways. Because they out-mental and out-play all other teams... and the only times they really get beaten... it takes near perfect performance or a team in its peak... cough Mavs... to beat them.

Suns have an up hill battle.... they lose 1 of the next 2 and its over....

 

[strike19]

The Spurs are pretty successful in the desert. Just because the next two games are in Phoenix doesn't guarantee the series goes back to Texas tied. It doesn't even guarantee the series goes back to Texas at all!

I'm not thinking sweep. Nice as it would be, it's gonna be San Antonio up 3-1.

 

[95pro]

The Spurs are pretty successful in the desert. Just because the next two games are in Phoenix doesn't guarantee the series goes back to Texas tied. It doesn't even guarantee the series goes back to Texas at all!

I'm not thinking sweep. Nice as it would be, it's gonna be San Antonio up 3-1.

if some things were guaranteed in life i'd be a betting man.

 

[mojorizen7]

The Spurs are pretty successful in the desert.

The spurs aren't the only team thats had success in our building during the playoffs. The SUNS have traditionally lost a lot of important home playoff games....and conversely won a lot of important road playoff games.
We needed a split in S.A. in the worst way.

 

[strike19]

The spurs aren't the only team thats had success in our building during the playoffs. The SUNS have traditionally lost a lot of important home playoff games....and conversely won a lot of important road playoff games.
We needed a split in S.A. in the worst way.

yeah you did. It's not over by any stretch of the imagination but at this point the spurs have got their foot on the throat of the Suns. Should S.A. win game 3, that foot's gonna be pressing down pretty hard.

I don't want to see a sweep. I want to see this series go at least 5 games.

 

[Bufalay]

I'm sure Stu wants the Suns to pull it out. He remembers that the only times the Suns have staged big playoff series turnarounds was against crappy Laker teams that he broadcasted for.

However, there are no Sedale Threatts or Smush Parkers on this Spurs team.

Sedale Threatt >> Smush > Jacque Vaughn