It's on!

[justAndy]

so does Coach Zenmaster start whining to the media about the officiating NOW or does he wait to see if the Lakers can get a split?
Ima smoka bowl now!

 

[D-Dogg]

Should I feel sorry for you then?

Why would you?

 

[jibikao]

Why would you?

I am sure Laker will get their share of good treatment at their home court.

 

[Chaz]

So you're saying that Kobe hit himself to get that lump? Serious Munchausen Syndrome action going on there. Thomas may not have given him that lump, but somebody did.

I hope game two is just as exciting....this was a fun one to watch.

Try and pay attention.

NOWHERE did I say that.


Are you saying that anytime anyone touches Kobe there should be a foul!?!

 

[D-Dogg]

so does Coach Zenmaster start whining to the media about the officiating NOW or does he wait to see if the Lakers can get a split?
Ima smoka bowl now!

Now, in order to get a better chance for the split.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I'm glad there was no call - I didn't see Kobe get hit in the side of the head. To me it looked like he was being aggressive and taking it to the hoop hoping to get fouled with no idea on how he'd finish the play. During his career he's done plenty of that. Just rush the bucket , look for the foul and toss the ball into the air and complain about a foul. Suns fans can relate - KJ used to do the same thing when he was playing.

 

[jibikao]

That game was too close for my liking.

At least we finially decided to stop switching on the screens.

Same here. The game was too close. Walton was shooting the lights out and Lamar was great for the first 3Q until the ball went to Kobe, our favorite.

 

[D-Dogg]

Are you saying that anytime anyone touches Kobe there should be a foul!?!

No, when they look at him mean.


I was just itching for an excuse to reference Munchausen.

 

[D-Dogg]

I'm glad there was no call - I didn't see Kobe get hit in the side of the head.

Suns fans in my house said it was pretty clear.

No biggie..that's home court advantage.

 

[jibikao]

I'm glad there was no call - I didn't see Kobe get hit in the side of the head. To me it looked like he was being aggressive and taking it to the hoop hoping to get fouled with no idea on how he'd finish the play. During his career he's done plenty of that. Just rush the bucket , look for the foul and toss the ball into the air and complain about a foul. Suns fans can relate - KJ used to do the same thing when he was playing.

I agree. (not sure about KJ though)

It wasn't a very serious foul. Every defender slaps the ball and Kobe just had a bad angle. It wasn't for sure he was going to score even if the slap was not there.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I was just itching a Munchausen.

 

[KANIDJA]

How about three steps Kobe took on that play? Suns win discussion over!

 

[Chaz]

Barkley is amazing.

"Lakers played a perfect game" but they have to be encouraged because the Suns won't play that well again.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

The announcers kept mentioning all the LA missed layups and paint shots, but no mention of the same for the Suns. Diaw and Barbosa each missed 3 at the rim, Marion missed 2 at the rim and I think Nash missed one close. There were a lot of missed shot opportunities for both teams. In the end, it evened out.

The no-call on Kobe was unfortunate for LA, but it was a foul that is difficult to see in real time. It wasn't a solid shot on the top of his head that was blatantly obvious, it was a grazing swipe that did not affect Kobe's path. It was a foul, but you can't blame the refs for not seeing it.

The Suns scored 71 total points in quarters 1 and 4, while mustering only 36 points in quarters 2 and 3. It was a tough, scrappy game for 2 quarters, but you can only slow teh Suns down for so long before they blow up on you.

Highlights:

-Tim Thomas's work on the boards and his big 3's with hands in his face
-Nash's pass to Marion for the jam when they criss crossed in the lane
-Barbosa hanging Walton up like a shirt on a line
-Lamar Odom's block of Thomas's dunk at the rim
-Kobe's 30' 3 pointer

 

[jibikao]

Barkley is amazing.

"Lakers played a perfect game" but they have to be encouraged because the Suns won't play that well again.

I didn't know we play that well???

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I agree. (not sure about KJ though)

Don't get me wrong, KJ got hammered plenty going into the lane, but like many aggressive players there were times he'd rush in expecting contact with no plan on finishing the play. In replays it looks odd. You can see where the player expected to get hit and often they'll act like they did, trying to get the call, and then they'll just throw the ball off the backboard or lob it into the air. Depending on the player - they sometimes get those calls.

 

[jibikao]

Don't get me wrong, KJ got hammered plenty going into the lane, but like many aggressive players there were times he'd rush in expecting contact with no plan on finishing the play. In replays it looks odd. You can see where the player expected to get hit and often they'll act like they did, trying to get the call, and then they'll just throw the ball off the backboard or lob it into the air. Depending on the player - they sometimes get those calls.

No, don't get me wrong. I wasn't watching that much of basketball during KJ's era. I didn't know if he was like that or not but in the end, you don't want to hope ref to give you a call on the opponent home court in clutch time (I guess except Nets VS Pacer today. lol)

 

[sunsfn]

Tim Thomas (22 points - 15 rebounds!) came up big and so did Barbosa.
We expected Nash to and he did with 20 points and 10 assists. Marion with 19 and 7 had a tough assignment with Odom (21 & 14)

The next game you will see Diaw more confidence around the basket and you will see Bell play more minutes and score some 3 pointers.

To those of you that keep wanting to trade Barbosa, he is not going anywhere!!! Next year he will be a bigger part of this team than this year. He is so fast and when he learns to stop and shoot the short jumper instead of trying to go to the basket every time, he will be awesome.

 

[scotsman13]

the missed foul on kobe i only have one question about. the hit came from thomas who was on the right side of kobe but the knott was on the left side of his head? how did that happen?

 

[JS22]

I really hope TT will accept a minimum veteran contract....

There's no better situation for him anywhere in the NBA.

Last year Jimmy Jackson was our valuable veteran player, but what TT is doing so far is simply amazing.

Still flawless from the field - 8 for 8 along with 13 rebounds!

Not gonna happen. He's going to get the MLE from someone. Personally, it won't bother me if he leaves. He always seems to have 1 great game followed by 3 lazy games. Although it's the playoff now, so I expect him to have mostly great games in order to drive his price up.

 

[jibikao]

Ok, ENOUGH of freaking Kobe Bryant and the Laker. This forum has been flooded with Laker threads. Kobe this, Kobe that.


What do you guys think of today's game?

My thoughts are:

1.) Lakers had a good gameplan by going to Lamar and Kwame in the first 3Q. This is PROVEN to cause us trouble 'cause our inside D is weak and when the opponent keeps going in and out like that, we tend to wear down even on the offense end as well. I thought the turning point is when Laker kept going to Kobe and Kobe kept missing jumpshots. Our big guys didn't have to spend that much energy on defending Lamar/Kwame and that's when we built our lead. Yes, Kobe missed tons of shots but other Laker players were shooting too well. It balances out. I was worried because Diaw/Marion were in foul trouble.

2.) Well, I did say that Tim Thomas can always change my opinions in the playoffs and he did it today. His offense was definitely good. I still hope we can secure the boards better.

3.) Diaw needs to look for his shots more. I know he attepted 16 shots (the most) but he's gotta finish those strong. I know this is a lot to ask but when our outside shots don't fall, we have no chance of beating anybody. We've gotta have some sort of inside game. The same goes to Nash. He sometimes wants to pass too much. This is an Amare-less team and sometimes he just has to look for his shot more.

4.) Barbosa was terrible in the first half but he found his way to score in the 2nd half. Great job.

5.) Our free throw shooting is amazing. It's our life saver today. If Laker wants to play physical, the refs will let them know when to stop! This is Suns' basketball baby.

That's it for now.

I actually think Laker played better than I thought. Lamar surprised me a bit.

 

[AZZenny]

Blowhard Barkley should be unceremoniously removed from the Ring of Fame and Nash should be put up there NOW. I mean, doesn't the Patriot Act cover something like all his openly treasonous comments? Or does sheer nitwithood render you immune?

 

[jibikao]

Blowhard Barkley should be unceremoniously removed from the Ring of Fame and Nash should be put up there NOW. I mean, doesn't the Patriot Act cover something like all his openly treasonous comments? Or does sheer nitwithood render you immune?

I didn't hear what he said but Laker did have a good gameplan. Well, actually, that's everybody's gameplan against us. They did that for 3Q until Kobe took over.

I also don't think we played that well today so I am not sure why Charles said we played "well".

 

[Chaz]

I also don't think we played that well today so I am not sure why Charles said we played "well".

His facts were %50 3FG and Tim Thomas 8-10 FG.

Only it was 9/20 (45%) and not that unusual for the Suns.
TT hit his open shots. Just like other guys on the team would if given the opportunity.


Lakers played great and made the Suns sweat but I didn't think the Suns played that well.

They played well enough to win and that is all that matters.

 

[elindholm]

Too close for comfort, but I guess the playoffs aren't about comfort.

One down, three to go.