It's on!

[Sundance]

I'm proud of Diaw; he actually attempted to score a bit this evening. D'Antoni must've really been hammering into his skull that the Suns need his offense under the basket, if the Suns are to succeed in the playoffs. It's just too bad his bunnies kept climbing out of their hole.

 

[boisesuns]

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

One down, three to go.

No. One down, 15 to go

 

[DeAnna]

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?

Very eloquent, Zenny!

 

[az1965]

No. One down, 15 to go

 

[devilalum]

If TT plays like that every game the Suns are going to the finals. If the rest of the team had played better it would have been a blow out. Bell missed wide open shots and Diaw and Marion were out of sync.

And for all those that say TT didn't play D what do call FIFTEEN defensive boards? If he played like that even 2 out of every 3 games I'd give him the MLE.

 

[elindholm]

Thomas's 15 rebounds were a career high. Not just a career playoff high -- a career high, period. His previous high was 13.

In other words, it was great to see, but don't count on seeing it again anytime soon.

 

[haverford]

Any theories on why we didn't see any Brian Grant? Please hold the snark, if at all possible....

 

[Chaplin]

Any theories on why we didn't see any Brian Grant? Please hold the snark, if at all possible....

There are no theories--he was sick, I believe.

 

[reader]

Any theories on why we didn't see any Brian Grant? Please hold the snark, if at all possible....

Brian had tummy troubles today.

 

[haverford]

Brian had tummy troubles today.

Aha, thanks reader and Chap. I wonder what he might have contributed by way of match ups and boxing out...

 

[reader]

http://www.nba.com/suns/playoffs/quotes_060423.html

Post-Game Quotes
Posted: April 23, 2006
SUNS HEAD COACH MIKE D’ANTONI: (On trapping Kobe) “We don’t but he’s kind of special and he needs special attention. Worked that game, we will see if it works next game. You have to try something; you can’t just let him play because he is just too good.”

(On trap) “Yeah, a little bit. They were very intent on getting their traps going. You know its one of those things that it can help get the other guys going but we need to try to take something away from Kobe and trapping him on big plays might help other people make shots. They were missing shots that they might make next time, so we have to be prepared to change it up, do something. Kind of get a gut feeling as the game goes on and adjust to it. We played OK, but we didn’t play great, we played hard. But we will just straighten out some things and hopefully play better next time.”

(On Raja Bell playing Kobe) “I just want him to play hard, play all over him, now having said that I don’t know if it affects against Kobe because he is a special breed. Roger did a great job, but I think Kobe was a little more passive than usual and that’s why he didn’t have the big points.”

SUNS FORWARD SHAWN MARION (19 PTS, 7 REBS): "I think we have to step it up. We have to get more active out there and make some stops. We did make some stops at the end of the game, but we got to get better. I was thinking it was going to be Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, but we played the Lakers today. That’s the definition of a team-having everybody contributing, and that’s what it was.”

(On the Lakers’ size)
“We got in foul trouble a little bit there. We weren’t being active like we’re supposed to be. We weren’t moving our feet and getting position on them. When we get active on our feet and do what we’re supposed to, there going to have to go away from something. But, they got a few buckets on the inside and it was working for them.

SUNS GUARD STEVE NASH (20 PTS, 10 ASTS): “We certainly didn’t play very well, so we look at that as a positive. We didn’t play well and we found a way to win. We know we have a lot of improvement to make. I thought we showed a little bit of inexperience and I thought we were a little indecisive. You have to give them credit because they did a good job. You couple the fact that they played us well and we lacked an assertiveness and decision-making process that’s customary to our success, that got us bogged down.”

“I think they hadn’t really beaten us no matter how many points he scores, so they made an adjustment. They tried to use their size advantage and their height advantage. There’s an advantage for them there, but I think that we can, with our activity, negate that better than we did tonight. And I think with our big guys—so called big guys—we can really cause them problems at the other end.”

(On his three late in the fourth quarter)
“We really kind of just struggled through the game, so when I saw that ball coming off from Boris, I knew I was going to get a great look. I wasn’t going to pass it up, pull it out and see what we got later—I was going to make it and that’s all there is to it.”
(On Kobe’s game)

“I think we’ve become so accustomed to him getting so many shots up and being as aggressive as possible, so they played with more balance, but we’re going to see a lot of variations from them throughout the series. I expect him to be more aggressive obviously after losing this game. But, like I said before, they hadn’t beaten us with a large scoring output from him, so they kind of looked for a different advantage. They have an advantage with the size, but I think we have advantages in other areas.”

SUNS FORWARD TIM THOMAS (22 PTS, 15 REBS): "The most important thing is that we grinded it out and got a win playing bad. It's just one of those things where we're gonna have to correct some things but the most important thing is that we got a win."

(On his offensive production)
"I've always known what I'm capable of doing so it's nothing new. You just gotta go out, be aggressive and let the chips fall where they may. My main concern is defense and rebounding and if I'm open I'm gonna let it fly. I'm not really worried about scoring, my focus is on rebounding and playing defense. If I score I score."

(On Leandro Barbosa's big fourth quarter performance)
"That's what we need. It's gonna be a long series and at any given second we're gonna need somebody else to step up. It could be myself, it could be Shawn, it could be Steve; especially in the fourth quarter. Once a guy gets rolling we've got to continue getting him the ball so we can keep him going until they stop him. Tonight was (Barbosa) in the fourth and that's what we need, it's a total team effort."

(On hustle play)
"(Laughs) I'm hurting for it right now. At this part of the year every possession is big."

LAKERS HEAD COACH PHIL JACKSON: “I know we can play a better ball game than that, although turnovers were low. Kobe [Bryant] didn’t have a good shooting game and he got some nice open looks. But, I think as team we can play better than we did. I thought [the Suns] played really well first quarter. We were there. Tough call, no call, Kobe going baseline in a four-point game. It’s difficult. Our inside game was relatively good, but we turned the ball over in some of those situations. I thought we did a good job on [Nash]. He got that open look at the end on the airball by [Raja] Bell. Star of the game obviously goes to Tim Thomas.”

“I don’t feel like we missed an opportunity. We’ll have better opportunities as we go along. We’re figuring out how to play against them.”

(On Steve Nash)
“We handled him well and he got the three at the end, but I liked the way we played him.”

(On the Suns' run)
“They’re a spurt team. You just have to survive that.”

LAKERS GUARD KOBE BRYANT (22 PTS, 6 REBS, 5 ASTS): “I had to take a lot of bail-out shots. I wasn’t really looking to attack. I think there are a lot of things we can take advantage of and tonight we did that. It kept us in the ball game and we had them right where we wanted them, but a couple of bounces didn’t go our way. It’s just a matter of finding that groove, really. We know this is the way we want to play because we can attack them inside. So, this is what we want to do. Personally I get to the basket, get some free-throws, and I’ll I need is one jumper to go and I’m hot.

“I know we can play a better ball game than that, although turnovers were low. Kobe [Bryant] didn’t have a good shooting game and he got some nice open looks. But, I think as team we can play better than we did. I thought [the Suns] played really well first quarter. We were there. Tough call, no call, Kobe going baseline in a four-point game. It’s difficult. Our inside game was relatively good, but we turned the ball over in some of those situations. I thought we did a good job on [Nash]. He got that open look at the end on the airball by [Raja] Bell. Star of the game obviously goes to Tim Thomas.

“I don’t feel like we missed an opportunity. We’ll have better opportunities as we go along. We’re figuring out how to play against them.”

(On his teammates)
“Oh, we can play a little bit. Today was a good all-around game. Kwame had a big game, Luke had a big game, Lamar played well, Smush played decent. So, it’s just a matter of us keeping it going and being ready to fight on Wednesday. We’ll just key-in on other guys.”

(On taking just seven shots in the first half)
“You know what; I’ve done it in the past. I’ve done that. Once they start making adjustments defensively, then I start attacking. It’s not something that’s new to me.”

(On the Suns’ defense)
“They played Suns basketball. I didn’t feel like it was any different than it’s been in the past. I feel like I can raise up and get good looks when I want them. When you make the basket—it’s almost like they want you to shoot so they can get out and run back at you.”

LAKERS FORWARD LAMAR ODOM (21 PTS, 14 REBS): "We were right there to win the game, just a couple of possessions away. We all missed shots we normally make right in front of the rim. We gave up some offensive rebounds and Nash hit a big three-pointer in the corner."

(On adjustments for Game 2)
"Not turning the ball over, I turned the ball over three or four times myself. Make our free throws, if we do that we give ourselves a chance to win."

(On the Suns)
"They're a good defensive team, they make you scramble and they make you rush. They do a good job of loading up on Kobe, it's just the rest of us making them pay. They won the game, they're a good team."

LAKERS CENTER KWAME BROWN (14 PTS, 6 REBS): "The difference in the game was free throws and layups. They made theirs, we missed ours. We can't base the whole game on the last five minutes, we just missed free throws and easy layups early. We've got to come out stronger than that in the next game."

(On Suns holding Bryant to 22 points)
"I don't think they held him, I think he changed it up on them and gave them a different look. Their whole defense is trying to stop him so I think he passed the ball and got everyone else involved."

LAKERS POINT GUARD SMUSH PARKER (15 PTS, 6 REBS): "I Love our chances against the Suns, they're a good team, but I feel we are a better team. We let one slip away tonight and we won't let it happen again. We had this game and we let it slip through our fingers, but I am definitely confident we can beat this team. I'm confident because I wear the Lakers uniform, if I had a Suns uniform on I would think we were a better team."
(On Kobe's performance)
"Kobe didn't force anything, I don't think he had an off night, he just stuck to the game plan."

(Lakers defense)
"We were in it until five minutes to go, so we did a great job as a team guarding Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns."

(Does Phoenix have the Lakers' number?)
"Definitely not! You didn’t see the game tonight? It was up for grabs with five minutes to go. We all feel like we can beat this team. It’s going to be a dogfight for the next couple of games."

LAKERS CENTER LUKE WALTON (19 PTS, 6 REBS): "Our whole team played hard, they just ended up making the big plays every time we got it tied, we even took the lead once. They came back and hit big shots and made big plays. We came down and missed a couple free-throws and a couple easy shots we had been (making) all game."

(Adjustments the Lakers made after 1st Quarter)
"We were happy with the way we were keeping them from fast-breaking us, but we were doing a bad job on the half-court offense and stopping the penetration and switching on pick-n-rolls that we shouldn't have been switching on."

(Did Lakers let one get away?)
"Yeah, we had an opportunity to win today. We came here and wanted to win bad, but now we got to put this one behind us. We got to win this one on Wednesday to try and take control of the series."

(On taking control on the court)
"They're a small team. We knew that they were going to go small a lot. Coach knows that I can make plays when I get down on the post, so when the opportunites presented themselves I tried to make some stuff happen. I was feeling good tonight."

(on Kobe's play)
"They were playing aggressive on the picks, and they were doublig him off the pick-n-rolls and sending people at him. He did a great job of making the extra pass and getting us open shots and that is why I think we had some balanced scoring out there."

 

[ShuHanGuanYu]

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.

It's nice to say these things, but unfortunately there's a devil called luxury tax that Phoenix will be dancing with in 2007 beyond.

 

[reader]

http://www.nba.com/games/20060423/LALPHX/recap.html?nav=scoreboardhome

Phoenix 107, L.A. Lakers 102
Nash’s Clutch 3-Pointer Pushes Suns Past Lakers

PHOENIX, April 23 (Ticker) -- Tim Thomas and Leandro Barbosa provided a spark. But when the Phoenix Suns needed a win, they turned to Steve Nash.

Nash made a clutch 3-pointer and two important free throws in the final 67 seconds as the Phoenix Suns hung on for a 107-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game One of their Western Conference first-round series.

Nash had 20 points and 10 assists for the second-seeded Suns, who blew a 14-point lead but recovered with instant offense from Thomas and Barbosa and the leadership of Nash, their All-Star point guard.

The reigning MVP, Nash got off to a quick start but was quiet in the second half as the Lakers climbed back into the game. The Suns were clinging to a 98-95 lead when Raja Bell missed a tough runner.

However, Boris Diaw grabbed the offensive rebound and shoveled the ball to Nash, who launched a 3-pointer very early in the shot clock that splashed through, doubling the lead with 1:07 to go.

"We really struggled through the game so when I saw that ball coming from Boris, I knew I would get a great look and I wasn't going to pass it up," Nash said. "I wasn't going to pass it up and pull it out and see what we were going to get later. I was going to take it. I know coach was yelling not to take it, but I didn't hear him and wouldn't have listened to him anyway."

"He about gave me a heart attack," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We were having a hard time getting shots and he was wide open, plus he is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. That shot kind of put a dagger right in them."

After a 3-pointer by Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant - who had an uncharacteristically quiet game - made it 103-100 with 17 seconds remaining, Nash essentially sealed it with two free throws.

The Suns had gotten a break moments earlier. They were holding a 101-97 lead when Bryant drove to the basket and was swiped across the face by Thomas. His lost his balance and missed the shot, but no foul was called.

"No comment necessary," Bryant said. "Just look at the knot on my head."

Signed by the Suns less than two months ago, Thomas had perhaps the best playoff game of his life with 22 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. He made his first eight shots, including a 3-pointer with 9 1/2 minutes left that gave Phoenix the lead for good at 82-80.

"That is what you work for," Thomas said. "The whole Chicago situation was what it was - pretty much nothing. I spent that time wisely working out and constantly shooting and getting prepared for this situation right here."

Barbosa scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, breathing some life into the league's best offense which had stagnated in the second half. His 3-pointer at the 3:44 mark opened a 98-89 advantage.

"That is my job ... I go out there to pick up the pace and score when I can," Barbosa said. That is the way I am supposed to play and at the time it was needed. We trapped and then on offense used the pick-and-roll that made it easier for me."

Shawn Marion scored 19 points and Diaw added 15 for the Suns, who shot spectacularly from the lines. They made 9-of-20 3-pointers and 32-of-35 free throws.

Often trapped and double-teamed, Bryant scored 22 points on just 7-of-21 shooting. During the season, he led the NBA at better than 35 points per game and averaged more than 42 vs. Phoenix.

"We don't normally trap but Kobe is kind of special and he needs special attention," D'Antoni said. "It worked this game, but we will see if we do it next game. They missed some shots they may make next time."

"I had to take a lot of bail-out shots tonight," Bryant said. "I wasn't looking to attack or assert myself, it is just a matter of finding that groove. All I need is one jumper, then I know I'll get hot. We were keying on the other guys. Look at the open opportunities our other guys had."

Lamar Odom had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Luke Walton scored 19 points for the Lakers, who had all five starters in double figures and held a 47-36 advantage on the glass.

"I know we can play a better ballgame then that," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who lost Game One of a first-round series for the first time in 15 tries. "Our inside game was relatively good, but we are not pleased with the way we turn the ball over in key situations. Our game plan was to exploit the middle and have Kobe a force on the other side, but he never got in rhythm.

"We wanted to get everyone involved," said guard Smush Parker, who scored 15 points. "We all feel like we can beat this team. The game plan was to slow the game down, slow the pace and play inside. Kobe didn't force anything. I don't think he had an off night; he just stuck to the game plan."

Phoenix, which won its fifth straight playoff opener, sped to a 39-29 lead after one period and opened a 50-36 advantage in the second quarter. Los Angeles closed to 58-50 at halftime and pulled into a 73-73 tie on a drive by Bryant with 1:32 left in the third quarter.

 

[reader]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260423021

Thomas equals Bryant in points (22) as Suns win

PHOENIX (AP) -- Kobe Bryant didn't score, the Phoenix Suns couldn't run.

Nothing was quite as it was supposed to be Sunday when the Suns escaped with a 107-102 victory over Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

"We certainly didn't play very well," said Suns point guard Steve Nash. "We look at that as a positive. We didn't play well and we found a way to win, and we've got a lot of improvement to make."

Tim Thomas had 22 points and a career playoff-high 15 rebounds for the Suns, who nearly succumbed to coach Phil Jackson's game plan of taking the small Phoenix lineup inside, then turning to Bryant to finish it off.

Thomas was sent home by the Chicago Bulls for what they thought was a bad attitude for most of this season, then released and signed by Phoenix on March 3. He made his first eight shots and finished 8-for-10, 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

"I was just aggressive on both ends," Thomas said.

Nash had 20 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:07 to play, and 10 assists.

The Suns made 32 of 35 free throws, 8 for 8 by Nash."

The Phoenix Suns set a record for fewest free throws in the league," Jackson said, "and here they have 35 free throws. This is a team we told our guys not to foul, and we end up sending them to the line 35 times. That was one of the things we didn't expect to happen.

"Shawn Marion added 19 points, Boris Diaw 15 and Leandro Barbosa 15, nine in the fourth quarter.

Bryant, the NBA scoring champion with 35.4 points per game, scored 22 points -- little more than half the 42.5 he averaged against Phoenix in the regular season -- on 7-for-21 shooting, 1 for 6 3s. But Lamar Odom had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Luke Walton matched his career best in any NBA game with 19 points.

"Our game plan was to exploit the middle and do the things we wanted to, but he (Bryant) was still supposed to be a force over on that side of the offense," Jackson said. "I just felt he never really got in rhythm until the end, and we said `Just go after it."

Even for Bryant, Jackson said, it's tough to turn it on after spending most of the game working the ball to others.

"He was a little more passive than usual," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He missed some shots that he normally makes.

"But Bryant said he felt good about the series."It's just a matter of finding that groove," Bryant said. "We can really attack this team inside, and so that's what we're going to do. All I need is one jumper to go, and I'm hot."After a 39-point first quarter, the Suns rarely got their trademark high-speed game in gear.

Trailing by as many as 14 in the second quarter and down 58-50 at the break, the Lakers used an uncharacteristically balanced attack and took advantage of the Suns' poor shooting to tie it at 75 after three quarters.

Sasha Vujacic's 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Lakers their first lead since early in the first quarter, 80-79, with 10:01 to play. Thomas returned to the game and sank the Suns' first 3-pointer since the opening quarter to put Phoenix back ahead 82-80 9:25 from the finish.

Bryant missed four shots over the next 2½ minutes and the Suns used free throws -- two by Nash and four by Barbosa -- to go up 88-82 with 6:21 left.

The Lakers scored six in a row to cut it to 98-95 with 2:12 remaining. Smush Parker, who had 15 points, missed what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer. Raja Bell missed a running 14-footer, but Diaw tipped the rebound to Nash, whose 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 101-95 with 1:07 left.

Nash took the shot with his coach screaming to bring the ball outside to run out more clock.

"I didn't hear him. I wasn't going to listen to him anyways," Nash said. "We really kind of just struggled through the game, so when I saw that ball coming off to Boris I knew I was going to get a great look. I wasn't going to pass it up and pull it out and see what we got later. I was going to make it, and that's all there is to it.

"Game notes
Jackson lost Game 1 of the playoffs for the first time in his career. ... Vujacic made a bank shot from beyond midcourt at the first-quarter buzzer, but it was waved off by officials and replays confirmed the call. ... The Lakers were without Chris Mihm because of a sprained right ankle that sidelined him 17 of the last 18 regular-season games. ... The Suns' Brian Grant had a bad stomach and played the final three seconds of the first half only.

 

[reader]

Folks, would you prefer if I posted the articles in a new thread called game 1 articles?

 

[jibikao]

If TT plays like that every game the Suns are going to the finals. If the rest of the team had played better it would have been a blow out. Bell missed wide open shots and Diaw and Marion were out of sync.

And for all those that say TT didn't play D what do call FIFTEEN defensive boards? If he played like that even 2 out of every 3 games I'd give him the MLE.

I think TT played well today but we gave Lakers 10 more offensive board. We got out rebounded by 11.

Hopefully TT can stay this hot.

 

[jibikao]

Folks, would you prefer if I posted the articles in a new thread called game 1 articles?

Sure. And who creates game threads here? It will be nice if we have a good game thread.

 

[BleedRed]

Nice game by the Suns today.

 

[jibikao]

LAKERS POINT GUARD SMUSH PARKER (15 PTS, 6 REBS): "I Love our chances against the Suns, they're a good team, but I feel we are a better team. We let one slip away tonight and we won't let it happen again. We had this game and we let it slip through our fingers, but I am definitely confident we can beat this team. I'm confident because I wear the Lakers uniform, if I had a Suns uniform on I would think we were a better team."
(On Kobe's performance)
"Kobe didn't force anything, I don't think he had an off night, he just stuck to the game plan."

(Lakers defense)
"We were in it until five minutes to go, so we did a great job as a team guarding Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns."

(Does Phoenix have the Lakers' number?)
"Definitely not! You didn’t see the game tonight? It was up for grabs with five minutes to go. We all feel like we can beat this team. It’s going to be a dogfight for the next couple of games."

-----

Ok, this is official. I FKING hate Parker now. Who the hell is he? Even Kobe isn't that cocky in the interview.

Nash, please crush him. I've never heard such cocky no-name player. Agrrrrrrrr....

 

[devilalum]

Phil's Maniacal Plan
The Laker's lost game one on purpose to mess with the Suns minds.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2419091&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

 

[elindholm]

It's working great. Let's hope they try to improve on the strategy by throwing the next two games as well.

 

[AZZenny]

I'm sorry, Mr. Stein -- I had the mistaken impression the Phoenix Suns played in this game. Silly me.

 

[Chaplin]

Phil's Maniacal Plan
The Laker's lost game one on purpose to mess with the Suns minds.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2419091&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

That is the strangest article, especially coming from someone that picked the Suns in 5.

 

[jibikao]

Phil's Maniacal Plan
The Laker's lost game one on purpose to mess with the Suns minds.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2419091&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

Can he throw 3 more? I'll think he is the smartest coach of all time to come up with that genius plan.

 

[KloD]

Phil's Maniacal Plan
The Laker's lost game one on purpose to mess with the Suns minds.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2419091&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

What a load of crap.