Luck or Strategy?

[JCSunsfan]

What is the reason for the Suns win in game 1?

I have always contended that winning in the NBA playoffs is a combination of the two.

In this case, our strategy worked. It was simply to tire Tim Duncan. Double him, and make him work for everything he gets. Play him tough physically. Duncan is the key to the Spurs success. We want him to be out of gas when the game is on the line.

Tonight he was. He was hurting from the pounding he was taking. He was out of gas from Steph and Shawn pushing the ball--even in OT. So when he need FT's at the end he he clanked them.

The game plan got us the opportunity. It did take skill for Steph to get up the court and get that shot off. But a second 3 point bank shot?

You have to have a good plan and work really hard to get an opportunity to be this lucky.

 

[AZ Shocker]

That's a very good analysis. TD must've been a little tired to miss both of those free throws. The NBA will want a Spurs vs. Lakers match-up, so they will give TD a bunch of "benefit of the doubt" type calls so I like your strategy a lot! Get him tired so he's not a factor in the 4th quarter cause you know he'll have help (officials) otherwise. If Frank Johnson employs this tactic you speak of, not only will the Suns have a great shot at winning the series, but Frank will really piss some NBA executive's off big-time.

Lakers vs. Boston series begins next month! It's all about the moo-lah!

 

[cheng]

Originally posted by JCSunsfan
What is the reason for the Suns win in game 1?

I have always contended that winning in the NBA playoffs is a combination of the two.

In this case, our strategy worked. It was simply to tire Tim Duncan. Double him, and make him work for everything he gets. Play him tough physically. Duncan is the key to the Spurs success. We want him to be out of gas when the game is on the line.

Tonight he was. He was hurting from the pounding he was taking. He was out of gas from Steph and Shawn pushing the ball--even in OT. So when he need FT's at the end he he clanked them.

The game plan got us the opportunity. It did take skill for Steph to get up the court and get that shot off. But a second 3 point bank shot?

You have to have a good plan and work really hard to get an opportunity to be this lucky.

Both. the Spurs left the door open by missing FT after FT and we were lucky hitting two 3 point BANK shots, especially the first one.
I though Stoudemire's block on Duncan's dunk attempt and his hook shot right over Duncan were huge, we didn't have a player who can make those type of plays since Barkley.

Johnson did the right thing by playing Stoudemire as long as he could and stick with the plan to tire Duncan out and have other players beat us. It WORKED as the Spurs don't have another go-to guy. I can't imagine the Spurs will play any poorer than game 1, however we played very poorly as well.

The game was much more fun to watch than any of previous playoff games with Kidd in charge of the team. Basically Marbury, Marion and Stoudemire took all the shots in the 4th and OT, Kidd used to pass up shots and let a role player force long jump shot. The team is so much better with Marbury willing to be the go-to guy and not afraid of taking big shots.

 

[S_Nash]

I remember in a game against Sacramento where Delk went off for 50 points, Kidd (who'd had a very poor shooting night) took it upon himself to shoot the ball with the game on the line, instead of passing to Tony Delk who had something like 70% shooting that night

 

[Joe Mama]

See I can imagine San Antonio playing worse than that. They missed free throws and some open shots, but they also scored a bunch of the easy baskets that I don't anticipate them getting next game. The Suns on the other hand did not shoot especially well from outside. As much as everybody is crediting stuff on Marbury he was 9-28 from the field. Joe Johnson didn't do anything. The Suns played poorly and still won the game.

Joe Mama