Orlando @ Phoenix - Saturday 1/13/2007

[sunsfn]

From Yahoo.
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Orlando (22-15) at Phoenix (27-8)

Jan 13, 7:00 PM US Airways Center
620/92.3 FSN AZ

By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA, STATS Senior Writer
Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns get another chance to beat one of the Eastern Conference's top teams.
With Nash coming off another stellar game, the Suns look to remain unbeaten against the East's current top three teams and extend an eight-game winning streak as they face the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
Nash had a season-high 21 assists, becoming the first player in nine years with two 20-assist games in a season and led Phoenix (27-8) to a 109-90 win over East-leading Cleveland on Thursday night.
"It feels good for me to see my teammates succeed and score, and that's the bottom line: to get guys involved and have them make shots," Nash said. "When we get rolling offensively, we can put those other teams away."

The Suns will now try to sweep their season series with the Magic (22-15), who have the second-best record in the East.
Nash had 18 points and 15 assists as Phoenix beat Orlando 103-89 on Dec. 11 in the teams' first meeting this season. Nash is averaging 20.3 points and 13.0 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc in his last four games against the Magic.
A win Saturday would give the Suns a 4-0 record against the East's best three teams. They beat Detroit, which is third in the conference, 108-101 on Dec. 31.
Nash, who had 20 assists against Sacramento on Dec. 5, joined current Mavericks coach Avery Johnson -- who accomplished the feat with 20 assists on Dec. 10 and 17, 1997 -- as the last two players to reach that total in the same season. Nash's career high is 22, coming against New York on Jan. 2, 2006.
If the reigning two-time NBA MVP continues his pace of averaging more than 20 points and 10 assists, he would become the first NBA guard to finish the season with those figures since Tim Hardaway in 1992-93.
Orlando had a five-game winning streak end Friday night with a 109-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Magic gave up over 100 points for just the ninth time this season, but are third in the league in scoring defense at 91.8 points per game.
"We tried to do our best to get the ball in the paint and score, but we couldn't stop them from scoring," Orlando forward Dwight Howard said.
Howard had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Southeast Division leaders, but also missed nine of 16 free throws. In this season's loss to Phoenix, Howard was held to four points on 2-of-6 shooting and grabbed just three boards while committing five turnovers.
Grant Hill played his third game for Orlando after missing the previous three with a sore left foot, finishing with 20 points. He's averaged 19.4 points in 16 games against the Suns.

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Howard played 36 minutes in the loss last night because of foul problems. He ended the game with 5 fouls.

Turkoglu is day to day with the flu. He is their best outside shooter and always causes the suns problems.

 

[msdundee]

Given Howard's post-game comment after the last one, Amare may have some extra motivation tonight.

 

[F-Dog]

Given Howard's game that night, I'm sure he'll be motivated too.

Suns are giving 11 points tonight, which is ridiculous against a decent team in Orlando. Of course, they were giving 8 points to Cleveland on Thursday and covered easily.


You know who was missing from the last Orlando game? (Aside from Grant Hill...) Hedo Turkoglu. Turkoglu always seems to kill the Suns, ever since they offered him MLE money back in the summer of 2004.


To me, it looks like his knee issues have turned Amare from Karl Malone consistent to James ('Big Game') Worthy--the best thing you can say about his Seattle performance was that he showed up for tip-off with his uniform on correctly, but he did an outstanding job in (what should have been) the tougher game against Cleveland. Obviously, as a fan, I'm going to complain, but I can understand where he's coming from, too.


Anyway, Howard's presence should keep Amare's interest in this game, and the Magic are coming off a b2b with the Lakers, so the Suns should be in good shape tonight.

 

[Delmon Young]

Phoenix isn't going to let Howard beat them. Orlando needs to hit their open shots off of Howard's double teams if they want to have any shot.

 

[Nash]

wtf? is sportsline messing up or did Orlando just empty its bench?

and did that bench just erase our 5 pt lead?

 

[az1965]

We gave up yet another large lead, 18 pt lead is now cut down to 7 end of 3rd.

Not getting much out of Junior today 1-6, 0-3.

 

[az1965]

Whew, dodged a bullet today.

Diaw with near triple double.

 

[panfolk]

Damn... no Diener. You'd think we could get him for a second rounder and cash. I guess there won't be room for him if we keep even two of the draft picks though.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Nail biter...still good defense on our part...no way Orlando is in that if Jamir Nelson doesn't get insanely on fire.

Nine in a row...go Suns!

 

[Mike Olbinski]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270113021

Brian Hill is an idiot. Bad call, that offensive foul on Turkoglu?

I really can't believe they'd blame the game on that...there was horrible calls on both sides ALL NIGHT LONG.

 

[jbeecham]

I really can't believe they're complaining about bad calls! All of Amare's fouls were ticky tack crap and half of them were away from the action. Amare & Shawn were in foul trouble most of the game. The only guy that was in foul trouble for them was Jameer Nelson. If the refs called half of the fouls that they should've called then the game wouldn't have been close at all. They should be thanking the refs for keeping them in the game all night, not complaining when the refs actually make a few correct calls at the end.

 

[basketballfan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270113021

Brian Hill is an idiot. Bad call, that offensive foul on Turkoglu?

I really can't believe they'd blame the game on that...there was horrible calls on both sides ALL NIGHT LONG.

Actually, that was a bad call. I was at the game, and one of the Magic players got the rebound and stepped out of bounds, but they didn't call it. So when Turkoglu got the ball and posted up, they just called a foul to give us the ball back becuase they knew they missed one. That was one of the make-up calls. The refs thought they should give us the ball since it should've been our ball anyways. I didn't think it wasn't an offensive foul, but it's stupid for the Magic to say that that's what cost them the game. He didn't even make the shot, so it still would've been our ball anyways.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Actually, that was a bad call. I was at the game, and one of the Magic players got the rebound and stepped out of bounds, but they didn't call it. So when Turkoglu got the ball and posted up, they just called a foul to give us the ball back becuase they knew they missed one. That was one of the make-up calls. The refs thought they should give us the ball since it should've been our ball anyways. I didn't think it wasn't an offensive foul, but it's stupid for the Magic to say that that's what cost them the game. He didn't even make the shot, so it still would've been our ball anyways.

I dunno...he did ram his shoulder into the defender

 

[sunsfn]

I thought it was a bad call when it was made, as were others, especially the one on Amare late in the game when Turkoglu actually backed into him.

Diaw had a great game, but did anyone notice that Marion also played great again! That block and rebound of Grant Hill's short shot was really a great defensive play, and he had 5 steals and 16 points.

 

[Chaz]

Actually, that was a bad call. I was at the game, and one of the Magic players got the rebound and stepped out of bounds, but they didn't call it. So when Turkoglu got the ball and posted up, they just called a foul to give us the ball back becuase they knew they missed one. That was one of the make-up calls. The refs thought they should give us the ball since it should've been our ball anyways. I didn't think it wasn't an offensive foul, but it's stupid for the Magic to say that that's what cost them the game. He didn't even make the shot, so it still would've been our ball anyways.

He elbowed Raja in the chest to create space. It is an offensive foul every day of the week.

 

[CaptainInsano]

Amare isn't even needing to score more than 12-15 points lately with the way mostly marion has been playing but also with bell rebounding quickly from a short stint of bad scoring games (as he always does) and diaw turning it up quite a bit. Even with Nash scoring like he is, if he has a game where he doesn't get chances for a lot of points then we win anyway because somebody else just scores the points.

Against the mavs you can attempt to get dirk into a bad rythm and make him have at least a subpar game, thats when you can really put a dent into the mavs armor and pull out the win, a lot harder though now then last year when after a bad game or two against bowen dirk took it upon himself to develop a counter-game against that type of defense.

Against the suns though the shut down the superstar defense is impossible, way to many potent scoring weapons. Any one of Marion/Barbs/Amare/Nash can each drop 30+ in a game. We haven't got to see Bell really light it up yet because of the stupid new ball fiasco, but now with the old ball back I bet in another week or two we could see it.

This team will be impossible to defend in the playoffs, it will be entirely on this own teams execution and level of play that will decide if we win it all or not.

I am also seeing a little more talk about references to the suns defense this year sneaking around in the media lately.

 

[msdundee]

I am also seeing a little more talk about references to the suns defense this year sneaking around in the media lately.

Jameer Nelson in the recap on last night's game:

"To be honest with you, they shut us down in the first half with their defense," Nelson said.

Definitely something we're not used to reading........

 

[dodie53]

defense! defense! maybe a little

 

[F-Dog]

I didn't see the first game (in Orlando), but I heard the Suns got some calls in that game. If so, that explains what happened this game--the Magic seemed to get every call they could want, and a few that only the Spurs would think to ask for.


Either that, or somebody had the points.


Anyway, it's good so see the Suns tough some of these wins out.