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[FONT=Verdana,sans-serif]My45 ESPN [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,sans-serif]Associated Press[/FONT]
DALLAS -- Don't look now Dallas, but the Phoenix Suns are gaining ground in the race for the NBA's best record.
As Phoenix (49-14) continues to jostle with the Mavs (52-10) for best record in the West, we take a closer look at their seasons (Dallas has won both matchups between the two):
Suns Mavs W-L entering Nov. 9 1-4* 0-4 W-L since Nov. 9 48-10 52-6 Longest win streak 17 17 10-plus win streaks 2 3 *The Suns started the season 1-5.
-- Note: Jason Terry has scored 30 and 35 points vs. Phoenix this season.
Just 3½ games back after the Mavericks stumbled at Golden State on Monday, the Suns could slice another game off that lead with a victory Wednesday in Dallas, where the Mavs have won a franchise-record 23 in a row.
"This is an opportunity for us to step up and show what we're capable of doing," Phoenix's Shawn Marion said, "and show how we're capable of playing."
The Suns are 0-2 against the Mavericks this season, but the teams haven't played since Dec. 28, when Dallas won 101-99 at home. The first meeting was Nov. 9, when both teams were struggling out of the gate and the Mavs won in Phoenix, 119-112.
The teams enter Wednesday's game with a combined record of 101-24. Even with the loss to the Warriors, Dallas is 52-6 since an 0-4 start.
But the Suns -- who also had a 17-game winning streak this season -- aren't conceding anything yet, even though Dallas still leads by four games in the loss column with 20 to play.
"We always feel like we can catch them," Nash said. "We're not going out there every day thinking about catching them. We've got to think about trying to improve. If we improve every day the way we're capable of, we will catch them. If we have a lack of energy and discipline like we've had at times, then we won't catch them."
The Mavericks' 17-game winning streak ended with a 117-100 loss Monday, but Suns coach Mike D'Antoni brushed that off as an aberration and doesn't believe it will add to Dallas' desire to win on Wednesday.
"I don't think they need any more motivation than us coming to town," D'Antoni said.
The teams have been spirited rivals since Nash left Dallas to join the Suns before the 2004-05 season. The teams have met in each of the last two playoffs, with the Mavericks winning both series 4-2.
"I kind of expected it," Nash said. "With all the money they have to spend, they were going to put together a terrific team, and I saw the pieces that they had here in Phoenix that I could a part of, and I thought we'd be a terrific team, too.
"So I kind of foresaw playing each other in the playoffs a lot."
The Suns fell further behind the Mavericks when Nash went down with a shoulder injury before the All-star break. Phoenix lost all three games without its MVP playmaker. The Suns are 10-1 since Nash returned after the break, but their play had seemed uninspired until their 103-82 rout of Houston on Monday night.
The blowout was the first of four games in six days for Phoenix, including a home contest against Detroit on Friday and a road game at Denver on Saturday.
"I thought we were focused and disciplined and kept our energy for a sustained period," Nash said. "We need more of that, especially this week with all the tests we're going to face. We'll see how good we are, focused we are, how mentally tough we are."
The Phoenix-Dallas is the centerpiece of all NBA action this week.
"It's great. It will be a playoff atmosphere," Nash said after the Suns practiced on Tuesday. "The two top records in the league, it will be fun, but after the game's over, who knows what it really means?"
D'Antoni tried to downplay the significance.
"I just see two teams wanting to play each other and seeing where they are and having a great game," he said. "I just think it's going to be fun more than anything. I don't think it's going to be a determining factor. I don't think it's going to leave marks on anybody."
Nash gets another go at his good friend Dirk Nowitzki, and the Suns guard was full of praise on Tuesday.
"I think Dirk's playing the best basketball of his career," Nash said. "He's always been one of the top players in the league, but I think he continues to get better. He shoots a higher percentage this year, he's also a better passer this year, his post game's improving. He's just been fantastic the whole season."
Fantastic enough that Nash seems resigned to turning over the MVP award he's won the past two seasons.
"I think Dirk should win it," Nash said. "He's had a great year and the team's had the best season, so I would give it to him."
[FONT=Verdana,sans-serif]My45 ESPN [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,sans-serif]Associated Press[/FONT]
DALLAS -- Don't look now Dallas, but the Phoenix Suns are gaining ground in the race for the NBA's best record.
As Phoenix (49-14) continues to jostle with the Mavs (52-10) for best record in the West, we take a closer look at their seasons (Dallas has won both matchups between the two):
Suns Mavs W-L entering Nov. 9 1-4* 0-4 W-L since Nov. 9 48-10 52-6 Longest win streak 17 17 10-plus win streaks 2 3 *The Suns started the season 1-5.
-- Note: Jason Terry has scored 30 and 35 points vs. Phoenix this season.
Just 3½ games back after the Mavericks stumbled at Golden State on Monday, the Suns could slice another game off that lead with a victory Wednesday in Dallas, where the Mavs have won a franchise-record 23 in a row.
"This is an opportunity for us to step up and show what we're capable of doing," Phoenix's Shawn Marion said, "and show how we're capable of playing."
The Suns are 0-2 against the Mavericks this season, but the teams haven't played since Dec. 28, when Dallas won 101-99 at home. The first meeting was Nov. 9, when both teams were struggling out of the gate and the Mavs won in Phoenix, 119-112.
The teams enter Wednesday's game with a combined record of 101-24. Even with the loss to the Warriors, Dallas is 52-6 since an 0-4 start.
But the Suns -- who also had a 17-game winning streak this season -- aren't conceding anything yet, even though Dallas still leads by four games in the loss column with 20 to play.
"We always feel like we can catch them," Nash said. "We're not going out there every day thinking about catching them. We've got to think about trying to improve. If we improve every day the way we're capable of, we will catch them. If we have a lack of energy and discipline like we've had at times, then we won't catch them."
The Mavericks' 17-game winning streak ended with a 117-100 loss Monday, but Suns coach Mike D'Antoni brushed that off as an aberration and doesn't believe it will add to Dallas' desire to win on Wednesday.
"I don't think they need any more motivation than us coming to town," D'Antoni said.
The teams have been spirited rivals since Nash left Dallas to join the Suns before the 2004-05 season. The teams have met in each of the last two playoffs, with the Mavericks winning both series 4-2.
"I kind of expected it," Nash said. "With all the money they have to spend, they were going to put together a terrific team, and I saw the pieces that they had here in Phoenix that I could a part of, and I thought we'd be a terrific team, too.
"So I kind of foresaw playing each other in the playoffs a lot."
The Suns fell further behind the Mavericks when Nash went down with a shoulder injury before the All-star break. Phoenix lost all three games without its MVP playmaker. The Suns are 10-1 since Nash returned after the break, but their play had seemed uninspired until their 103-82 rout of Houston on Monday night.
The blowout was the first of four games in six days for Phoenix, including a home contest against Detroit on Friday and a road game at Denver on Saturday.
"I thought we were focused and disciplined and kept our energy for a sustained period," Nash said. "We need more of that, especially this week with all the tests we're going to face. We'll see how good we are, focused we are, how mentally tough we are."
The Phoenix-Dallas is the centerpiece of all NBA action this week.
"It's great. It will be a playoff atmosphere," Nash said after the Suns practiced on Tuesday. "The two top records in the league, it will be fun, but after the game's over, who knows what it really means?"
D'Antoni tried to downplay the significance.
"I just see two teams wanting to play each other and seeing where they are and having a great game," he said. "I just think it's going to be fun more than anything. I don't think it's going to be a determining factor. I don't think it's going to leave marks on anybody."
Nash gets another go at his good friend Dirk Nowitzki, and the Suns guard was full of praise on Tuesday.
"I think Dirk's playing the best basketball of his career," Nash said. "He's always been one of the top players in the league, but I think he continues to get better. He shoots a higher percentage this year, he's also a better passer this year, his post game's improving. He's just been fantastic the whole season."
Fantastic enough that Nash seems resigned to turning over the MVP award he's won the past two seasons.
"I think Dirk should win it," Nash said. "He's had a great year and the team's had the best season, so I would give it to him."
it.
