Phoenix Suns @ Spurs --Win and Bring The Series Home Thread!...

passenger

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It's the first time I'm opening a Suns gane thread here,so I will take all the responsibility of the consequences;)

Let's still this game and change the momentum of the series.

Suns-Spurs 6:30 Pacific-TNT
 

Michael

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Here's the preview from ESPN.COM:

The Spurs are listed as a 70% favourite.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=280429024

Suns at Spurs
Preview Conversation 9:30 PM ET, April 29, 2008
AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
TNT

Gameday Matchup
W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK L10
PHO 55-27 110.1 105.0 30-11 25-16 W2 1-3
SA 56-26 95.4 90.6 34-7 22-19 W2 3-1

Series
San Antonio leads 3-1
Sat 4/19 @SA 117, PHO 115 Recap | Box Score
Tue 4/22 @SA 102, PHO 96 Recap | Box Score
Fri 4/25 SA 115, @ PHO 99 Recap | Box Score
Sun 4/27 @PHO 105, SA 86 Recap | Box Score
Apr 29, 2008 PHO @ SA 9:30 PM ET
May 1, 2008 SA @ PHO TBD
May 3, 2008 PHO @ SA TBD
· Complete Schedule: Spurs | Suns

Injury Report
PHOENIX
· Grant Hill SF - Apr 27: Day-to-Day

SAN ANTONIO
· Tony Parker PG - Apr 25: Day-to-Day

Team Stat Leaders
PHOENIX SAN ANTONIO
Points A. Stoudemire 25.3 T. Parker 29.3
Rebounds S. O'Neal 9.3 T. Duncan 13.0
Assists S. Nash 9.0 T. Parker 6.8
Steals S. O'Neal 1.3 T. Parker 1.5
Blocks S. O'Neal 2.5 T. Duncan 2.3
· Team stats: Phoenix | San Antonio

Today's Line
FAVORITE OPEN CUR UNDERDOG O/U

The Spurs, who get their second straight chance to finish off the Suns, are treating it that way, too.

Even though the defending champions have a 3-1 series lead, they want to wrap it quickly and avoid a return trip to Phoenix.

"We know that winning a Game 6 there is going to be really tough. If we don't, then Game 7 we know is a lottery," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "We don't even have to think that there's a Game 6 or Game 7. We have to take (Game 5) as a Game 7. We know we have a great opportunity at home."

The Suns denied the Spurs what would have been a surprising sweep in four games with an energetic and convincing 105-86 rout at home in Game 4 on Sunday. They've extended their postseason at least one more game and plan to come to San Antonio with the same focus that sparked Boris Diaw's near triple-double and Raja Bell's 27 points.

"We're down 3-1, we know we've got a long road to go, but we don't think about the series, we think about Tuesday," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We can win Tuesday. That's the only thing we're thinking about. That's definitely a possibility and that's what we want to make a reality."

In the first two games, Phoenix built double-digit lead in the first half, only to give them away and allow the Spurs to rally. Not Sunday. The Suns controlled the game end-to-end.

And considering their double-overtime loss in the opener, the Suns don't feel like 3-1 is an accurate reflection of the series.

"In our minds, we feel the series should be 2-2," Suns big man Shaquille O'Neal said. "We let the first one slip away."

As the series shifts to San Antonio, any shred of momentum they gained in Game 4 will be tested. But the Suns say their confidence is up.

"If we play as well as we did yesterday, we'll win, and that's all that we're focusing on," D'Antoni said.

D'Antoni said Diaw will start Game 5 in place of Grant Hill, who didn't play Sunday and may sit out Tuesday because of a sore right groin.

"I don't think we're there. I don't think he can play," D'Antoni said. "We'll see. It will always be an open possibility. Boris will start and we'll see from there."

Diaw started on Sunday and it seemed to work just fine. He made life hard on Spurs point guard and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, who shot 7-of-17 from the field for 18 points. The 6-foot-8 Diaw also scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out eight assists.

"He's a great player, he's a tough cover, he's got a lot of different skills at his height," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "He's just a fine player and Mike knows how to use him. He was a big problem for us."

While the Suns like their chances, history doesn't bode well for them. No NBA team has come back from 0-3 to win a series.

Are these Suns the ones? This series was billed as the first-round matchup to watch, with plenty of predictions that it would run the full seven games.

"We're just excited to be alive still. After being 3-0, it's nice to feel like we have a little life," Suns point guard Steve Nash said.

After rolling over the Suns in Game 3 and looking like they were on their way to a sweep, the Spurs said that they played a little too "relaxed" in Game 4. Coupled with the Suns' explosiveness, Game 4 was decided early for Phoenix, with Popovich pulling his stars late in the third quarter.

Popovich said the team focused on watching film on Monday.

"In general they played a great game," Popovich said. "They had an edge, they were physical. They executed well, they did most things better than we did."

Now, Ginobili said, the Spurs must take care of business at home, where they lost just seven games all season.

"We stopped doing the things that gave us results," Ginobili said. "We let them loose and that's the worst thing you can do against Phoenix."

While the game plan may not change, it's the energy and aggressiveness that must improve, said the Spurs' Bruce Bowen.

"We were embarrassed as well. Part of it is the fact that as basketball players, the last thing you want to do is not give a great effort," Bowen said. "We have to come out with a better effort than we did last game."

---

AP Sports Writer Bob Baum in Phoenix contributed to this report.

PREDICTION:
Spurs 98 Suns 87
Top scorer: Stoudemire 27
Top rebounder: Duncan 15
Top assists: Nash 7
 

TheKid_1

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All aboard! Win this game and it becomes a series again. Got to have faith!!!!
 

arwillan

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the spurs are probably treating this like a must-win. if we get it, you can call me a believer. go get 'em suns.


suns 100
spurs 98


amare- 45
 

mjb21aztd

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I really hope and pray the suns win and take this to 6 games and make it a series again, but I have a horrible feeling the spurs win on a bs call or a game ending 3 by eaither horry or finley :( prove me wrong suns win this game

Spurs 109

Suns 106 :( leading scorer Amare 32 pts 6 boards
 

Covert Rain

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Here is my favorite line from POP and in my opinion shows Pop's genius.

On Diaw:

"He's a great player, he's a tough cover, he's got a lot of different skills at his height," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "He's just a fine player and Mike knows how to use him. He was a big problem for us."

This plays into the Spurs hands in my opinion. Diaw was great but he has also been inconsistent all season long. Diaw knows it. D'Antoni knows it. Pop knows it.

I think POP is hoping we take the same approach. It will be interesting to see if he makes any adjustments or if he is betting that Diaw will be inconsistent like he has the entire season. This is a chess match that I think D'Antoni is not going to win.

So was his statement a sucker statement? Can't wait for this game.

:grabs:
 

jagu

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I'm ready for yet another broken heart :)
 

jagu

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Hopefully Diaw had some bootay last night, we might have a shot.
 

jagu

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What are you guys planning once the Suns lose tonight?
 

GorrilaLips

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Suns 109
Spurs 114

over-time



Again.....I hope to be proven WRONG...and look forward to it!

Suns, help me out! :thumbup:
 

TJ

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Im too chicken to make a prediction tonight
 

GorrilaLips

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What are you guys planning once the Suns lose tonight?

NO sense of breaking out the mope bucket and moping around at work tomorrow. I guess I'll complain a little and rag about D'antoni to other co-workers who will agree with me about this and that.

I'll feel better after putting my .02 cents in than cheering for the d'backs.
 
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