Playoffs 2010: Western Conf Finals, Game 1 – Suns At Lakers Game Thread

[mojorizen7]

Okay Marv...****....you dont know dick about this SUNS team so plz just keep on sucking Kobe & Phil's pole and don't try to come off as an NBA guy.

 

[Proteus]

Suns down 95-117 with 4:52 left in the 4th quarter. Suns shooting 51% with 4/17 3 pointers. Lakers shooting 58% with 8/15 3 pointers.

 

[jagu]

It starts with Frye's awful bricking , every time this guy chucks up 3's and misses we lose the game, that's how its been since game 1. I hate Frye...

 

[Covert Rain]

We can't guard Scrotum.

 

[abomb]

Grant Hill needs to take a Silkwood shower after what the refs did to him.

 

[Covert Rain]

It starts with Frye's awful bricking , every time this guy chucks up 3's and misses we lose the game, that's how its been since game 1. I hate Frye...

That's B.S. and an excuse. We have won games when Frye is shooting like crap. The problem is when Frye is shooting like crap, you can't have JRich not putting up points, Hill/Dudly not putting up points etc., get outrebounded, out hussled and play zero defense.

 

[mojorizen7]

Gentry may have to juggle the lineup a bit IMO. in order to get a favorable matchup among the starting five i mean.
Plenty of time to discuss that.

SUNS cant get too discouraged. Brutal scoreboard, but we didn't play well at all and PJ took it to us with the matchups & tenacious D.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Stat with the stat of the night... 3 REBOUNDS! You go MAX playa!

 

[jagu]

That's B.S. and an excuse. We have won games when Frye is shooting like crap. The problem is when Frye is shooting like crap, you can't have JRich not putting up points, Hill/Dudly not putting up points etc., get outrebounded, out hussled and play zero defense.

Well it wasnt an excuse, I agree, we sucked totally today! Amare couldn't stop Odom.

 

[dodie53]

back to the drawing board

 

[Covert Rain]

Well it wasnt an excuse, I agree, we sucked totally today! Amare couldn't stop Odom.

Honestly, JRich is more important to get going then Frye. Why do you think in Pregame, Doug Collins said that Phil Jackson decided to shut down JRich this series? Phil knows that if JRich gets 20 the Suns are unstoppable.

In essence he is daring someone else on the Suns to step up. That is why Phil is such a great freaking coach.

 

[jagu]

Whether you lose by 30 or by 2, its a L. Move on, I hope Gentry makes adjustments. I don't know how you can make adjustment to Kobe, who made pretty much every shot you can think of.

 

[Cheesebeef]

okay... this was what I've been afraid of all season. Until I see it different, I have no idea how we're going to beat this team, especially in LA.

 

[jagu]

We have to hope this team believes that they can play defense on them. They looked scared today.

 

[Covert Rain]

okay... this was what I've been afraid of all season. Until I see it different, I have no idea how we're going to beat this team, especially in LA.

We have seen this ever since they got Gasol. They play the Suns with the mentality that "you can't stop us". It shows on the court.

 

[Cheesebeef]

We have seen this ever since they got Gasol. They play the Suns with the mentality that "you can't stop us". It shows on the court.

yup, and until we show differently, they're right.

 

[Sunburn]

That was frightening. And wow Frye was hauntingly bad tonight

 

[Greg Popovich]

They have to shake it off. I know its easy to say and hard to do. But they have to study the video tape and make adjustments for game two without getting spooked. They lost control of the game over a 5-6 minute spread during the third quarter. Unfortunately that's when the Suns got cold as ice and the Lakers couldn't miss a shot if they tried.

Before anyone gets too upset--have to remember--things like this happen in playoff finals pretty frequently. That's why adjustments have to be made from game to game. Nash had a sub-par game, and the three point shot was poor. But you can't get too low. I recall the Cavs beat the hell out of Boston in Boston--and we all know what happened in that series...

 

[Chaplin]

They have to shake it off. I know its easy to say and hard to do. But they have to study the video tape and make adjustments for game two without getting spooked. They lost control of the game over a 5-6 minute spread during the third quarter. Unfortunately that's when the Suns got cold as ice and the Lakers couldn't miss a shot if they tried.

Before anyone gets too upset--have to remember--things like this happen in playoff finals pretty frequently. That's why adjustments have to be made from game to game. Nash had a sub-par game, and the three point shot was poor. But you can't get too low. I recall the Cavs beat the hell out of Boston in Boston--and we all know what happened in that series...

Until that point in the 3rd when they pulled away, we were absolutely in this game. The Lakers were shooting 60% and we were still within 7-10 points in the first half! Against a team like that, and when we're playing that badly, that's something to explore.

 

[Greg Popovich]

I agree, Chaplin. Even though the first half was not a good half for the Suns--they were in this game up until a bad stretch in the third quarter when the Lakers made their run. They need to build upon this for game two.

 

[mojorizen7]

Pick your poison.
Odum bent us over,Kobe was unstoppable,Gasol rarely had a hand in his face,Artest looked like a smart offensive player and if it wasn't for Lopez it would have been worse.

I say we can beat this team but Gentry thought that by conceding JRich that the bench would make up for it...especially Frye. He lost that matchup.

1) Time to decide where else to attack LA besides the obvious Goran/Barbosa vs LA's **** guards matchup.
Exploit Fisher with Goran?
Get Nash going?
Get Artest off JRich with a lineup change?


2) What are we going to take away from them?
Kobe? No.
Odum? It will take some juggling.
Gasol? Maybe.
I'm not as smart as Gentry but there are always adjustments that can be made.

Lopez was awesome tonight...we can use that. AMare was horrifically pedestrian tonight....we can use that....Nash was WAY too unselfish in terms of shooting the ball.....we can use that too.

If we haven't found a way to make LA work for shots after gm 2 then yeah, we're in deep *****....but i'm not conceding.

 

[Covert Rain]

Until that point in the 3rd when they pulled away, we were absolutely in this game. The Lakers were shooting 60% and we were still within 7-10 points in the first half! Against a team like that, and when we're playing that badly, that's something to explore.

That is somewhat deceiving. Every time the Suns got within 6 points the Lakers countered. We were never a threat to tie the game or takeover the game. This is very similar to what we did to the Spurs. Every time the Spurs got close the Suns countered.

The difference here is the Spurs actually did tie a couple times and went ahead a couple times. So they felt like a threat. There is no point in that game where the Lakers were thinking "here comes the Suns".

The Suns need to string together runs when the Lakers are playing well. If they don't the Lakers are not going to be phased by "only" having a 5 to 10 point lead. It will be enough in their minds. Especially, when you have a guy like Kobe that can hit any shot he wants in a close game.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

The Lakers shooting percentages were sick. We have to find a way to make them work for their shots or take lower percentage ones:

Gasol, 10-13

Bryant, 13-23

Odom, 9-15

 

[Greg Popovich]

I think Nash has to become more aggressive shooting the ball in game two--kind of the way that he was against the Spurs in game one when he put up those huge points--and the three point shooters need to keep shooting--their shots will begin to fall.

I admit--if Lamar Odom looks like an All-Star throughout this series, it will be tough.

Need to exploit Fisher--Nash should be able to beat him pretty frequently--I think Steve was too unselfish tonight--he has to shoot more in game two.

 

[AfroSuns]

It so obvious that we are not going to get away with what they did against Blazers and Spurs; Suckage period. We cant afford to have a shooting slump for a long time against the Lakers. Spurs and Blazers did not have enough firepower to take advantage of it but the Lakers does.
Disheartening as it is, I still believe. Channing's minutes need to be reduced on the road especially when he appears to shrink on the big stage.