Sonics VS Suns Game Thread

[Amare32]

Sonics (41-16) Vs Suns (44-14)

Starting 5 Seattle Sonics

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Starting 5 Phoenix Suns

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Two teams who have commanding leads in their divisions clash Sunday when the Phoenix Suns face the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Suns top the Pacific Division by 9 1/2 games and are one-half game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league. The SuperSonics enjoy a 12-game cushion in the Northwest Division - the largest advantage of any division leader.

Phoenix had little trouble defeating the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, 129-116. All-Star Shawn Marion scored 26 points in the first three quarters before sitting out the fourth. The Suns had a 23-point bulge entering the final period.

Amare Stoudemire added 20 and Jim Jackson collected 18 and a season-high 10 assists in his first start with the Suns. Jackson replaced Quentin Richardson, who missed his first game of the season with a hyperextended left knee.

Seattle posted a 95-87 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday, its third consecutive win. Rashard Lewis scored 18 points and Jerome James added 16.

Ray Allen added 15 but was just 3-of-17 from the field. He did make nine of his 10 attempts from the line.

The Suns and the Sonics have split their two previous meetings this season, with each winning on the other team's home floor.

http://www.nba.com/games/20050306/PHOSEA/preview.html

 

[Yuma]

If you would have told me before the season the Suns would have a 9.5 game lead in the Pacific at this point in the season, I would have rolled on the ground laughing. Just when I think we are coming back to the pack and have all our weaknesses exposed, we rip off wins against Detroit and Portland that look real good! I will be watching our bench to see if they can spark us to a win again!

 

[sunsfn]

James gave Amare some trouble last game. Amare needs to go at him and get him in foul trouble early to get him out of the game. Of course, we have to try to keep Allen from scoring 30 points.

Suns by 5-10 points..........anybody know the spread?

 

[Chaplin]

James gave Amare some trouble last game. Amare needs to go at him and get him in foul trouble early to get him out of the game. Of course, we have to try to keep Allen from scoring 30 points.

Suns by 5-10 points..........anybody know the spread?

I think it's Suns by a point and a half.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think it's Suns by a point and a half.

really?! I'm pretty surprised by that. I expect a loss tonight and a rebounbd WIN over San Antonio on Wednesday.

 

[sunsfn]

I was going to mention that JJax, & McCarty are starting to play better and blend in with this team. (actually JJax has played very well from the start, but even better now) Barbosa, & Hunter are playing well and the bench is really helping. Hoping they can keep that up against the Sonics.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Chat anyone?

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/chat.php

 

[arthurracoon]

Chat anyone?

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/chat.php

bump...where is everyone?!?!

 

[elindholm]

Way to go Suns! I can't watch any of the game tonight -- and I actually thought it was tomorrow for some reason, so I didn't even set it up to record -- but it looks like they are in command midway through the fourth quarter. Bring it home!

 

[az1965]

What a great win!! SUNS RULE!

Statement win?

 

[carey]

Nice win.

 

[az1965]

Let's take care of San Antonio next! We have to win next one.

Duncan twisted his ankle today in win over Utah. How bad is it?

I hope he plays as I would like to beat SA with Duncan playing.

 

[Cheesebeef]

man do I LOVE BEING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phenomenal win tonight - another playoff type game - ugly, physical and another W.

I just asked this in the chat and was curious what you all thought. If it came down to a Game 7, where would you rather seeus - on the road or at home? For me, I think we would be one of the mid-90's Pacers teams which thrived on the road and always seemed to relax at home. It just seems like our style can crush a crowd and at home we get a little tepid at times.

Regardless - great win - big one - BIG ONE against San Antonio on Wednesday - nice to see Nash only play 25 minutes again also - the bench is really coming together! Man I wish we had Casey Jacobsen back though!

 

[Cheesebeef]

Let's take care of San Antonio next! We have to win next one.

Duncan twisted his ankle today in win over Utah. How bad is it?

I hope he plays as I would like to beat SA with Duncan playing.

I hope he plays also, but we are in a playoff race and they are a half game above us - I won't be shedding no tears if we beat a Duncan-less Spurs team to claim the best record in the league!

 

[arthurracoon]

I love that the BENCH is starting to gel!

To think that we can play at least 4 bench players (JJax, McCarty, Barbosa, Hunter) and not blow a lead is amazing!

Great Win!

BRING ON SAN ANTONIO!!!

 

[elindholm]

I won't be shedding no tears if we beat a Duncan-less Spurs team to claim the best record in the league!

Me either. The Suns can't control whether Duncan plays. They need to focus on winning whether he's in the lineup or not.

 

[az1965]

I hope he plays also, but we are in a playoff race and they are a half game above us - I won't be shedding no tears if we beat a Duncan-less Spurs team to claim the best record in the league!

I won't either. Only care about "W" and best record any which way we can. But the "W" will be sweeter with Duncan playing.

 

[asudevil83]

i see it as the same thing that's happened to nash. he was out for a while, and we fell a little. he was our best man, our offense flowed through him, and he was our leader. **** happens, and well.....**** happens.

if we win, then good for us. if we lose, then good for the spurs. this game wont mean.....cuzz its the playoffs that matter.

 

[az1965]

if we win, then good for us. if we lose, then good for the spurs. this game wont mean.....cuzz its the playoffs that matter.

I don't agree that it does not matter. We are jockeying for the top postion and home court advantage throughout the playoffs and with such a tight race every game matters.

 

[George O'Brien]

Back to the game...

I was very impressed with the Suns composure. The Sonics tried their bully tactics and it didn't take the Suns out of their game. When the Sonics made some baskets and got the lead down to seven, the Suns turned up their defense and started hitting some shots and took control of the game. Great game.

The most exciting thing about this game was that the Suns played pretty good perimeter defense. The Sonics burned them a few times on drives to the basket, but Sonics shot only 41.8% from the field and just 11.1% for three.

This was a huge win from a playoff perspective. The Suns (46-14) have put some distance (4 games) between themselves and the Sonics (41-17). This might end up meaning something in the playoffs.

 

[asudevil83]

I don't agree that it does not matter. We are jockeying for the top postion and home court advantage throughout the playoffs and with such a tight race every game matters.

well....i guess i didnt make myself that clear. but what i meant was that if duncan doesnt play and we win, then what does that prove. it proves we can beat a duncanless team. it would be just like boston saying they can beat a nashless and somewhat amareless suns team.

of course the win or loss itself means a lot in the columns, but as far as saying "we can beat the spurs in the playoffs" after a win without duncan......well, we cant.

 

[elindholm]

of course the win or loss itself means a lot in the columns, but as far as saying "we can beat the spurs in the playoffs" after a win without duncan......well, we cant.

A regular-season win wouldn't mean anything anyway. Nothing means anything until the fourth win of the playoff series.

 

[zett]

We played extremely well the whole game, I would have to put that one down as one of the most consistant games we have played this year. The refs however were consistantly bad the whole game even though I think the suns probably got the advantage in this game.

 

[scotsman13]

We played extremely well the whole game, I would have to put that one down as one of the most consistant games we have played this year. The refs however were consistantly bad the whole game even though I think the suns probably got the advantage in this game.

i think the refs called this game just the way that the sonics wanted it, the message that they wanted it called in the first minute of the game. sonics wanted to get physical and showed that when james threw amare to the ground. they hoped to scare the suns off from going inside. instead the suns gave the sonics the physical play in return and they (the sonics) didnt like it. if you cant stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

definitely a well played game ... seattle was off on their outside shot and in the 4th they started to miss some of the easier ones as well

usually when seattle goes into an offensive funk they can force some turnovers, get to the line, something to ease it out, but the suns did a great job at just pacing the game

very well played

one final note is that I realize more and more how spoiled I am when it comes to broadcasters .... the suns are rather painful ... even if the sonics lost every game, it would be a good listen due to kevin calabro