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Sunday’s postgame adjectives from the Suns locker room included “embarrassing,” “disappointing,” “flat” and “one of those days.”
Motown beatdown for Suns
Suns notebook: Hill scoreless for 1st time as Sun
Sounds apocalyptic, which it felt like during a 116-86 blowout by the Detroit Pistons at US Airways Center, but the Suns weren’t in panic mode, just frustrated over losing by the largest margin this season.
On a nationally televised clunker, Suns fans hurled a few boos, while the team preached patience after its 11-game winning streak against the Eastern Conference was snapped soundly.
It’s been two weeks and three games since Shaquille O’Neal joined the team. Incidentally, those three games have been against the best in the West (Lakers), the best in the NBA (Boston) and the second-best in the East (Detroit).
“There’s some issues and issues we have to get over and cure,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be easy for the players and fans. They just have to be a little patient and have a little rally and we’ll get this team going.”
Despite the narrow loss to the Lakers last week, the Suns had little trouble running, gunning and scoring. They scored 124 points against L.A. that night in O’Neal’s debut.
Against the Celtics and Pistons however, the high-wire act has stumbled.
Offense has been the bugaboo the past two games. The Suns beat the Celtics despite 42 percent shooting and 24 turnovers, largely because Boston’s offense was worse.
On Sunday, the Suns shot 42 percent and were 4 of 12 from behind the arc. They were nullified in transition by the Pistons’ 52 percent shooting and trademark defense. Detroit also had the edge, 48-32, in rebounding.
“It takes time,” said Amaré Stoudemire, the only Sun to make himself a presence with 31 points and four assists. “It’s only Game 3.”
The Suns were held to less than 90 points in consecutive games for the first time since Steve Nash rejoined the Suns four seasons ago.
It happened in mid-January of 2005, but Nash didn’t play in those games.
“It’s too early,” he said. “We’ve got a lot more time.”
O’Neal was unfazed by his Suns’ initiation coming against three teams with serious NBA Finals aspirations, noting 30 games (actually, it’s 26) remain before the playoffs, and postseason is essentially why he’s here.
“I’ve played lot of tough games in my career,” O’Neal said of learning these Suns while playing against the toughest of the rest. “It’s a new team, new situation, new plays for me. I have to rearrange my whole game I’ve been doing for 16 years, which I don’t have a problem with, but it’s going to take some time. It’d be nice to come in here and fit right in, but it’s not realistic.”
More...
Motown beatdown for Suns
Suns notebook: Hill scoreless for 1st time as Sun
Sounds apocalyptic, which it felt like during a 116-86 blowout by the Detroit Pistons at US Airways Center, but the Suns weren’t in panic mode, just frustrated over losing by the largest margin this season.
On a nationally televised clunker, Suns fans hurled a few boos, while the team preached patience after its 11-game winning streak against the Eastern Conference was snapped soundly.
It’s been two weeks and three games since Shaquille O’Neal joined the team. Incidentally, those three games have been against the best in the West (Lakers), the best in the NBA (Boston) and the second-best in the East (Detroit).
“There’s some issues and issues we have to get over and cure,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be easy for the players and fans. They just have to be a little patient and have a little rally and we’ll get this team going.”
Despite the narrow loss to the Lakers last week, the Suns had little trouble running, gunning and scoring. They scored 124 points against L.A. that night in O’Neal’s debut.
Against the Celtics and Pistons however, the high-wire act has stumbled.
Offense has been the bugaboo the past two games. The Suns beat the Celtics despite 42 percent shooting and 24 turnovers, largely because Boston’s offense was worse.
On Sunday, the Suns shot 42 percent and were 4 of 12 from behind the arc. They were nullified in transition by the Pistons’ 52 percent shooting and trademark defense. Detroit also had the edge, 48-32, in rebounding.
“It takes time,” said Amaré Stoudemire, the only Sun to make himself a presence with 31 points and four assists. “It’s only Game 3.”
The Suns were held to less than 90 points in consecutive games for the first time since Steve Nash rejoined the Suns four seasons ago.
It happened in mid-January of 2005, but Nash didn’t play in those games.
“It’s too early,” he said. “We’ve got a lot more time.”
O’Neal was unfazed by his Suns’ initiation coming against three teams with serious NBA Finals aspirations, noting 30 games (actually, it’s 26) remain before the playoffs, and postseason is essentially why he’s here.
“I’ve played lot of tough games in my career,” O’Neal said of learning these Suns while playing against the toughest of the rest. “It’s a new team, new situation, new plays for me. I have to rearrange my whole game I’ve been doing for 16 years, which I don’t have a problem with, but it’s going to take some time. It’d be nice to come in here and fit right in, but it’s not realistic.”
More...
