Suns At Piston Game Thread

AfroSuns

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The surging Phoenix Suns have already met the two teams with the worst records in the NBA on their five-game road trip, but they’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone playing worse than the Detroit Pistons.

The Suns can extend the league’s longest current winning streak to 10 on Friday night at The Palace, where the Pistons look to avoid the second double-digit losing streak of their miserable season.

Phoenix (49-26) had won six in a row heading into its trip and has not stopped rolling against some lesser competition.

Amare Stoudemire had 30 points in a 111-105 win at Minnesota on Sunday, then Steve Nash had nine points and four assists in the final five minutes in Chicago on Tuesday, helping the Suns rally from a six-point fourth-quarter deficit for another 111-105 victory.

Nash, playing lately despite a sore back, did it again Wednesday in New Jersey. The two-time MVP had 24 points and 14 assists in a 116-105 win that kept Phoenix in the Western Conference’s fourth spot.

The Suns went 12-2 in March and are an NBA-best 18-4 since the All-Star break, putting themselves in excellent position to earn home-court for the first round of the playoffs - and potentially finish as high as second.

“I think we’ve been playing great, it’s just usually if you have a run like that, you put yourself in a pretty good situation and you have separation,” coach Alvin Gentry said. “And the only one we’ve separated ourselves from is the fact that we’re going to make the playoffs.”

Phoenix is on its longest winning streak since a franchise-record 17-game run during the 2006-07 season, and it should have a great chance to hit double digits Friday. The Pistons (23-51) ended March on a nine-game slide, losing by an average of 14.1 points.

Detroit led Miami by two after one quarter Wednesday, but was convincingly outplayed in the other three en route to a 98-81 loss.

“This is tough, even though we’ve been doing this all season,” guard Will Bynum said. “We’ve got to do a better job out there and give max effort.”

The Pistons, though, don’t seem to be on the same page as coach John Kuester as they play out the string in a season that has seen a 13-game losing streak. Charlie Villanueva, who signed a five-year, $35 million contract over the summer, didn’t play in the second half of a loss to Chicago on Sunday and didn’t get off the bench against the Heat.

“I don’t know what is going on. No one has said anything to me,” said the fifth-year forward, who has averaged 8.3 points since the All-Star break. “All I can do is go out there, play if they put me in the game and cheer on my teammates if they don’t.”

Kuester has been giving more minutes to young players such as DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye, and additional injuries in a season full of them may give Summers and Daye even more time. Richard Hamilton sat out Wednesday with a sprained ankle and Jason Maxiell left early with a back strain.

Neither player’s status for Friday is clear, but the Pistons need all the help they can get against Phoenix. The Suns won the last three meetings by an average of 18.0 points, the most recent a 117-91 victory at the US Airways Center on Nov. 22.

Phoenix concludes its trip Saturday against Milwaukee.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010040208

The last time Gentry was named coach of the month, this team sucked after the recognition, i hope it wont jinx the Suns again :). Go Suns!!
 
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Proteus

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Suns up 26-23 after the 1st quarter. Suns shooting 61% with 1/3 3 pointers, Pistons 44% with 1/3 3 pointers. :)

Suns have committed 1 turnover, Pistons 2.

Suns have 1 offensive rebound, Pistons 5. :(

Suns have hit 3/7 free throws, Pistons have hit 2/3 free throws. :(
 

Proteus

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Nice steal by Dragic in the back court but LB blows the layup.
 
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AfroSuns

AfroSuns

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Nice bank shot by Dragic too. Bench extending lead to 15
 

Proteus

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Suns up 39-24 with 7:58 left in the 2nd quarter.
 

Proteus

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Suns up 56-50 after the 2nd quarter. Suns were up by 17. :( Suns shooting 56% with 5/13 3 pointers, Pistons 44% with 1/5 3 pointers. :)

Suns have committed 4 turnovers, Pistons 5.

Suns have 4 offensive rebounds, Pistons 6.

Suns have hit 7/11 free throws, Pistons have hit 11/13 free throws. :(

We really should up by a lot more. :( Not a good end to the 1st half as the Pistons were on a 9-0 run. :(
 

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That technical on Stoudemire was wrong.
Just now? Should be a jump ball. Frye blocked it and the midget Piston came down with it.
 

Proteus

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Shouldn't it be Pistons in the thread title not Piston? :p
 

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Not surprised it's Kenny Mauer's crew. He's one of Stern's henchmen who's job, among other nefarious activities is to keep the game close.

A foul is a foul Mauer.
 

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Suns up 85-73 after the 3rd quarter. Suns shooting 59% with 11/21 3 pointers. :) Pistons shooting 47% with 1/5 3 pointers. :(

Suns have committed 6 turnovers (Amare with 2), Pistons 8.

Suns have 5 offensive rebounds, Pistons 9. :(

Suns have hit 8/13 free throws, Pistons have hit 16/20 free throws. :(
 

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Yay!!! Suns win 109-94. :) Good job Suns. :)

Nice to see that Nash didn't have to play in the 4th quarter. :) Why were Hill and Amare in til so late though? Hill ended up playing 38 minutes. :(
 
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AfroSuns

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Wow!! Suns in a tie for 2nd place (50 wins). Who woulda thunk :D. At the start of the season i was hoping for between the 6-8 seed.
 
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