Suns At Warriors Game Thread

[AfroSuns]

It’s probably more likely that the Phoenix Suns will break their six-game road losing streak than it is the Golden State Warriors will end their seven-game overall slide.
One of those streaks will end Saturday night when the Suns look to take advantage of the NBA’s worst defensive team.
Phoenix (19-11) is 0-6 on the road since a 113-94 win at Toronto on Nov. 29. The first three losses were by an average of 21.3 points while the last three have been by a total of 10.

That skid could end Saturday against a Golden State team allowing opponents to average 111.8 points and shoot 49.1 percent. The Warriors (7-21) have been hampered by injuries and used seven players in a 108-102 loss at New Orleans in their last game Wednesday.
“I can’t ask for anything more out of this team,” coach Don Nelson said. “They gave everything they had on a back-to-back. I’m really proud of them. I thought the game was there for us if we just could have made shots down the stretch.”
The Suns have won four straight against the Warriors, including a 123-101 home victory in the teams’ first meeting this season Oct. 30. Steve Nash(notes) scored 18 points and had an NBA season-high 20 assists as Phoenix shot 53.6 percent.
That high-scoring contest, though, pales in comparison to Phoenix’s last visit to Oracle Arena. The Suns ended their four-game losing streak in Oakland with a 154-130 victory March 15.
The 284 combined points were the most in the NBA in 2008-09 and the Suns shot 62.1 percent and scored 56 fast-break points, the most since 1997, when the league began to track the stat. Four Phoenix players scored at least 20 points and Nash wasn’t among them, with Jason Richardson(notes) leading the way with 31.
The Suns, the league’s highest-scoring team with 109.0 points per game, will try to beat the Warriors by using the superior depth they showcased Friday night at home. They had seven players in double figures in a 124-93 victory over the Clippers to salvage the finale of a three-game homestand.
“We just needed to have a good win to try to restore a little bit of our confidence,” coach Alvin Gentry said.
Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points and Richardson and Jared Dudley(notes) each added 18. Stoudemire was the only Sun to log more than 28 minutes as Phoenix was able to rest in preparation for the trip to Oakland.
“It’s good for us to realize it’s not about just showing up,” forward Grant Hill(notes) said, “it’s about coming out and playing hard.”
One of the players to reach double digits was Leandro Barbosa(notes), who scored 12 points in his return after missing 12 games because of a sprained left ankle.
The uptempo pace both teams prefer should result in another big game from Warriors guard Monta Ellis(notes), who is averaging 30.8 points in his last four games and 25.0 for the season. Ellis scored 35 in Wednesday’s loss.
“He’s one of the best one-on-one players in the league,” Hornets forward David West(notes) said about Ellis, who has averaged 23.8 points and shot 55.6 percent in his last six home games against the Suns. “You know he’s going to get his shots.”

Go Suns!!!

 

[Dida]

Ah, should be entertaining - no defense AT ALL

OK, I predict this:
=============
PHX: 127
GSW: 119

Nash: 18p/16a
JRich: 19p/7r
Hill: 12p/10r
Amare: 26p/12r
Frye: 10p/7r
Dragic: 12p/4a
Barbosa: 14p/4a
Dudley: 12p/5r
Lou: 4p/8r
Lopez: 40/15 LOL - just kidding - DNP
Clark: sad, but unless it's a blowout - DNP

Hopefully Amare and JRich will keep up the effort from last game. Expect Anthony Morrow to explode once again against the Suns and many, many uncontested jump shots on both sides

Go Suns!

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

As A Dubs fan:

Warriors: 127
Suns: 139

 

[Ronin]

Good start

 

[Proteus]

Playing the Warriors brings out the worst in our guys in terms of bothering to play defense.

 

[Dida]

Amare's first minutes were not so productive - 1 point and 1 board and he missed 3 straight FTs...now Lou comes in for him (Stat also fumbled the ball again, I don't know why he is doing that this season). Maybe that will fire him up when he comes back in the game.

Overall - as expected - wide open jumpers, very fast pace and some ******** turnovers. Frye with a pretty good start, but still way too soft - he should be dominating the small lineup right now.

UPDATE - Lou, damn you gotta dunk that one...and like expected another stupid TO...on both sides!

 

[Ronin]

Cmon Lou

 

[Proteus]

Just because we're playing the Warriors is not an excuse to play no defense guys.

 

[Dida]

Dudley for three! God, Randolph has some weird face, always looks like starting to cry xD
And another TO - dammit Nash!

 

[Proteus]

I hate how our guys indulge in this scoring contest crap.

 

[Dida]

Yeah, that's why I hate to see the Warriors this season - they don't play basketball they play videogame style.

Monta plays 40-48 minutes, everybody is running and no one defending - it's like TOO MUCH OFFENSE, if that is possible.

Warriors are ruining the enjoyment of watching fast paced offense for me

 

[Proteus]

Suns down 35-36 after the 1st quarter. Suns shooting 59% with 5/9 3 pointers, Warriors 58% with 2/3 3 pointers.

Suns have committed 5 turnovers (Nash and JRich with 2), Warriors 4.

Suns have 2 offensive rebounds, Warriors 4.

Suns have hit 4/7 free throws, Warriors have hit 7/7 free throws.

Leave it to the Suns to be losing while shooting 59%.

 

[Dida]

Two quick TO by LB - but Dragic with the answer - for three.

 

[Dida]

Suns with 8/12 3pointers - LB hit another one, 56:50

 

[Ronin]

Nice dunk by Amare.

 

[Proteus]

Sigh...stop missing free throws guys.

 

[Dida]

And right after that another one - nice putback! Seems like Alvin did good by letting him sit so long, suddenly Amare shows great effort. Now we can go on winning this game like we need to.

 

[Bert]

Robin Lopez is looking more and more like sideshow Bob every game...

 

[Proteus]

Suns up 71-70 after the 2nd quarter. Suns shooting 60% with 8/16 3 pointers, Warriors 57% with 3/5 3 pointers.

Suns have committed 10 turnovers (JRich with 3, Nash & LB with 2), Warriors 9.

Suns have 4 offensive rebounds, Warriors 7.

Suns have hit 9/15 free throws, Warriors have hit 17/21 free throws.

Suns with only 13 assists on 27 baskets.

We really shouldn't be only up by 1 point against a poor Warriors team. We gotta actually play some defense and hit our free throws.

 

[Proteus]

Amare picks up his 3rd & 4th foul within 30 seconds and goes to the bench with the Suns down 78-81 with 8:59 left in the 3rd quarter.

 

[green machine]

Amare picks up his 3rd & 4th foul within 30 seconds and goes to the bench with the Suns down 78-81 with 8:59 left in the 3rd quarter.

He gets a lot of those offensive ones where he spins and the defender flops. It isn't as if Amare is lowering his shoulder into the guy, just the spin+flop = foul.

 

[Proteus]

Hill needs to stop shooting.

 

[AfroSuns]

wtf, we cant make stops. Suns have to or they will lose this game.

 

[Dida]

A 35year old Steve Nash is carrying the Suns right now - 19 points in this quarter, even the friendly roll on his last trey What happened to our usual back-to-back meltdown? Nobody is looking flat so far.

Sorry, I don't wanna beat a dead horse, but Amare
Barbosa with some not so clever moves, but great to see him healthy on the floor, looking good so far.

108-104 end of 3rd - wow.

 

[Proteus]

Suns up 108-104 after the 3rd quarter. Suns shooting 58% with 13/26 3 pointers, Warriors 58% with 3/8 3 pointers.

Suns have committed 13 turnovers (JRich with 4 and Nash with 3), Warriors with 16.

Suns have 5 offensive rebounds, Warriors 8.

Suns have hit 13/20 free throws, Warriors have hit 23/27 free throws.

Gentry must really be feeling the pressure to get a win as Nash played the whole 3rd quarter and played the whole 1st quarter as well.

Come on guys...play some defense and hit your free throws.