azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Road win could break Grizzlies' poise
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - St. Michaels University High never played any best-of-seven series in Victoria, British Columbia, when Steve Nash was growing up, and eventually leading the basketball team.
But Nash said his coach there, Ian Hyde-Lay, is "smarter than the average bear," which makes his advice perfect for Game 3 against the Grizzlies tonight in Memphis.
"Game 3s, as my high school coach always says, are always telling," Nash said. "Game 3 can break a team's back. It can force a Game 7 in some ways because it can force a momentum shift. It's the only important game right now."
As this first-round series shifts to FedExForum, Phoenix can get into what it has done best all season. The 2004-05 Suns, a terrific road team, split two games in Memphis' new arena. Phoenix, which set a franchise mark with a 31-10 road record, struggled in both games but pulled out the second visit.
The Suns' late-game effort on defense did the trick, similar to the way they won Game 2 at America West Arena on Wednesday night.
Phoenix may be halfway to a sweep but two road defeats in three days would produce a best-of-three scenario and give a tremendous boost to the Grizzlies' confidence.
Memphis already found some poise in getting Phoenix to play a grittier game, only to blow a five-point lead in the game's final four minutes.
"We felt we had a good grasp of the game," Memphis forward Shane Battier said. "We accomplished what we tried to do. We got a lot of post-ups. Pau (Gasol) was a horse for us. We were able to slow the game down a lot more than we did in Game 1."
On the flip side, Phoenix lost its three-point-shooting touch (5 for 17) but still scored 108 points. After giving up back-to-back 100-point games only once during the first five months of the season (to Golden State and Phoenix), the Grizzlies have now lost seven of their past eight games and have surrendered at least 100 points in six of them.
Only eight times in 317 best-of-seven NBA playoff series have teams come back from an 0-2 hole to win (Boston, 1969; Los Angeles, 1969; Baltimore, 1971; Portland, 1977; Chicago, 1993; Houston, 1994; Houston, 1995; LA Lakers, 2004).
With the seventh-best road mark in NBA history, the Suns head to Memphis excited about the jeering fans awaiting them.
"It's a warrior mentality," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said of his team's road approach. "Our guys like adversity."
It may take another defensive effort, which turned around Phoenix's last Memphis visit - after a Nash bench tirade jolted his teammates.
Phoenix wanted to find a way to get 48 minutes of defensive focus and has found a way to win with late, shutdown defense.
The Suns ended both halves Wednesday with turnarounds spurred by defense. Memphis made two of its last 12 first-half shots and one of its last eight second-half shots.
"We're not the greatest defensive team in the world, but we're pretty good," D'Antoni said. "We showed it on the road. We showed it (Wednesday) night. We showed it in big games."
Tonight's Game 3
SUNS AT GRIZZLIES
WHERE: FedExForum , Memphis, Tenn.
WHEN: 6 p.m.
TV/RADIO: ESPN2, UPN 45/KTAR-AM (620).
ADJUSTMENTS: Memphis needs to do a better job of doubling Steve Nash off the pick and roll. Too often, Nash was able to split the trap with his dribble or a bounce pass. The Grizzlies can't count on another off-shooting night from him.
WHAT TO WATCH: Officiating will get close scrutiny with Memphis at home, the Grizzlies' increased aggression and Mike Fratello questioning how Phoenix shot twice as many free throws in Game 2. Amaré Stoudemire shot more free throws (22) than Memphis (19) did in Game 2.
HUNTER TO SHOOT TECHNICALS? Well, maybe Steven Hunter is not there yet, but he has hit 11 of 13 free throws in the past three games.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Memphis star Pau Gasol found his confidence in Game 2's second half, going on a stretch where he hit 9 of 11 shots before Quentin Richardson's clutch block. Shawn Marion blocked Gasol's first two shots of the half, prompting Gasol to be ripped by his teammates and Fratello during a timeout. It stoked his fire. The Suns will challenge his stamina more in Game 3. "The key is being physical with him," Hunter said. "He doesn't like that at all."
UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS: Marion had his sprained wrist wrapped for Game 2 but covered it with a wristband. Asked whether it affected his shot (he was 10 for 18), Marion said: "Definitely." He grabbed 13 rebounds, as he did in Game 1.
SPEAKING UP: Suns coach Mike D'Antoni: "We haven't done anything but hold serve."
- Paul Coro
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0429suns0429.html
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - St. Michaels University High never played any best-of-seven series in Victoria, British Columbia, when Steve Nash was growing up, and eventually leading the basketball team.
But Nash said his coach there, Ian Hyde-Lay, is "smarter than the average bear," which makes his advice perfect for Game 3 against the Grizzlies tonight in Memphis.
"Game 3s, as my high school coach always says, are always telling," Nash said. "Game 3 can break a team's back. It can force a Game 7 in some ways because it can force a momentum shift. It's the only important game right now."
As this first-round series shifts to FedExForum, Phoenix can get into what it has done best all season. The 2004-05 Suns, a terrific road team, split two games in Memphis' new arena. Phoenix, which set a franchise mark with a 31-10 road record, struggled in both games but pulled out the second visit.
The Suns' late-game effort on defense did the trick, similar to the way they won Game 2 at America West Arena on Wednesday night.
Phoenix may be halfway to a sweep but two road defeats in three days would produce a best-of-three scenario and give a tremendous boost to the Grizzlies' confidence.
Memphis already found some poise in getting Phoenix to play a grittier game, only to blow a five-point lead in the game's final four minutes.
"We felt we had a good grasp of the game," Memphis forward Shane Battier said. "We accomplished what we tried to do. We got a lot of post-ups. Pau (Gasol) was a horse for us. We were able to slow the game down a lot more than we did in Game 1."
On the flip side, Phoenix lost its three-point-shooting touch (5 for 17) but still scored 108 points. After giving up back-to-back 100-point games only once during the first five months of the season (to Golden State and Phoenix), the Grizzlies have now lost seven of their past eight games and have surrendered at least 100 points in six of them.
Only eight times in 317 best-of-seven NBA playoff series have teams come back from an 0-2 hole to win (Boston, 1969; Los Angeles, 1969; Baltimore, 1971; Portland, 1977; Chicago, 1993; Houston, 1994; Houston, 1995; LA Lakers, 2004).
With the seventh-best road mark in NBA history, the Suns head to Memphis excited about the jeering fans awaiting them.
"It's a warrior mentality," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said of his team's road approach. "Our guys like adversity."
It may take another defensive effort, which turned around Phoenix's last Memphis visit - after a Nash bench tirade jolted his teammates.
Phoenix wanted to find a way to get 48 minutes of defensive focus and has found a way to win with late, shutdown defense.
The Suns ended both halves Wednesday with turnarounds spurred by defense. Memphis made two of its last 12 first-half shots and one of its last eight second-half shots.
"We're not the greatest defensive team in the world, but we're pretty good," D'Antoni said. "We showed it on the road. We showed it (Wednesday) night. We showed it in big games."
Tonight's Game 3
SUNS AT GRIZZLIES
WHERE: FedExForum , Memphis, Tenn.
WHEN: 6 p.m.
TV/RADIO: ESPN2, UPN 45/KTAR-AM (620).
ADJUSTMENTS: Memphis needs to do a better job of doubling Steve Nash off the pick and roll. Too often, Nash was able to split the trap with his dribble or a bounce pass. The Grizzlies can't count on another off-shooting night from him.
WHAT TO WATCH: Officiating will get close scrutiny with Memphis at home, the Grizzlies' increased aggression and Mike Fratello questioning how Phoenix shot twice as many free throws in Game 2. Amaré Stoudemire shot more free throws (22) than Memphis (19) did in Game 2.
HUNTER TO SHOOT TECHNICALS? Well, maybe Steven Hunter is not there yet, but he has hit 11 of 13 free throws in the past three games.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Memphis star Pau Gasol found his confidence in Game 2's second half, going on a stretch where he hit 9 of 11 shots before Quentin Richardson's clutch block. Shawn Marion blocked Gasol's first two shots of the half, prompting Gasol to be ripped by his teammates and Fratello during a timeout. It stoked his fire. The Suns will challenge his stamina more in Game 3. "The key is being physical with him," Hunter said. "He doesn't like that at all."
UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS: Marion had his sprained wrist wrapped for Game 2 but covered it with a wristband. Asked whether it affected his shot (he was 10 for 18), Marion said: "Definitely." He grabbed 13 rebounds, as he did in Game 1.
SPEAKING UP: Suns coach Mike D'Antoni: "We haven't done anything but hold serve."
- Paul Coro
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0429suns0429.html
