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Welcome to San Antonio Texas for the *live* game-cast of tonight’s game 3 of the 2005 Western Conference Finals. The Phoenix Suns, despite owning the best record in the league and home court advantage, somehow find themselves down 2 games to nil. With Joe Johnson back in the lineup, the Suns are running out of chances to prove they are the better team.
Tip-off is in 10 minutes, and during ESPN’s Pre-Game ‘shout-around’, I swear that former NBA great Tim Legler compared Steve Nash to Wayne Gretsky. Anytime you say “now I’m not comparing “person x” to “person z”, you know you’re in trouble…
Durind the first 2 games of this series, the Suns have controlled the tempo yet San Antonio have out-executed them down the stretch. That’s what these Spurs do – they know how to win, they know how to defend, and they know how to execute, and they do it all with a minimum of fuss. Man to man, they know cannot guard Nash, Q, Marion and Amare Stoudemire, but unlike Dallas and Memphis before them, they decide to embrace the Suns’ style of play and just do it better.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Let’s see what happens…
Sunday Admin Note: Apologies must be given, as you find that partway through the 3rd period, the Desipio server died and thus this *live* gamecast came to an abrupt halt. Still, it lasted a full hour longer than the Suns’ offense.
I’ve had a haircut.
But why haven’t I dyed it? I had like no idea I was this grey!
Just to prove how contrary I am when surrounded by all you front-runners, I’m picking the Suns.
Hey team, how about we use a Phil Collins tune-over to headline our coverage? All the fans will relate to that, stat?
Nash v Parker
J Johnson v Ginobili
Marion v Duncan
Q v Bruce Bowen
Stroudemire v Mohammed
I just tapped my repaired cheekbone on national TV. I’m fine.
…and Ginobili recovers and lays it up. 2-0 San Antonio.
Phoenix counter with 2 FT’s, game tied after 15 seconds.
Now Parker drives to the rim for another layup, it’s 6-4 Spurs.
Bowen Wide Open for 3. And Joe Johnson answers.
…but Mohammed out-leaps Marion for the offensive, Q misses, Mohammed spins off the iso, they have 15 points in 2½ minutes.
Nash with an acrobatic layup. The pace of this game is astounding.
Duncan misses but Ginoblii scraps out the rebound. 15-11 Spurs, and Parker gets to the line.
Nash steals as the Spurs try to run some high-post offense between their 2 big men. And Nash makes the 2.
Marion with the chance to cut the lead to 2, and blows the layup.
San Antonio and Bruce Bowen pick up their first foul.
Parcker and the somehow Spurs out-defend the mis-match with Soudemire posting up the point guard, and it’s our timeout.
17-13 Spurs
But they don’t get it on the first play, Spurs up 6.
Phoenix trying to isolate whoever Parker is guarding, and that looked like a clean block to me… The crowd obviously thought so too..
Another quick bucket by San Antone in the post. Johnson hits. 21-17 with 5½ to play in the first.
Even Brent Barry is hitting – from both ends. Looked like he tipped in that defensive rebound…
Do I have a sore ankle? Sure doesn’t look like it.
6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists.
1 – Joe Johnson 4:39 1st
and needed to, Spurs lead was out to 9.
Bill Walton won’t give his opinion as to whether his toe on the line. It was.
Who said I can’t shoot FT’s?
4-4 so far tonight.
scored in the quarter, with 3 minutes left.
that’s 2 on Marion. Ginobili will go to the line. Spurs up 30-27.
Some terrific ball-movement by the Spurs, but Amare rejects Barry at the rim, then comes back and stops Mohammed.
Ginobili – how quick are his hands – another steal.
…the Spurs are up 9.
Timeout Phoenix.
36-27 with a minute to play. Horry with the defensive rebound after the Nash miss, and Ginobili slashes to the rim for another superb play.
Nash keeps on attacking the rim – gets to the line. Phoenix running out of ideas…
…at the end of the first quarter. But I don’t know why.
It’s 38-29, and the Suns look as if they can’t keep this up. All season, they have been the team runing out to early leads and having their opponents bewildered. It’s the old taste-of-your-own-medicine theorem, and Mike D’Antoni is not enjoying it at all.
Phoenix need to recognise that it’s their own quick shots that are feeding the Spurs propensity to fast break. Nash seems to be rushing the offense, and after every miss Ginobili and Parker are enjoying the opportunities to run to the lane and make layups.
2 points and 2 fouls.
I was the only person in the world to notice that Nash had no assists after the first quarter.
Thanks stat guy.
…but he missed anyway.
Phoenix’s offense is still chaotic. Neither team has scored through the first 2 minutes of the 2nd.
Suns must find a way to eat into this lead now that the Spurs’ offense is missing shots.
I can’t play D.
But that foul called on me was rubbish.
…and that’s putting it midly.
I can’t even spell my own name.
Spurs lead back to 9.
Jim Jackson has missed all 3 field goals – Phoenix need their bench to get them some buckets.
We are playing D, but we do it without fouling. And we do it without blocking shots.
The Suns are shooting just 35% from the field, and we have zero blocks.
I am getting hammered every time I go to the offensive glass. There’s 3 white shirts surrounding me, and as soon as I get my finger-tips on the rock, my ribs get played like Elton John’s piano.
Did someone say “oh-fer”.
Drains a 3, that I think might have been called a 2.
We’re 0-4 this quarter.
But we still have an 8 point lead.
just missed an alley-oop from Nash to Marion because of an un-necessary replay on Bruce Bowen foul.
Now Parker is back to the line – Marion picks up his 3rd.
…run this fast?
Nash and Stoudemire run it like their on fast-forward.
Stoudamire posting up Parker – and spins to the lane for the jam. Foul on Parker, but for some reason it’s before the shot. No 3-point play.
Parker is a terrific defender, but Phoenix need to exploit Popovich’s willingness to switch him onto the bigger men.
I have 3 steals, and am shooting 3-3 from the field.
Can you believe I wasn’t even starting games at the beginning of this post-season?
more numbers, less words.
And Parker attacks Joe Johnson for the layup and the foul.
Spurs lead 47-37
…this is a watershed series.
Think back to the 79-83 games San Antone were engaged in with the Denver Nuggets just what, 4 weeks ago?
…and all of a sudden it Phoenix’s offense that’s flawed.
Nash with another turnover – a one-handed pass into the lane. And the Spurs hit 50.
…and the foul.
This game is getting away from the Phoenix Suns. 2 minutes to go in the half, and the lead is 13, with a Duncan FT to come.
Phoenix have scored just 10 points in the first 10 minutes of this quarter, and this during a period where San Antonio missed 6 straight field goals.
The difference? San Antone are still defending, while Phoenix’s D consists of whether the player making the layup gets fouled or not.
Timeout D’Antoni – signs are not good.
…and Brent Barry makes his 2nd 3 of the game.
The lead is 17.
Who on earth gave me the fashion advice regarding these sideburns?
And things are ugly for the Phoenix Suns. Coming into this game, even though they were down 2-0, they still believed they could win. Win the game. Get back on track. Win the series. It’s possible. It’s achievable. It’s time.
But.
After the way the San Antonio Spurs out-played them in the first 24 minutes of game 3, it’s looking like a futuile hope.
These Suns are not the same fluid offensive juggernaut that took the basketball world by storm this season. These Suns are a good team being schooled by a great team. Tim Duncan is a hoop god, but as good as he is he’s only part of the picture.
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have scored a combined 23 points on 8-14 shooting, with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Some of their skills and decisions have been breath-taking. And let’s not forget who they’re playing against – the offensively gifted Suns.
When cornered by Jim Gray coming into halftime, Parker was asked “how are you frustrating Steve Nash”. And his reponse? Not to deny he was doing it. Nor to explain how. Just to state that he was “frustrating him full court”.
That’s they way Gregg Popovich prepares his team. People know how to play basketball. They are all here because they’re gifted athletes. They don’t need Dr Melfi to get them to play together and learn how to put the ball in the hoop.
It’s the way Phoenix played all season.
But they’re getting a lesson in this series.
????
…it’s 56-39.
It’s over. I’ve called it.
I know everything.
I’m never wrong.
…and we’ve just heard that Mike D’Antoni can’t explain the way Phoenix are playing.
I can.
In one word too, if you want.
and cuts the lead to 15.
Duncan to the line again – draws a foul on Stoudemire. Only his 2nd.
Spurs hit 60.
for yet another layup.
The Suns double-team Duncan and actually force a turnover – his first of the night.
Q – nice move, and I hope Darius Miles saw that from whatever club it is he’s no doubt out in.
Joe Johnson still looking solid. The Suns force a miss, and guess who is left without a body on him for the easy putback – Tim Duncan.
Ginobili drives to the rim and draws another foul.
…of keeping their own men quiet.
When Nash calls his own number he’s still scoring, bit he’s not creating anything by way of typical Phoenix offense for any of his teammates.
Spurs turn it over – they still lead 17.
54-71 is 17, right?
I have 4 points in 27 minutes of the Conference Finals.
All-NBA 3rd Team, baby!
Whenever the best offensive team meets the best defensive team, who usually wins?
This season, were the 5th worst FT shooting team in the league.
Tonight, we’re 18-22 (.818).
The man in Jersey #21 is a talented rebounder.
It might be a good idea to prevent him from gaining multiple offensive rebounds.
Your choice.
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