No breaks

May 15, 2007 by Mike Olbinski

If the Phoenix Suns end up beating the San Antonio Spurs in this series to move on to the Western Conference Finals, it will be in spite of more adversity than one team should have to take.

A bloody nose. A kick to the groin. A check worthy of the best players in hockey. And now two suspensions.

The Spurs have kicked the crap out of the Suns. Yet the series is tied at 2-2.

Now the league has decided to stick to their ridiculous rules and suspend Amare and Boris for Game 5. Robert Horry is gone too, but please. It’s not even close to the same thing.

When the Suns finally have momentum on their side, home court advantage retaken and a newfound confidence that they can beat this Spurs team, they go and pile on more and more problems.

Can they win Wednesday night? Stranger things have happened. It’s hard to fathom it though. And if they do lose, they have to go back to San Antonio to try and even it again. They’ve done it once, so it’s possible.

But right now, everything is bleak again. Last night’s euphoria evaporated so quickly. The Spurs keep on kicking us and they come out looking pretty. Tim Duncan left the bench in the second quarter, but suffered no suspension.

The league really needs to examine their rules. Putting two stars on the bench for essentially doing nothing in the middle of a pretty lame skirmish hurts everyone. The fans are irate. Most NBA experts hate the decision.

But that is just how things are going for the Suns. It rains but it pours.

If they do pull this out, it will be one of the greatest moments in franchise history. It may end up being THE greatest as well.

Half a quarter ago, I would have counted the Suns for dead. But they showed something last night. Grit and determination.

They are now in the direst of situations. Can they respond?

Posted in basketball, phoenix suns