My reactions:
1. That was a royal ass-whuppin!
2. The Suns got the better of the calls in the first half, and that helped. Stoudemire, in particular, got away with some marginal shoves similar to those that have been called fouls in the past. And some of the early fouls on Dampier were also borderline. But hey, that's what home court advantage is for.
3. Joe Johnson is officially out of my doghouse. I've been down on him ever since the game in Miami, which I interpreted as just more proof that he disappears when the pressure is on. But he was the Suns' second-best player tonight, and it looks like it's really starting to come together for him. If he can keep playing like this, they really have a shot.
4. Marion, Nash, and Richardson were all held relatively in check, and yet the Suns still cruised. Great sign.
5. No ceremony jinx!
I think that must be because they did it before the game, instead of at halftime. Good thinking, whoever planned that.
6a. It's possible that I overestimated Dampier's impact on this series.
If Stoudemire can continue to dominate this matchup, the series will be an easy one.
6b. Treesquid, get off my case. I will not warn you again. You can ask some of the other posters on this board how much fun it is to get into a verbal battle with me.
