Western Conference First Round Game 2 - Grizzles @ Suns Game Thread

[Cheesebeef]

Please, please, please let;s not get into another soft debate - I'm sorry for indulging.

Marion was a full on stud tonight, just as he was in Game 1. Right now - he's the difference maker on the team - allowing us to play the style we are and I'm stoked about it.

 

[playstation]

tonight, after 2 all-star appearances, multiple olympic appearances, and many years of top notch play, shawn marion has arrived. playing injured, and continually attacking the hoop, even after the spill he took in the 2nd half, was absolutely awesome. the playoffs is where legends are made, and if he continues to bring 20+/10+ and 4 (!!!) blocks every night, in 2 months marion will no longer be 'underrated'.

also, how does 'q' do this clutch stuff EVERY TIME! the 3, the block, the offensive board, the defensive board, and the FT's. It's just sick!

Amare had another average game, which should tell you how good he is

you look up, and JJ has 20 points. how did that happen? i remember when he joined our team, everyone talked about how textbook his jumper was, and wondered why he shot so poorly. don't have to worry about that anymore!

hunter played 16 very effective minutes. he's played better than even the most optimistic fan could have hoped at the beginning of the season. props to him.

nash's shot was off, but still had 15 assists. i'm always on the lookout for nash, because i've heard SO MANY TIMES this year about how he slows down in the playoffs. he took a couple of ill-advised shots, but you can't fault the energy level.

 

[elindholm]

JJ had an incredible game. He repeatedly hit clutch shots to break up Grizzlie runs in addition to doing a very good job on Mike Miller.

I agree with you about Nash, but I must have watched a different second half from you. Johnson did well early in the game, but he made only one shot in the fourth quarter (a three that tied the game at 92). It was also the only shot he took, so he wasn't hurting the team with misses, but I'd still prefer if he was more willing to step up and take a big shot when things get tight.

 

[mribnik]

JJ had an incredible game. He repeatedly hit clutch shots to break up Grizzlie runs in addition to doing a very good job on Mike Miller.

I agree with you about Nash, but I must have watched a different second half from you. Johnson did well early in the game, but he made only one shot in the fourth quarter (a three that tied the game at 92). It was also the only shot he took, so he wasn't hurting the team with misses, but I'd still prefer if he was more willing to step up and take a big shot when things get tight.

I don't see many Suns games, but I was amazed we didn't run a play for JJ at the end of the 3rd quarter. We ended up giving it to Marion.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

JJ did hit a couple key shots in the fourth, he is so smooth

Q 3 was huge

but Amare is my man I love this kid.

Ref #14 is a nickel ***** open up your 3y3s. d00dz.

Suns win!

 

[jbeecham]

Wow that was an amazing game to be at. I have no voice left. Great win by the Suns when the outside shots weren't falling. The crowd was awesome tonight and I think we really helped take Memhpis out of the game in the last 5 minutes of the 4th qtr.

On the ride home I listened to the KTAR post game and Fratello was bitching about the refs and not getting calls and the big foul discrepency.........what a freaking ******, it was his gameplan to foul the Suns on every possession then he complains that the refs actually make calls. I thought the foul on Cardinal where he took Marion's legs out from under him was dirty and cheap. Shawn had already elevatesd to dunk the ball and was at the top of his jump and Cardinal tries to slide in and take a charge??? Instead he takes out Marion's legs with his shoulder and doesn't even try to catch him or stop him from falling.......that's flagrant.

 

[WaywardFan]

First of all, that block was just sick!

Second, about Charles' comment and us not blowing the Grizzlies out on our home court. I was hoping for the same myself.

However, everyone's saying that playoff basketball is so much different and our kind of team can't win. They say the slowed down pace and increased defense would stifle and ultimately defeat us.

That being said, we're still up 2-0 in that environment. I don't really care if we win by 1 each time, as long as we keep winning. We don't have to blow teams out to be successful. After all, we're not supposed to win at all. If we can keep things close until the end, I'm increasingly confident we have the tools to pull those games out.

They believe in themselves, we believe in them. Hopefully, this playoff run will be successful enough to get some others to believe in them.

 

[RJ May]

JJ had an incredible game. He repeatedly hit clutch shots to break up Grizzlie runs in addition to doing a very good job on Mike Miller.

I agree with you about Nash, but I must have watched a different second half from you. Johnson did well early in the game, but he made only one shot in the fourth quarter (a three that tied the game at 92). It was also the only shot he took, so he wasn't hurting the team with misses, but I'd still prefer if he was more willing to step up and take a big shot when things get tight.

If they would get the guy the ball more, he probably would take more BIG shots.

 

[devilalum]

Wow

I haven't been that stressed over a basketball game in years.

The Suns played great, if the refs hadn't let the Griz turn the game into a Rugby match the Suns would have won a lot easier.

I hope the league office intervenes. Stern did say he was going to stop this kind of play. They need to send a message.

 

[JPlay]

John Thompson was right. The Suns D was horrible last night. The Grizz ran the same play at least 10-15 times last night and the Suns couldn't stop it. Post up with Paul Gasol. Gasol ate Stoudemire up last night. A lot of that had to do with Stat just putting his hands straight up and not going for the block. They need to put Marion on him to front and have someone come from behind to block his shot like Q. I say double team him because Memphis only has Mike Miller and Jason Williams to hit the spot up 3 pointer.

Still with the Suns D being so horrible the game was still very close. If Nash would have been on, it wouldn't have been close. I'm hoping he just had an off game and isn't fading like he has in the past w/ Dallas. Some of his 3 point shots weren't even close and usually he's automatic from out there.

That being said, I don't agree w/ Barkley. Memphis is a much tougher team than New Jersey and San Antonio lost their first game on their own home court where they are almost unstoppable. SA is almost .500 on the road, which bodes well for Denver. So I believe it's much more important to be up 2-0 and to let Memphis know that they can't beat us even in a slowdown game.

 

[jibikao]

I think our D was horrible because Amare was in foul trouble and he couldn't really play tough defense on Gasol. I wish D'Antoni put Marion on Gasol a lot earlier so we don't need to suffer so much. But then again, just like what Charles said, we are TOO SMALL. Even if Amare play tough defense, he still can't stop Gasol' long arm but then again, Amare punishes Gasol on the other end as well. I think it evens out in the end.


One thing I don't agree is that we didn't blow the Griz out. Yes, the Griz may gain some confidence and yes we didn't have a blow out win. But you can't expect a blowout every single time. I would love to have a blowout but I can easily take ANY W even a 1pt win is a win. We needed Defense when we had to and that's why Suns has won so many close games throughout the regular season. This is something Mavs didn't have.


Another thing people seem to forget is that this Griz team is not a bad team at all. We have some matchup problems with them in regular season. Yes, they are an #8 team but they are also a playoff team. This Griz team has not won any single playoff "game" yet. I mean sooner or later they are going to win ONE game. I am not even talking about a series...just ONE freaking game. Griz got close tonight but we closed the game out. I don't think this "close" win is that NEGATIVE. In fact, I like how our defense turned up in the end when our shots didn't go in.

 

[zett]

It was definitly a good win even though we didn't play well, Shawn was huge for a guy I didn't expect to hit even a quarter of his shots and he was better then 50% We got lucky in the fact that they missed alot of open looks I think they hit them shots in Memphis. With the exception of the last 4 min of the 1st half and 4th quarter we played below average basketball, But I do think we definitly have SPURTABILITY! Go suns!!!!

 

[Amare32]

Charles really is a moron sometimes with his love for the Spurs, was a good win no doubt. down side was how little we got got from the bench.

We know Memphis are going to come out strong for game 3 in their own gym so we must be ready.

 

[Amare32]

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SUNS HEAD COACH MIKE D’ANTONI: “We talked it about in the time out that it is going to come down to a defensive stops. When you don’t make the shots, you cant do it either way, Steve makes a couple of threes game is over or you have to stop them defensively. Quentin Richardson had a huge block and a couple of rebounds. He did a heck of a job. Shawn Marion did a heck of a job on Gasol and we just toughed it up. Obviously they are physical and we knew that’s what they would come out with. They have a lot of pride. It will be the same thing in Memphis.”

(On Amaré Stoudemire's game)
"He is a gamer. He had 34 points and 10 rebounds. I took him out right at the end and he really did not want to come out. The last defensive play I wanted a lot of small guys in there. At 22 years of age he just shows remarkable play. He had a heck of a game.”

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SUNS SWINGMAN QUENTIN RICHARDSON (15 pts, 5 rebs): “We know our style of play, but at the same time it’s the playoffs, we have to win out. We are going to play the hand that they give us. If they try to stop us from the outside then obviously STAT (Stoudemire) is going to do his thing and you saw what happened last game when they tried to take him away.
"You have to win at home. You have to protect your home and now we have to go down there and pull them out there.”

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SUNS FORWARD SHAWN MARION (22 pts, 13 rebs): “I’m tired of talking about this. Everyone is saying we can’t run, we can’t play defense. We’re up 2-0 now, keep talking. Just leave it alone, talk about something else now. We up 2-0 now and we’re showing what we can do now. We’re going to keep going out there and keep playing hard.
“We have all kinds of weapons on this team now. We have five people out there that can get 30 on any night. We have people that can come off the bench and get 30. You have to respect that and value that. We have all kinds of weapons out there, so what they take away, we have other weapons out there.”

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/quotes_050427.html

 

[Mulli]

For most of the night, the defense wasn't there. However, people should go back and check how many points Memphis scored (or didn't score) the last 4 minutes. Other than 1 free throw and the prayer Miller hit, the Suns shut them down completely the last four minutes. Defense picked it up at the end.

 

[myrondizzo]

For most of the night, the defense wasn't there. However, people should go back and check how many points Memphis scored (or didn't score) the last 4 minutes. Other than 1 free throw and the prayer Miller hit, the Suns shut them down completely the last four minutes. Defense picked it up at the end.

they scored 6 to our 16 in the last 4:14.

 

[Chaplin]

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SUNS FORWARD SHAWN MARION (22 pts, 13 rebs): “I’m tired of talking about this. Everyone is saying we can’t run, we can’t play defense. We’re up 2-0 now, keep talking. Just leave it alone, talk about something else now. We up 2-0 now and we’re showing what we can do now. We’re going to keep going out there and keep playing hard.
“We have all kinds of weapons on this team now. We have five people out there that can get 30 on any night. We have people that can come off the bench and get 30. You have to respect that and value that. We have all kinds of weapons out there, so what they take away, we have other weapons out there.”

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/quotes_050427.html

You go Shawn!

 

[Azlen]

The thing that cracks me up the most about Barkley's comments on the Suns failure for not blowing out Memphis is the fact his #1 seed Suns team lost both of their first two homes games to the #8 seed Lakers. They came back to win the series, but they had to fight back every step of the way. Being a #1 does not guarantee anything.

Maybe Chuck is still upset that he didn't invest in the team when given the chance.

 

[SweetD]

I can't stand how the Suns are the lucky ones and the Spurs are the team to beat out of the West still. Come on the Spurs are 1 - 1 the Suns could have a sweep.

 

[Chaz]

Great win in a hard fought physical game.

So far this team has stepped up to the challenges. You have to wonder how long they can keep it up. It sounds like they have the right attitude though.

Do what you do and take it one game at a time. Go out and try to win game 3 then worry about what comes next.

I can't believe the Grizz fans(and the coach) complaining about the FTs. They went out to play physical with the Suns then they are suprised when they send the Suns to the FT line.

GO SUNS!

 

[Mulli]

they scored 6 to our 16 in the last 4:14.

oh sure add the 14 seconds to make me look bad.

 

[Chaplin]

This morning a Celtic fan told me he wasn't very impressed with our victory. He still thinks the West is soft. And that Memphis' defense wasn't anything like Detroit or Indiana.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

This morning a Celtic fan told me he wasn't very impressed with our victory. He still thinks the West is soft. And that Memphis' defense wasn't anything like Detroit or Indiana.

You tell him that everyone else finds it hard to be impressed by a team whose second best player is Antoine Walker?

 

[myrondizzo]

oh sure add the 14 seconds to make me look bad.

it was a typo it was actually 6to 16 in the last 4:18

 

[WaywardFan]

This morning a Celtic fan told me he wasn't very impressed with our victory. He still thinks the West is soft. And that Memphis' defense wasn't anything like Detroit or Indiana.

That's so funny!

Tell him we'd be glad to make a switch and throw Boston in the Western Conference. If he was honest with himself at all his face would turn a little yellow.