It wasn't a shock for me. Suns rely on fast breaks and perimeter shooting. When they start missing shots and spurs don't turn over the ball too much, it's hard for them to score. Sonics, on the other hard, is a legit contender. They can score from inside and outside. They rebound pretty well too.
I watched about 2 quarters of that game. I wish I watched the whole thing, I had hopes Rockets would make a second half comeback. PHX D is horrible. Spurs were getting layups and wide open shots. Phx's half court game is also horrible, it could be caused by spurs' D. I thought Spurs were going to win that game, but I didn't expect an asswhippin.
the suns rely on perimeter shooting but the sonics score inside and out? umm, amare stoudemire? anyone even close to that on the inside for seattle? suns halfcourt game is terrible? you don't get to 24-3 on fastbreaks alone. this is a very potent offense fastbreak or halfcourt. they just won a billion in a row, they were bound to have an off day. doing it against the spurs makes it look worse. i don't think their better than the spurs but lets not say silly things based on one loss after a team is 24-3. now their D may suck, but not any part of the offense.
Yes. They excel in fastbreaks and scoring when defense is not set. I've watched maybe 7 suns games this year, that is my impression. It is possible that when I'm not watching, they somehow kickass in the halfcourt game. The bottom line is, spurs made them play half court game, they suffered. It's just one game, we'll see. If you think the suns just had a bad shooting game, you would be wrong. The shots they got are pure ugliness. Spurs on the other hand were getting open looks.
Amare excels at dunking in fast breaks. He doesn't have lots of offensive moves at low post. When Sonics beat Spurs at San Antonio, Sonics were consistently able to drive in the paint. All their guards can score inside. They outscored Spurs in the paint by like 15 more points in the paint. And that's how they beat Spurs fair and square.
I've watched a lot of Suns games this year and I have to say that Amare does not rely exclusively on the fast break for his points. Granted he does have a limited arsenal of moves, but he is more than capable of scoring in a half court set. I watched the game against the Sonics and he had one spin move in the post that was the quickest I had ever seen (yes, including Dream.) His shot is improving also. I hated Amare and the suns the last couple of years, but they are my favorite team to watch this year. I have Marion and Q on my fantasy squad.
This story gets repeated virtually every year in the NBA. And it seems like we talk about it every year like it's brand new. Teams that run and are more offensive-centered do great in the regular season. Then they hit the playoffs and get forced into a halfcourt game by teams that are more focused on defense. And they lose. Every time.
Amare only made top plays on sportscenter because in a half court set he drove past Duncan and slammed it home. The Suns can play in the half court, but they struggled last night mostly because Steve Nash disappeared after the first quarter and the Spurs are the best defensive team in the league. The Suns go as Steve Nash goes.
and that is what will be the end of them. Nash looked dead after the 1st quarter. by the end of the game he was limping off the court. this has been the same tone every year for him. if the suns can't find a quality backup for Nash and start cutting his minutes he's not going to make it to the end of the season...
Is a legit contender supposed to win 82 games a season? Even the best team lose games sometimes. What impressed me about the Sonics is how they soundly beated Spurs twice this season, by outscoring Spurs in the paint. In a 7-game series, they have a legitimate chance of beating the Spurs. On the other hand, I don't see Suns do that.
That is quite a leap on your part from my post. I'll make it more clear to you - contenders don't lose to mediocre teams AT HOME, at least that is how I remember it.
Didn't 2001 Lakers lost to Iverson-led 76ers at home, in the playoffs? The 2001 Lakers is not a legit contender?
