It’s Over. Spurs eliminate Suns 4-1
(AP Photo/Eric Gay) Once again a season that began with great expectations ended with an early playoffs exit. For the third time in the last four years the San Antonio Spurs eliminated your Phoenix Suns from the NBA post season.
This time it was 4-1 as the Spurs beat the Suns 92-87 in San Antonio to advance to the second round.
Tony Parker scored a game-high 31 points and Tim Duncan added 29 points and 17 rebounds, including 8 on offense, to lead the Spurs.
The Suns had the game within reach after leading 72-69 entering the fourth quarter. The game was later tied at 85 with under two minutes left but the Suns failed to perform down the stretch turning the ball over three times in the closing seconds and missing shot after shot.
Steve Nash, I am afraid, had one of the worst game of his playoffs career scoring 11 points on 4-of-16 from the field and tuning the ball over 5 times while having only 3 assists.
Boris Diaw had another very good game leading the Suns with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. This time Boris’ near triple-double was not enough.
Stoudemire (15 points and 11 rebounds) and Shaq (13 and 9) couldn’t limit Duncan nor provide consistent inside offense.
82 regular season games, 55 wins, 5 playoffs games, 1 lonely win, another Spurs victory.
Most people in Arizona don’t know who Gary Lineker is but it came to my mind each time I watch the Suns lose to the Spurs. Gary, one of the greatest soccer player in British history, sick of his England national team losing to Germany once said: “Football (soccer) is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win“. Well Mr. Lineker, basketball is the same: in the end the guys in black and white always find a way to win.
There will be time in the next few weeks to discuss what the loss will mean to the Suns. There will be talk about the Shaq (failed) experiment, the need for a new coach, trade rumors and everything else.
We’ll do just that, beginning tommorow since today is simply a day of sorrow because the season is over, my fellow Suns fans.
Yours truly, Steve Fan
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Posted by Steve Fan
Blogger and Steve Nash enthusiast. Don't get in his way, he'll MVP your ass.
http://sonsofstevenash.blogspot.com
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It’s easy to blame Shaq but the Phoenix problems predate him - The Suns used to have a deep bench, now with an injured Grant Hill they go 1 player deep on the bench. Who decided to let those players go? The starters on Phoenix actually played comparable to the Spurs starters but the Spurs bench was far superior.
Why did the coach continue to start Grant Hill for 3 games? Every time he limped out to the court I cringed. He couldn’t run, jump, play defense and barely contributed on offense. A little production out of that position and this could have been a totally different series.
Shaq actually played pretty good, not the Shaq of old but still better than 80% of the centers in the league would have. If they had Shawn Marion they would have the small foward position filled but then Stoudamire would have played center and there would have been a hole at PF. The Spurs are a smart team that will take advantage of any weakness and Phoenix had too many.
It goes back to the management, the Spurs have hung on to smart, savvy veteran players that deliver in the playoffs. If the Phoenix management can find some quality bench players and someone to fill in the small forward position they could make a legitimate run to the finals next year.
The Spurs won because they’re a better basketball team, better yet they know what they want and what they need to do to accomplish that on a basketball court. The Suns were a tactical mess: no defensive system, no plan B if a starter failed, post up or try to run, quick shot or not…that’s why I am not blaming the loss on Shaq. I think it has to be shared by Coach D and the GM.