NBA WeblogNBA news, recaps, and analysisSuns mistakes cost them game & season- April 30, 2008 In last night's 92-87 loss to the Spurs which eliminates the Suns from the playoffs, Phoenix showed they're still not ready to compete at a championship level. There's plenty of blame to go around: Costly turnovers with the game on the line - The Suns had 4 turnovers in their last 7 possessions while within 1-3 points of the Spurs. 17 missed free throws ... 17!!!!!!!!!!! Shaq missed 11 of them. Pick & Roll was missing completely - Amare finished w 22 pts (combined) in the last 2 games,...http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/04/30/suns-mistakes-cost-them-game-amp-season.aspx Rx for Suns' Ills... Diaw-gra- April 29, 2008 Standing on the edge of a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the hated Spurs, the Phoenix Suns gathered all of their pride & heart in order to withstand an embarrassing end to the 2007-2008 season. With a strong showing & utter destruction of San Antonio in Game 4, are you back on the wagon.... or do you still think the door has shut on Suns run to the championship Phoenix was ailing after 3 straight defeats to the San Antonio. Did a visit to the basketball gods save the day No, it was a...http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/04/29/rx-for-suns-ills-diaw-gra.aspx First Round Impressions- April 23, 2008 Just before the start of the playoffs I submitted my annual playoff predictions, in which I see the Celtics beating the Lakers in a classic Finals series. I still hold firm to that earlier prediction, but clearly some of my other first round picks were significantly off the mark. For starters, I thought Dallas's veterans and playoff experience would trump the young New Orleans Hornets, but as I write this the Hornets are up 2-0 in the series, with two convincing wins and two monster games.http://nbaweblog.com/lakers/archive/2008/04/23/first-round-impressions.aspx Suns Breakdown Late, Fail to Close (Twice) in 2OT Loss- April 19, 2008 VS. Game 1: Suns 115, Spurs 117 (2OT) The Suns made some huge mental mistakes down the stretch in both regulation and OT, including a 24-second violation and a charging call (both while leading). They failed to seal the win and as a result, head back to Phoenix (for rest) until Tuesday's Game 2 in San Antonio, down 1-0 in the best of 7 playoffs. Give credit to the Spurs for playing tough & not giving up on the game. They also did a good job of forcing Amare Stoudemire into a few mistakes,...http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/04/19/suns-breakdown-late-fail-to-close-twice-in-2o... 2007-2008 Playoff Predictions- April 19, 2008 Each year I post my (insanely inaccurate) playoff predictions prior to the start of the postseason. I some rare circumstances my picks are spot on, but most of the time I take a gamble or two and end up blowing the whole postseason (like last year, I picked the Dallas Mavericks to beat the Detroit Pistons in the Finals). This year I didn't have as much time to pontificate on my playoff picks because the Western Conference seedings weren't finalized until the last day of the regular season. The..http://nbaweblog.com/lakers/archive/2008/04/19/2007-2008-playoff-predictions.aspx Suns Preparing for Battle w Spurs in Round 1- April 19, 2008 Admit it... you would probably prefer that the Suns played another team in the 1st round and saved the Spurs for later in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the basketball gods have chosen to give us the most intriguing matchup of the playoffs - right off the bat. Seeing the Lakers & Celtics battle in the Finals would probably top this matchup, but I'm penciling in the Suns - not the Lakers. VS. Suns vs. Spurs, homecourt in San Antonio... if the Suns are going to show they belong, what better way.http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/04/18/suns-preparing-for-battle-w-spurs-in-round-1.... Los Angeles Lakers Clinch Playoff Berth- April 6, 2008 With a 112-108 win against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, the Lakers clinched a coveted playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference. (Also, Friday's game was Pau Gasol's first game back since tweaking his ankle a couple weeks back.) Only two West teams - the Lakers and New Orleans Hornets - have clinched playoff berths, even with only a couple of weeks left in the regular season. Currently the Hornets lead the Lakers and Spurs by a game and a half, but their position on the top...http://nbaweblog.com/lakers/archive/2008/04/06/los-angeles-lakers-clinch-playoff-berth.asp... Suns Win 1st Game of Doubleheader vs. Nuggets- April 1, 2008 Wow! What a game against the Denver Nuggets in Phoenix last night. The Suns pulled off their 3rd best "come from behind" in team history last night against Denver. Trailing by 22 pts in the 3rd quarter, the Phoenix Suns mounted a furious comeback to take the lead and defeat the Nuggets. The win also put Phoenix over 50 wins for the 4th consecutive year; the team is now tied with the LA Lakers for the top spot in the Pacific Division. There was a lot of praise to go around after the game. Coach..http://nbaweblog.com/suns/archive/2008/04/01/suns-win-1st-game-of-doubleheader-vs-nuggets.... |