SwingMan
12-09-2007, 05:00 AM
Timberwolves halt Suns' streak (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1208sunsonline1209.html)
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The Timberwolves' Marko Jaric attempts to steal the ball from the Suns' Steve Nash during the first quarter Saturday in Minneapolis.
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 8, 2007 10:29 PM
MINNEAPOLIS - Directly outside Minnesota's locker room at Target Center, a portrait shows teammates' hands clenched around the wrist of an arm extended with a No. 1 finger upward.
The worst team in the NBA must have been inspired by the photo Saturday as the Timberwolves stunned the Suns 100-93.
Interestingly, the team in the portrait is the Suns. The tattoos on the ascending hand belong to Amaré Stoudemire.
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The Suns lost a shot at the franchise's fifth five-game road sweep in the same building where their 17-game win streak ended last season.
Instead of Kevin Garnett inflicting the damage, as he did in January, the man Minnesota (3-15) acquired from Boston for him - 22-year-old Al Jefferson - became the only Timberwolves player besides Garnett to notch at least 30 points and 20 rebounds. He had 32 points and 20 rebounds to outdo Stoudemire, who had 16 points and five rebounds after averaging 30.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the trip's previous four wins.
After a week of incredible offense, the Suns' scoring binge failed them in a 13-point fourth quarter - a season low for any Suns quarter. Phoenix missed nine of its last 10 shots, with many falling short.
"It just seemed like we got into a funk and we're yelling," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Mentally, when you are losing like that, you start losing it a bit with the refs and with the other players. We just lost the feeling of the game."
It is hard to blame the loss on a lack of energy when Phoenix found the defensive wherewithal to keep Minnesota to 13 fourth-quarter points. Until then, the league's seventh-worst offense had managed to score 87 in three quarters. Minnesota had 17 second-chance points in the first half, outrebonding Phoenix 55-33.
The Suns still led 56-55 at halftime, with Steve Nash recording 10 of his game-high 15 assists, continuing his career-best playmaking stretch. He is averaging 16.3 assists to 2.3 turnovers in the past six games.
"We couldn't get over the hump physically and mentally," Nash said. "Just being as tired as we were I knew it was going to be tough, and we never got that spark . . . I can wash this one away a little easier than other nights. Just felt like we didn't get quite the effort we needed."
The Suns trailed for the game's final 20 minutes, scoring 17 in that time on five-of-25 shooting. Nash and Raja Bell went seven of 24 for the game.
"It was hard to maintain energy," Bell said. "It was coming in short spurts."
There was no huge third quarter like at Toronto (45) and Washington (40) in the previous two games. After scoring 16 in the first half, Suns guard Leandro Barbosa had one second-half point.
"It'll keep us up late," Suns forward Grant Hill said. "In April, we'll probably be thinking, 'Man, I wish we could have that Minnesota game back.' You're upset but it's not indicative of where we are."
View from press row
Just when Steve Nash injected energy into his team with eight points in a fourth-quarter stretch of 2:13, the Suns went flat. Just as Brian Skinner went out, the Timberwolves had two trips on which they got two offensive rebounds. It was like winning time of possession in football. It made Phoenix cold, especially with Nash arguing that he was fouled on a jumper in between the sets of Minnesota extra chances.
Cheers
Steve Nash did not shoot well, but the career-best assist tear stays alive. In the past six games, Nash has 98 assists to 14 turnovers.
Jeers
The Suns seemed content with a close lead, like they knew they would turn it on eventually. Not this time. They went scoreless for six critical fourth-quarter minutes.
Player of the game
Minnesota's Al Jefferson scored 32 points and had 20 rebounds.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/pics/1209sunsgamer.jpg
The Timberwolves' Marko Jaric attempts to steal the ball from the Suns' Steve Nash during the first quarter Saturday in Minneapolis.
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 8, 2007 10:29 PM
MINNEAPOLIS - Directly outside Minnesota's locker room at Target Center, a portrait shows teammates' hands clenched around the wrist of an arm extended with a No. 1 finger upward.
The worst team in the NBA must have been inspired by the photo Saturday as the Timberwolves stunned the Suns 100-93.
Interestingly, the team in the portrait is the Suns. The tattoos on the ascending hand belong to Amaré Stoudemire.
http://www.azcentral.com/imgs/clear.gifhttp://view.atdmt.com/AST/view/cnoccbwr0080000008ast/direct/01/980913742 (http://gcirm.azcentral.gcion.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1208sunsonline1209.html/980913742/ArticleFlex_1/OasDefault/bmw_sports_2007_300_fixed/bmw-sports-300x250.txt/34373233333337313436646134623030?980913742)http://www.azcentral.com/imgs/clear.gif
The Suns lost a shot at the franchise's fifth five-game road sweep in the same building where their 17-game win streak ended last season.
Instead of Kevin Garnett inflicting the damage, as he did in January, the man Minnesota (3-15) acquired from Boston for him - 22-year-old Al Jefferson - became the only Timberwolves player besides Garnett to notch at least 30 points and 20 rebounds. He had 32 points and 20 rebounds to outdo Stoudemire, who had 16 points and five rebounds after averaging 30.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the trip's previous four wins.
After a week of incredible offense, the Suns' scoring binge failed them in a 13-point fourth quarter - a season low for any Suns quarter. Phoenix missed nine of its last 10 shots, with many falling short.
"It just seemed like we got into a funk and we're yelling," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Mentally, when you are losing like that, you start losing it a bit with the refs and with the other players. We just lost the feeling of the game."
It is hard to blame the loss on a lack of energy when Phoenix found the defensive wherewithal to keep Minnesota to 13 fourth-quarter points. Until then, the league's seventh-worst offense had managed to score 87 in three quarters. Minnesota had 17 second-chance points in the first half, outrebonding Phoenix 55-33.
The Suns still led 56-55 at halftime, with Steve Nash recording 10 of his game-high 15 assists, continuing his career-best playmaking stretch. He is averaging 16.3 assists to 2.3 turnovers in the past six games.
"We couldn't get over the hump physically and mentally," Nash said. "Just being as tired as we were I knew it was going to be tough, and we never got that spark . . . I can wash this one away a little easier than other nights. Just felt like we didn't get quite the effort we needed."
The Suns trailed for the game's final 20 minutes, scoring 17 in that time on five-of-25 shooting. Nash and Raja Bell went seven of 24 for the game.
"It was hard to maintain energy," Bell said. "It was coming in short spurts."
There was no huge third quarter like at Toronto (45) and Washington (40) in the previous two games. After scoring 16 in the first half, Suns guard Leandro Barbosa had one second-half point.
"It'll keep us up late," Suns forward Grant Hill said. "In April, we'll probably be thinking, 'Man, I wish we could have that Minnesota game back.' You're upset but it's not indicative of where we are."
View from press row
Just when Steve Nash injected energy into his team with eight points in a fourth-quarter stretch of 2:13, the Suns went flat. Just as Brian Skinner went out, the Timberwolves had two trips on which they got two offensive rebounds. It was like winning time of possession in football. It made Phoenix cold, especially with Nash arguing that he was fouled on a jumper in between the sets of Minnesota extra chances.
Cheers
Steve Nash did not shoot well, but the career-best assist tear stays alive. In the past six games, Nash has 98 assists to 14 turnovers.
Jeers
The Suns seemed content with a close lead, like they knew they would turn it on eventually. Not this time. They went scoreless for six critical fourth-quarter minutes.
Player of the game
Minnesota's Al Jefferson scored 32 points and had 20 rebounds.