Game Day: Suns @ Kings

[Superbone]

Bring the energy tonight, Suns. Amare, continue to bring the intensity from start to finish. Let's get this winning streak off to a good start. Boris, continue to bring the effort and attack the basket. Go Suns!

Dis∙cuss

[SunsFan4Life]

Suns 107
Kings 97

With Nash and Hill nursing injuries hopefully we can put this one on ice early. We have a bit of a long break coming up so it comes at a good time.

Arco is still a tough place to play, but I think Suns get out to a big lead in the 3rd and hold off the kings late to get the victory.

[Superbone]

Suns 107
Kings 97

With Nash and Hill nursing injuries hopefully we can put this one on ice early. We have a bit of a long break coming up so it comes at a good time.

Arco is still a tough place to play, but I think Suns get out to a big lead in the 3rd and hold off the kings late to get the victory.

I don't know why, SF4L, but that score resonates with me. It feels like deja vu. I think you nailed it. I don't know why. Looking forward to watching the last Suns game of the year.

Go Suns!

[misteradiant]

except for the arco being a tough place to play part. i thought their crowd was dead when we were there earlier in the season. they also were not a sellout according to the announcers. i don't expect one tonight. suns win.

[Superbone]

except for the arco being a tough place to play part. i thought their crowd was dead when we were there earlier in the season. they also were not a sellout according to the announcers. i don't expect one tonight. suns win.

Yeah, I was talking about the score prediction. Arco hasn't been tough for a while now.

[misteradiant]

oh i know, dude. that what sf4l said.

:cool:

[SunsFan4Life]

Kings still do play well at home though fellas. They Beat a healthy Spurs team there already this yr as well as some good wins over The Jazz and I believe they beat the Pistons there as well and should of beaten the Nuggs.

Arco isn't the place it use to be but they usually play pretty well there.

[SwingMan]

Any word on Artest?

[ShelC]

Ya know...beno udrihs a FA after the year according to hoopshype. Hes pretty well well known throughout but seems to be breaking out a bit this year in Bibbys absence. Hes being allowed to run more and be creative, which he couldnt do in SA. Hes definitely worth keepin an eye on.

[SunsFan4Life]

Suns up 9...Barbs and Amare leaing the way

[SwingMan]

9 O-boards to the Kings' 6 (Amare with 4 and Diaw [!!!] with 3) - when's the last time we've seen that happen?

Poor Raja - D'Antoni's gonna break that guy, literally.

That said, Suns are still playing down to the level of their competition. They're half-assing it, yet are still up by 9 at the half, 64-55.

[ShelC]

I think we're playing hard, not necessarily smart on defense. But a lot of shots are rolling out for both teams.

Boris is keeping up his active play, setting up others for scores and scoring in his own right. Pretty active on the boards.

Amares beasted when hes been out there. Hes getting more touches and seems to have a green light to try and score.

Barbs is up and down. Knockin down some 3s and driving, but also sloppy and out of control.

Skinner, Hill and shawn seem to be doin their thing. We just gotta be smarter and more aware on defense.

[desertcoast]

meanwhile the Lakers are having a nostalgia night with their former Beantown rivals by wearing 80s style short-shorts.....:shock:

Let's hope this is *not* a new trend.....

[OE]

Shawn's hitting the three ball and we're giving Amare the ball in the low post - which, by the way, has resulted in a few three-pointers. We've found energy, offense, defense, all of it. Inside-out baby. If Nash were hitting tonight, we'd be golden.

I hope we keep going to Amare - over, and over, and over.

And as I speak - CRUSH!!!

[Phoenix219]

Does Shawn really only have 3 points and 1 board?? Thats what the usatoday.com update says...

[OE]

Shawn has 16 in the third quarter. He's drilling his threes, and if he can do that, we're twice as dangerous.

I'm starting to think we're misutilizing Boris... and that may be the fault of the system. His aggressiveness is up; still, he needs to calm down.

Overall, I'm encouraged by what I see.

[y2jjedipimp]

not a bad game...Marion with 5 threes. I'm pretty sure that wont happen alot. Barbosa with a nice game. Amare was unstaoppable. Bell cant hit anything. Diaw had 1 aggressive move that would have been the first time he had the ball. Then he took the night off.

If I were a Kings fan i would be pissed. Brad Miller played like a putz tonight. Also anyone see what had to be the dumbest of any Kings dance announce her pics fot the college bowl games? She kept saying verse instead of versus. I dunno I just thought that sounded really funny.


Also the Lakers' shorts tonight anyone?

(Who wears short shorts?)

[INFORMER]

Shawn has 16 in the third quarter. He's drilling his threes, and if he can do that, we're twice as dangerous.

Add this to the list of things that would automatically make the Suns title favorites:

1. The Return of Boris Diaw

2. A rebounding, defending, and no-fouling Amare Stoudemire.

NEW: 3. Shawn Marion becoming a legitmate threat from beyond the arc again.

[INFORMER]

Brad Miller played like a putz tonight.

I like Brad Miller, BUT WHY OH WHY did he shoot SEVEN threes? The Suns going to win any game in which Brad Miller shoots seven threes. Also, I never agreed witht he SUns targetting Francisco Garcia, but he's turned out to be not that bad.

[SwingMan]

not a bad game...Marion with 5 threes. I'm pretty sure that wont happen alot. Barbosa with a nice game. Amare was unstaoppable. Bell cant hit anything. Diaw had 1 aggressive move that would have been the first time he had the ball. Then he took the night off.

If I were a Kings fan i would be pissed. Brad Miller played like a putz tonight. Also anyone see what had to be the dumbest of any Kings dance announce her pics fot the college bowl games? She kept saying verse instead of versus. I dunno I just thought that sounded really funny.


Also the Lakers' shorts tonight anyone?

(Who wears short shorts?)

What I liked most from tonight is that, half-assed or not, whether it was Babs, Amare or Matrix, they FINALLY rode the hot hand - and even tried to get Boris involved, though he missed 8 of his 10.

[INFORMER]

Celtics up by 18.

[JediSkywalker]

Nash seemed to grab his back a couple of times, as if it was hurting. I am glad he is getting rest for 4 days before the next game, but will that be enough?

Other than that, a good game. Good defense, esp. in Q4.

[JediSkywalker]

Celtics leading 110-89 with 16 sec. remaining. The Celts are for real. Can't wait to see them in Phoenix on Feb.22nd.

[JustWinBaby]

Sorry guys Boris still the most dissappointing Sun, ended with a minus 1 while on the floor.

Energy better for sure but he just doesn't seem to fit.

Could it be Hill is taking up his space?

Hill is as good a passer a better shooter a better finisher and unwilling to park his ass at the 3point line all night like Jr did the last two years.

[ShelC]

Boris was fine for the most part. He just shot poorly. Still shooting about a step or two out of his range. Hes doing a much better job of drawing defenses tho either by driving hard or backing down in the post. He and Barbs seem to be finding a nice rhythm together as an inside-out duo. And i thought Boris' help defense was a lot better tonight as well.

[Superbone]

Suns 107
Kings 97

I don't know why, SF4L, but that score resonates with me. It feels like deja vu. I think you nailed it. I don't know why. Looking forward to watching the last Suns game of the year.

Go Suns!

Well, it was 108-96 with 3:23 remaining...

[JustWinBaby]

{Boris was fine for the most part. He just shot poorly. Still shooting about a step or two out of his range. Hes doing a much better job of drawing defenses tho either by driving hard or backing down in the post. He and Barbs seem to be finding a nice rhythm together as an inside-out duo. And i thought Boris' help defense was a lot better tonight as well.}

Of his 4 assists I believe at least 3 of them were to Marion for threes. Kind of a miracle really based on the way Shawn has been shooting threes this year. Assists none the less but still would like so see him get some going to the hoop for easier scores and would like to see him get more rebounds than Nash.

I still see the same Boris hurting the team while he is on the court, maybe less than before but still not a factor to be counted on by any means. I saw very little defense from him poor rebounding and 2 for 10 shooting.

We need a better Boris or no Boris.

[ShelC]

Of his 4 assists I believe at least 3 of them were to Marion for threes. Kind of a miracle really based on the way Shawn has been shooting threes this year.

Marion shot well from 3 last game. Hes either been workin on it or Boris is makin him better. ;)

I know Boris assisted Barbs on a 3 and i know he hit raja for a FT jumper but im not sure if he was credited with an assist on it. Raja just turned and shot after a little handoff and screen so i dont see why Boris wouldnt get the assist.

I think its night and day as far as where we were with him 2 weeks ago. He still coasts, but is much more assertive with the 2nd unit than with the starters i feel like. Hes just much more active overall and that has led to and will lead to good things.

Another thing....I think we need to get the ball out of Barbs hands a bit more. Run him off the ball, especially on the break, where he can either spot up or finish at the rim instead of making the decision with the ball in his hands as hes racing up court at 145mph. Leave that to Hill or Boris with the reserves.

[JustWinBaby]

{Another thing....I think we need to get the ball out of Barbs hands a bit more. Run him off the ball, especially on the break, where he can either spot up or finish at the rim instead of making the decision with the ball in his hands as hes racing up court at 145mph. Leave that to Hill or Boris with the reserves.}

Shell now that is something I believe we should do.

However the problem is that Boris is generally our 4/5 when on the court and therefore important on the boards and defending the paint.

I can live with all of Boris's other issues if he just committs himself to go after and get rebounds while being a better defender.

Surprise - we outrebounded the Kings and had a pretty easy night of it. Really we did except for some extraordinary poor shooting early by Bell, Boris and Marion this would have been a blow out - early.

[zara_drummer]

I was ok with the way Boris played tonite...He carved up the zone defense they threw at us in the 3rd quater by getting to the middle and finding Marion...Thing is tonite...Boris didnt need to be huge...He played within the game...didnt force anything.

Are the Suns playing some good defense at the rim or what?? Another 6 blocks tonite...along with a bunch of deflections and some changed shots courtesy of Skinner, Marion and Amare...Nice work guys!!

Looks like Amare is backing up that "tough" talk of late with some great play...Granted against not good teams, but I'll take it!!

This teams looks more together over the last few games than they have in weeks...Maybe the Lakers game was a wake up call for this crew??

[fixxxer]

On Amare...

He's been absolutely killing people off late and has looked like a smarter (albeit *slightly* less athletic) version of pre-microF Amare. Crashing the boards, brutally efficient scoring, protecting the rim, and staying out of foul trouble for the most part. Now, is this a reflection of some crappy interior defenses we've faced off late or is it time to howl at the moon?

Boris Diaw...

Salient note: The 'Doris' moniker will be temporarily shelved, but not completely abandoned. Still, he's not nearly 'there'. Taking too many shots from outside his comfort zone and just doesn't seem to fit in with what we're doing. This we know -- Diaw at his best is a top 40 player in the league. Now, he isn't, and an argument can be made for Diaw being among the least productive rotation players in the entire league. IMO the two main reasons are: (a) he spends a lot of time on the floor playing like a listless pansy, and (b) D'Antoni has, to an extent, gone away from using him as a big man.

However, baby steps towards splitting the difference and being a productive bench player have been made. Tentative optimism.

Bell...

It's NOT fucking mental, coach! Bell is broken and needs time to heal. At this rate, whatever's ailing him will go chronic, and he'll be completely useless when the game-stakes are higher.

[Phoenix219]

I'd definately like to see Banks or Tuck get some of those minutes. Shit, even try Coach Pike if u have to, just get Raja off the damn floor!

[Phoenix219]

Amare would have had an easy 35 if he wasn't missing all his free throws.

[Bogyo]

Good win in a "gimme" game. I hope this is a sign of improvement (change of tatics, trying harder, whatever was missing).

Wassup with the freethrows lately?

ps: Dear Mike! Raja should be wearing a fucking cast or something. Sit his ass until he is at least back to 50% from the current 0. Hugs, Bogyo.

[LazarusLong]

Yes, please rest Bell.
The company line that "Bell helps the team in ways other than scoring" does not wash. Both Garcia and Salmons had good games, and one or the other was Bell's defensive assignment.
Start Barbosa, and play Banks and Tucker for different looks ... play Hill at 2, in stretches. You know, get creative with your lineup, Mikey. Try it ... you might like it.

[desertcoast]

On Amare...

He's been absolutely killing people off late and has looked like a smarter (albeit *slightly* less athletic) version of pre-microF Amare. Crashing the boards, brutally efficient scoring, protecting the rim, and staying out of foul trouble for the most part. Now, is this a reflection of some crappy interior defenses we've faced off late or is it time to howl at the moon?

Boris Diaw...

Salient note: The 'Doris' moniker will be temporarily shelved, but not completely abandoned. Still, he's not nearly 'there'. Taking too many shots from outside his comfort zone and just doesn't seem to fit in with what we're doing. This we know -- Diaw at his best is a top 40 player in the league. Now, he isn't, and an argument can be made for Diaw being among the least productive rotation players in the entire league. IMO the two main reasons are: (a) he spends a lot of time on the floor playing like a listless pansy, and (b) D'Antoni has, to an extent, gone away from using him as a big man.

However, baby steps towards splitting the difference and being a productive bench player have been made. Tentative optimism.

Bell...

It's NOT fucking mental, coach! Bell is broken and needs time to heal. At this rate, whatever's ailing him will go chronic, and he'll be completely useless when the game-stakes are higher.

Our rookie member from afar speaks the truth.
Agreed on all counts!

Bell is a fighter and if you ask *him* if he wants to play, he's always going to say yes ( see Monty Python skit where warrior has been rendered ineffective by having arms and legs removed yet still taunts his oppponent and claims to be worthy of fight :wink:)

You're the coach, Mike. Insist on Bell sitting out a game or two.

[v9]

He's been absolutely killing people off late and has looked like a smarter (albeit *slightly* less athletic) version of pre-microF Amare.



Before this, I wasn't sure if Amare was physically ok. The past few games have shown that his prior problems were mental - a combination of unmotivated (his problem) and demoralized (D'Antoni's stubborness). Hopefully things have fixed themselves.

Slightly less athletic? Perhaps...he's not getting as much vertical as he used to. Otherwise, he looks 100% of what he used to be.




Diaw at his best is a top 40 player in the league. Now, he isn't, and an argument can be made for Diaw being among the least productive rotation players in the entire league. IMO the two main reasons are: (a) he spends a lot of time on the floor playing like a listless pansy, and (b) D'Antoni has, to an extent, gone away from using him as a big man.



If he starts hitting those outside J's like he's capable of (again, mental?), he'll be a good bench player who'll be earning his 20 mpg.




Bell...

It's NOT fucking mental, coach! Bell is broken and needs time to heal. At this rate, whatever's ailing him will go chronic, and he'll be completely useless when the game-stakes are higher.

Agree on all counts!

Many Suns fans in Bangalore?

[MTSunsFan]

You're the coach, Mike. Insist on Bell sitting out a game or two.

Or bring him off the bench (start Barbs) for spot duty if necessary thus truly limiting his minutes...

[scosuns]

Bell needs to rest. He doesn't look good, his shot is just terrible, is defense isn't as good as it should. He needs rest. Maybe Mike can go 9 deep? Or 8 deep with Bell sitting out, if he does. I don't see it though. Either way, we need Bell healthy come April.

To the game. Messy. I don't know how to describe it. I think we got lucky in some aspect that we won in an odd fashion. I don't feel that we played particularly well. It got kind of close at the end of game, but we were able to pull away. Overall, Barbosa looked solid. I liked his aggressiveness. Amare is a beast down low. Feed him the ball more. Amare shot 59% from the field. And Leandro only had 15 attempts. I think thats better. We need Amare getting the most shot attempts if we want to win.

[zara_drummer]

I didnt see the game as messy...There were only 9 TO's by the Suns compared to 30 assists on 44 made baskets...Thats pretty clean IMO.

The defense in the 3rd wasn't the greatest, we traded baskets with them for the entire quarter. Thankfully Marion got hot. The D in the 4th was pretty stingy only allowing 16 pts and there were a bunch of deflections and blocked shots by the Suns in that quarter....Their defense at the rim has been spot on of late.

I've also noticed that they are making an effort to not allow layups...Granted there are some made shots but they've fouling more and making teams earn it.

The FT shooting the last few games has been horendous!!

[scosuns]

We played well. I thought it was kind of messy in that we didn't capitalize on things we should have. We need to make sure we fix things that should be fixed. I think that this game should have been much more distant than what it was. They were without K-Mart an Artest. We should have played a bit better. Happy about the slim turnover number though.

[Superbone]

I don't know if you guys noticed but Raja had a nice 4th quarter. He finally started hitting outside shots.

[Wormwood]

Raja is odd in a way. He can get hot and cold in the same game. House and LB are like a light sswitch, they're either completely on or completely off all game.

[ShelC]

I know Raja hurt himself in the 1st half. Looked like a rolled ankle and i thought hed be done for the night. Any word on this? I was very surprised to see him back out in the 4th but hope some rest really helps him. He should just sit for 3-4 games and really get right otherwise the nagging injuries will lead to bigger injuries down the line.

[Wormwood]

I'd like to see us give Tucker a try out at back up SG. Let Barbosa start, let Bell get healthy, and bring Tucker in for 10-15 per game with the regular rotation guys. Same thing with DJ. He's not really looking like a PG down in the D-league, but he's tearing it up defensively, leading the league in steals per game.