| 27 April 2010
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns 107, Portland Trailblazers 88
The Portland Trailblazers came out of the gate playing exactly how you would want a road team to play in a pivotal Game 5: they hit shots, rebounded, forced turnovers and jumped out to a big lead – a 14 point lead. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how the Phoenix Suns played every minute following the first six minutes of the first quarter. The Portland lead was cut to two points by the end of the first, and was turned into a 10-point deficit by halftime. That 10-point lead was extended to 18 by the end of the third, and the game was an after thought after the first two minutes of the fourth.
How did the Suns do it? Great defense. Transition buckets. A newfound life at the free-throw line. Rebounding.
Defensively, the Suns only gave up 65 points over the curse of the last 42 minutes – which sits at 74 points per 48 minutes rate. The Suns did exactly what they needed to do on that end of the floor sans the first six minutes of the game. The turned the ball over (eight steals), and kept the Blazers out of the paint for a lot of the game (Portland took 18 three-point attempts while only scoring 28 points in the paint), all of which led to transition opportunities for the Suns.
In transition, the Suns scored 17 points, much higher than the four per game in both of their losses this season. Steve Nash had some great passes in transition, Stoudemire got some good looks and the Suns bench really got going, out scoring the Blazers bench 55-23. Watching the game, it was obvious that the Suns were winning the tempo battle, playing with a rhythm that they’re comfortable with. And even when they weren’t running, they moved the ball much better in their half court sets to get some easy baskets in ways they weren’t able to in Game 4.
The two most surprising parts of the box score are found in the free-throw shooting and rebounding columns. The Suns took eight more free-throws and made five more than the Blazers attempted. They also controlled the boards to the tune of 41-29, especially on the offensive glass (15-9, Phoenix). Going into Game 5, Portland had shot 26 more free throws and had pulled down four more offensive rebounds, so losing by eight and six, respectively, in those categories really hurt Portland.
Why The Suns Won This Game
Outside of everything above, it was the production from Channing Frye and Jarred Dudley that really gave the Suns a spark tonight. They combined for 39 points on 13 of 21 shooting, 10 rebounds and eight combined made three pointers. Most importantly, they only had one turnover between them. Shots weren’t falling early for the Suns, but Frye and Dudley’s combined seven of the Suns final 11 points to end the first quarter really gave Phoenix that they carried with them throughout the course of the game.
Why The Blazers Lost This Game
The Blazers got out to a VERY HOT start, making their first seven shots and scoring on their first 10 possessions, but they caught Lakers disease and completely disappeared after the Suns threw their first punch. Role players really show their true colors on the road and play in different hues when they’re at home. Compared to Dudley and Frye, the Blazers’ role players were essentially garbage. Juwan Howard, Martell Webster, Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham and Rudy Fernandez combined on six for 14 shooting, including an 0 for eight behind the arch. Guys got into early foul trouble, stopped hitting shots and started turning the ball over. Combine that with a two for seven shooting night from Brandon Roy and you end up with a Blazers loss.
Looking Ahead To Game 6
Both teams already have a win on the road, so it’s entirely possible that the Suns go into Portland and run them off the floor like they did in Game 3. I do expect Portland’s role players to have a bigger impact on Game 6 and I expect them to work harder for loose balls and rebounds than they did in Game 5. But I also expect to see the Suns come out with that killer instinct mentality and do everything possible to end this series as soon as possible.
Prediction: The Suns prove to be too much for the Blazers
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