| 29 April 2010
(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns 99, Portland Trailblazers 90
Considering the name on the front of the jersey, I, never in my wildest dreams, ever thought that I would write these following paragraphs. Make no mistake, though. I am writing about the Phoenix Suns – a Steve Nash led Phoenix Suns team. Be prepared, it’s going to be unusual, unfamiliar and weird, but it really happened:
In Game 6 of their first round series, the Phoenix Suns closed out the Portland Trailblazers, in Portland, to move on to a second round meeting with the San Antonio Spurs. On a night where Steve Nash finished with six turnovers and no points in the first quarter, the Suns won in one counter to what the franchise has preached for the better part of the previous decade: with defense.
Alvin Gentry devised a great defensive scheme for a Portland team that started All-Star Brandon Roy for the first time all series. Phoenix was disciplined, focused and patient as they’ve ever been on the defensive end of the floor. They were intent on not letting both Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge going, double-teaming them every time either of those two touched the ball, and they didn’t go away from that game plan when other guys started knocking down shots.
Portland was able to make a few mini-runs to keep themselves in the game, but as you watched the game, there was a feeling that, if neither Roy nor Aldridge got going, it was going to be tough for Portland to extend the series. Martel Webster and Rudy Fernandez hit some shots and came up big for Portland tonight (19 and 16 points, respectively), but the Suns defense came but bigger. Roy and Aldridge only combined for 30 points on 33 shots.
And, of course, the Suns’ increased defensive intensity helped fuel their offense when it was needed. The Suns didn’t necessarily play at the pace that they would have liked, but they were hitting shots. Jason Richardson got going early, scoring nine of his 28 in the first quarter, and it opened things up for Stoudemire and other shooters later. Phoenix shot 40 percent from behind the three point line (much more like the Suns we know), including three of six from Jared Dudley, who hit the huge three at the end of the third as he was fouled by Roy, to stop the snowballing momentum of the Blazers.
The lead was extended to nine points after two extra free throws at the end of the third quarter, and that ended up becoming the difference in the final tally.
Why Phoenix Won This Game
It was definitely their commitment to the defensive end of the floor. In previous seasons, the Suns wouldn’t have been able to survive a seven turnover, six assist night (by the way, how gorgeous was that Nash to Amaré dish late in the fourth?). It helped that Brandon Roy wasn’t at his best, but they did their job. Give Alvin Gentry all of the credit in the world. Neither of Gentry’s two predecessors could talk this group into even thinking about defense, now they’re executing defensive schemes in closeout games.
Why Portland Lost This Game
They just couldn’t get any real production from Brandon Roy or LaMarcus Aldridge. They were being carried off of the jumpers from Martel Webster and Rudy Fernandez, and that just isn’t going to win you playoff basketball games. Also, the Blazers got much worse point guard play than the Suns got from Nash. Andre Miller shot two for 10 and Jarred Bayless shot four for 12 – and got a dunk attempt sent back from Old Man Hill. Any kind of positive production from those two would have been a tremendous help, but they got next to nothing from the two. It was a tough season from Portland, and it ended just as tough.
Looking Ahead For Phoenix
They’re going into another series with the San Antonio Spurs, a team who has eliminated them from four different post seasons over the past decade. Phoenix won the season series 2-1, but San Antonio has historically beat them when it mattered. San Antonio is coming off of a series win over the Dallas Mavericks as the seventh seeded Western-Conference playoff team. It’s gong to be an entertaining series to say the least. Game 1 will be on Monday on TNT.
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