Sorry this is later in the day than normal. I spent most of my day driving back from LA with my newly installed back door window.

Somewhere east of Palm Springs I took a call from Skeets and Tas from the best NBA podcast around, The Basketball Jones. You can check that out here:

Ep. 578: The Overdose | Blog Archive | The Basketball Jones | Blogs | TheScore.com
Join The Jones on a sonic journey as we welcome Jeff Clark from CelticsBlog.com and Seth Pollack from Bright Side of the Sun to discuss the Celtics’ stifling defense, whether the Suns’ can salvage their series, working with temperamental chefs, wobbly H’s, L.A. hooliganism, if the 2010 C’s are better than the ‘08 champs, arm wrestling, encounters with Dennis Rodman, Skeets’ worst job and the return of "Dirty Talk."

Check out this video breakdown of Game 2 and let me know what you think. Kind of cool, huh?

Home " BBALLBREAKDOWN – The Source for Basketball Knowledge
I couldn’t keep watching this game after the first quarter because the Suns defense is so bad. The two main culprits are Jason Richardson and Amare Stoudemire

It is painful to have to read things like this and just nod in approval. There's nothing you can say back against the truth. Amare needs to show up to this series and defend his own honor. We can't do it for him.

As Suns are finding out, strategies for defending the Lakers are disappearing by the day - Silver Screen and Roll

In last night's game, any time the ball came anywhere near the paint, Amar'e stared at it like my dog stares at me while I'm eating a steak, with uninterrupted focus. That would be alright ... in a staring contest. But, in basketball you tend to want to pay at least a modicum of attention to the guy you are supposed to be guarding, lest they decide to run towards the basket. Amar'e apparently disagrees, proving his statement about Lamar Odom absolutely true. LO is supremely lucky to have Amar'e as his "defender".

• A Night at the Lottery: An Epic Journey to #2 - Liberty Ballers
  Liberty Ballers writer Tanner Steidel recalls the events first hand from the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery.
• Surprisingly, Sasha Vujacic and Goran Dragic are not best friends - Ball Don't Lie - NBA  - Yahoo! Sports
  apparently Goran Dragic(notes) and Sasha Vujacic(notes) hate each other. If you thought Slovenians stuck together, think again.
• NBA.com: Blogger Q&A with TNT analyst Doug Collins
  Seth from www.BrightSideoftheSun.com As someone who's known Alvin Gentry for a long time, how have you seen him grow as a coach? How much of his success now is a result of him getting better with time versus having this opportunity to coach guys like Steve, Grant, Jason and Amame?
• Lakers 124, Suns 112: One moment... and beyond (Postgame analysis and video) - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
  Sure, things may not look good for Phoenix at the moment, but don't count them out yet, because Lamar Odom's luck seems to be turning. Game 2 featured just 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. Assuming the Suns can last seven games, I imagine they'll have LO right where they want him.
• The Kobe Bryant distribution center - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
  Bryant recognized a more aggressive (though discombobulated) Suns' defensive scheme that ran double-teams at him indiscriminately. He leveraged this attention by finding shooters who were left open by help defenders. In the first half alone, Bryant assisted on five 3-pointers (three by Ron Artest, one by Shannon Brown, one by Derek Fisher, and a hockey assist on a bomb by Jordan Farmar).
• NBA.com: Suns in need of some good fortune
  A trio of turnovers to start the final period, including two poor passes from Steve Nash, were turned into baskets and the Lakers were quickly up 11 again. Stoudemire, practically helpless defensively due to foul trouble in the fourth, didn't go to the lucky card after. Surprise was more like it.
• Daily Dime - ESPN
  If the Lakers make the next round, they won't find themselves standing alone under the hoop with the ball, they won't be able to get easy put-back baskets solely by virtue of their long arms and they certainly won't be shooting 58 percent through two games, all of which have occurred at various points during this series with the Suns.
• Lakers aren't getting much prep time - latimes.com
  Facing the flimsy Suns is doing little to help them if there is an eventual Finals matchup with the stronger, physical Celtics. And they haven't had much success in similar past situations.
• Bynum makes the most of his minutes - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
  "I thought he played a game for us tonight that we liked," Jackson said. "I mean, he did some things that were really good for us on offense; we got some rebounds." Bynum was 5 of 5 from the floor and made 3 of 4 free throws for 13 points. He also had seven rebounds and one steal.
• 2010 NBA playoffs: Phoenix Suns' Amare Stoudemire stubborn about defense - ESPN Los Angeles
  Unfortunately, now that all eyes are on him, an inconvenient truth has been revealed. One that has haunted him his whole career, and a shortcoming he has worked hard to shore up. Somewhere along the way, his focus inexplicably shifted away from what he must do defensively and back toward the offensive end of the court, where he's always been most comfortable. If it doesn't shift back soon, the Lakers will actually be getting a lucky break.
• Suns at Lakers - a final look at Game 2
  "We can't slow them down. I think we played well offensively but every time we tried to make an adjustment to slow them down, they'd throw it some place else." - Suns coach Alvin Gentry
• azcentral.com blogs - Bob Young - BobYoung - Where's Channing Frye?
  But if the Suns, down 0-2, want to have any hope of salvaging the best-of-seven series when it moves to Phoenix for Game 3 Sunday, they need to put out an All Points Bulletin or Amber Alert or whatever it takes to find Channing Frye. He played less than nine minutes in Game 2 after missing all five of his shots and getting a single rebound.
• Phoenix Suns' offense does part, defense falls short vs. Lakers
  The newly outspoken Amar'e Stoudemire was painfully weak in trying to back up his critical comments about Lamar Odom. His defense, or rather the glaring lack of defense, allowed the talented Lakers front line to feast on an assortment of easy shots.
• Phoenix Suns more from stars vs. Los Angeles Lakers
  Momentum can be fickle. The Suns still have time and opportunity, and one victory can change everything. But until their stars act the part, that victory seems hopelessly out of reach.
• Phoenix Suns trail Los Angeles Lakers 0-2 in NBA Western Conference finals
  "They're scoring at will," Hill said.
• Elder respect: Grant Hill's health, wisdom help Suns rise - USATODAY.com
  "No one is talking about my health. They may be talking about my age or what I can or can't do, but they're not talking about my health. "That is something I'm proud of."
• Bynum Says He's Fine; Jackson Shrugs -- NBA FanHouse
  Center Andrew Bynum says his ailing right knee is feeling better. Good news for the Lakers, right? Not to burst that bubble, but Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he's unconvinced of any improvement in Bynum's health and doesn't foresee much before the end of the playoffs. "It's going to stay the same,'' Jackson said after Wednesday morning's shootaround at the team practice facility in preparation for the evening Game 2 at the Staples Center against Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. "I don't think there's going to be a remarkable change in this type of situation. We just want to continue to regulate how much swelling (Bynum has) after a game, and what's going on with that.''
• azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Suns dish - PaulCoro - Amar'e 'lucky' line out of line
  Coro's Suns dish: Phoenix Suns update: For months, Amar'e Stoudemire has carefully guarded his words and image. Stoudemire always has talked with a lot of bravado in his career but had toned it down since the winter trade rumors, going politically correct often with...
• The Official Phoenix Suns Blog " Blog Archive " Five Thoughts on Suns-Lakers Game 2
  Five thoughts from the Suns’ 124-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals:
• SUNS: What Dudley Deserves
  The 2010 Majerle Hustle Award winner went to work against the Lakers making them pay every time they left him open on the perimeter. He hit all five of his three pointers on a night when his teammates couldn't buy a long range bucket. He was vital for the big third-quarter comeback that tied the game.
• BtB, where Kobe and Pau are brothers from another mother - Ball Don't Lie - NBA  - Yahoo! Sports
  Awful help, lazy on ball. No interest, just excuses. I promise that this isn't some overreaction to his comments about Odom and Gasol before the game, mind you (though his bit about Gasol was a lie, and to call LO "lucky" for the [expletive deleted] he's been through with his family in years past is the height of absurdity and tactlessness); it was the way he consistently strays from the defensive tenets that we should hold dear that gets to me.
• The Official Phoenix Suns Blog " Blog Archive " A Web Guy on the Wall
  When I got the news that I would be traveling with the team to LA to cover the Western Conference Finals I knew it would be hard work and no fun. Ok I don’t think my boss is reading this. Here’s a few fun stories from behind-the-scenes in LA…