Game Day Open Thread: Phoenix Suns at New Jersey Nets

by TexSUN on Mar 29, 2008 3:46 PM MST in Phoenix Suns: Game Coverage

Phoenix Suns	at	New Jersey Nets
48-24		31-42
4:30 PM Pacific / 7:30 PM Eastern
TV: My45 HD, NBA League Pass
Probable starters:
Steve Nash	PG	Devin Harris
Raja Bell	SG	Vince Carter
Grant Hill	SF	Richard Jefferson
Amare Stoudemire	PF	Nenad Krstic
Shaquille O'Neal	C	Josh Boone

This game is kind of a lose-lose. (Or is it a win-win?)

If the Suns beat the Nets, it all but guarantees the pick the Suns received from the Hawks in that Joe Johnson trade three long years ago won't be landing in the lottery. The Nets are already two games back in the loss column, and even with the tie-breaker, it's hard to imagine they can catch up if they drop another game to fall three back. If the Suns lose to the Nets, they'll be hurting their own chances in the playoffs. There's no room in the West to conveniently "rest" players this season (except maybe Grant Hill, if his sore wrist really needs it). So, lottery, smottery. The Suns have to win this game, and worry about the draft later.

No live blogging tonight, as I will have to watch most of the game on time delay off the DVR.

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Comments

We should DESTROY the Nets

If we don't, there's something very wrong with us. They're not even the Bobcats.

Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone You'll never walk alone

by Nobs on Mar 29, 2008 3:21 PM MST reply actions

The Suns better have a fast start

by ZonaFlash on Mar 29, 2008 3:43 PM MST reply actions

Stopping Devin Harris

First time commenter, long-time lurker. (That sounds kinda creepy, sorry.)

The key to the quick start Zona mentioned above is making sure that Harris gets off to a slow start. He's the prototypical quick guard that gives Nash fits on D (isn't that pretty much everyone this year?), but we certainly have the interior presence to force his damage to be done on the perimeter.

A little more rest for Nash and Hill, of course, would be hugely beneficial right now. Hence all this "fast start" talk.

You do the hokey-pokey and you turn your life around, that's what it's all about...three stacks out.

by Skinny B on Mar 29, 2008 3:54 PM MST reply actions

Hill out

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0329hillonline.html

Grant Hill won't play tonight. Apparently he has a lingering groin problem due to taking a charge from Durant in the Seattle game. Also questionable for the 2 Denver games, so Barbosa will start tonight.

GO SUNS!

by TwinnerA on Mar 29, 2008 4:08 PM MST reply actions

Egads

That leaves Bell and LB to cover Carter and Jefferson? I would have thought that Giricek would have been a better choice there. He's a bit larger and more tenacious on D then LB.

The Nets are very thin so LB could still come in off the bench and provide a spark.

Amare and Shaq are going to busy in the lane and are going to have to be careful not to pick up early fouls.

Phx - where molehills happen

by Seth Pollack on Mar 29, 2008 4:24 PM MST up reply actions

End of First Quarter

Bad start so far, no energy or shooting touch. Going to be a problem if either G2 or LB can't get it going. Heres hoping for a better second quarter. GO SUNS!!!

by MichiganSunsFan on Mar 29, 2008 5:09 PM MST reply actions

problems tonight?

What happens? No way to watch the game, nobody here? Or is it that this beginning seems really awful?

Warmup in full french we trust

by warmup on Mar 29, 2008 5:11 PM MST reply actions

Sorry

Unfortunately, I can't do live blogging tonight. However, I'm planning to do it on time delay as part of the recap later on tonight. So, check back in a few hours. Sorry I couldn't do it in "real time".

by TexSUN on Mar 29, 2008 5:23 PM MST up reply actions

live blogging

i understand! I'd love to do it one of these days... perhaps when NBA will have some extension in Europe (lol)... I'm a bit skeptical about this evolution...
Have a good evening...

Warmup in full french we trust

by warmup on Mar 29, 2008 5:42 PM MST up reply actions

That was Symbolic

Shaqs gonna rip the Nets!

by MichiganSunsFan on Mar 29, 2008 5:15 PM MST reply actions

East Coast Game

No one ever shows up for these.

by MichiganSunsFan on Mar 29, 2008 5:15 PM MST reply actions

Sorry

between the "early" start here in AZ and it being a busy Saturday w/ all kinds of chores, kids' events, etc its tough enough just to find time to watch a game like this delayed... I did catch the first 8 minutes while the wife was at the store.

Defense looked poor. The Nets game in w/ a solid game plan to attack our weaknesses. They exposed Shaq on the pick and roll and by getting wide open looks for Cristic at about 15ft where Shaq wasn't going to guard him 1:1. For whatever rhyme or reason the Suns didn't go to a zone this time which could have helped. Perhaps. We did manage to hang two fouls on Nenad early so that put him on the bench.

Then when Shaq went out they starting going after LB with Jefferson and then he got two fouls and Giricek came in and they continued to post him up.

The Suns looked flat and unenergetic to start the game. Let's hope by this time they have rebounded and when I continue watching I will be pleasantly surprised. A loss tonight would hurt.

Phx - where molehills happen

by Seth Pollack on Mar 29, 2008 5:48 PM MST up reply actions

Just an Awful Game

No hustle at all on defense or offense. Whistles every eight seconds for both teams. And Stoudemire is missing an improbable amount of free throws.

by MichiganSunsFan on Mar 29, 2008 5:43 PM MST reply actions

Suns lead 52-51 at the half

Very strange four point swing in the last second. Suns are starting to remember we're playing a horrible team. I expect a dominant second half.

by MichiganSunsFan on Mar 29, 2008 5:54 PM MST reply actions

Suns lead 82-71 at end of third

Amare is absolutely shredding depsite a slow start. Already has 31 and 13

by UASun on Mar 29, 2008 6:39 PM MST reply actions

Diaw's Jumper

Am I the only one who notices how much better Diaw's jumper has been of late?

by slyguy183 on Mar 29, 2008 7:00 PM MST reply actions

happy end

back on track, but not sure it was a really good game (except AMare during the third). What happened with Nash and his free throws?

Good night

Warmup in full french we trust

by warmup on Mar 29, 2008 7:18 PM MST reply actions

Game Over

Not much to say really, great to have another win.

by MichiganSunsFan on Mar 29, 2008 7:18 PM MST reply actions

but not so DESTROYING !

Warmup in full french we trust

by warmup on Mar 29, 2008 7:18 PM MST reply actions

Crappy game

I'll take the W. Shaq is being very solid. Amare is being a fucking beast.

Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone You'll never walk alone

by Nobs on Mar 29, 2008 7:25 PM MST reply actions

Amare and Shaq were monsters tonight.

Love Shaq shooting a better FT% than Steve and Amare.

by hcblankscreen on Mar 29, 2008 8:27 PM MST reply actions

bizzarro world

Nothing in this Verse can stop us!

by jasonsuns1 on Mar 29, 2008 8:43 PM MST up reply actions

Nash

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AuyHIxVVfCk.fZdhZjBeifM5nYcB?gid=2008032917&prov=ap

Phooey, I didn't like reading this part:

"The Suns had a lot of big efforts from a lot of players on a night that Steve Nash struggled playing with a shoulder spasm. The All-Star point guard finished with 10 points and 11 assists. He was only 2 of 9 from the field, but both 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter."

"I had a muscle spasm in my shoulder," said Nash, who played 38 minutes. "I felt pretty confident I could get rid of it. It just popped up after my nap. I had to get it settled down."

by TwinnerA on Mar 29, 2008 10:14 PM MST reply actions

Something else

What was up with the Suns wearing their home white uniforms? I never heard any explanation why during the broadcast. The Nets wore red and I figured we'd see either road purple or orange crush like they wore in the first 3 games of the road trip.

by TwinnerA on Mar 29, 2008 10:30 PM MST reply actions

uni quota's

The only thing I could think is that its quota time. Either last year or the year before the Suns went on this long streak where they were unbeaten in their Orange and then lost a game in purple. I remember a lot of talk about why they couldn't just always wear their Orange.

Turned out there's a quota for how many times each uniform has to get worn. You will be shocked to learn that the reason has to do with money and merchandise sales.

Maybe as this season winds down either the Nets or Suns are under quota somehow.

Phx - where molehills happen

by Seth Pollack on Mar 30, 2008 8:37 AM MST up reply actions