Open Game Day Thread: Suns v Blazers

by Phoenix Stan on Apr 16, 2008 1:14 PM MDT in Game Coverage

Phoenix Suns	vs.	Portland Trailblazers
53-27		40-40
7:00 PM Pacific / 10:00 PM Eastern
TV: FSNAZ HD, NBA LP
Probable starters:
Steve Nash	PG	Steve Blake
Raja Bell	SG	Jarrett Jack
Boris Diaw	SF	Brandon Roy
Amare Stoudemire	PF	LaMarcus Aldridge
Shaq	C	Channing Frye

Last game of the season...and you know what the best part is? By the end of today we will finally know what the playoff matchups are. Finally! No more of this and even more confusing this.

One more game. For all the marbles....ok, maybe just to save our marbles from rattling around the head and hurting something important.

As for the game itself, its the Portland Trailblazers who have the honor of coming into town to face a Suns team that will either:

a) fight tooth and nail to 1. get the highest possible seed 2. get locked for the up-coming battle against TBD (they are tough!)

b) give a lackluster performance and either win anyway or lose to a team with something to prove

Which will it be? Roll the dice, turn the tarot cards or just watch the tube and find out like the rest of us.

Game Notes

Grant Hill will rest up his man-parts for the battles to come

In a slightly bizarre move that I don't really understand, the Suns re-sign CP3 Stopper The Lint Man

I have an unconfirmed rumor that Amare might not play tonight...still working my "sources" (aka my keyboard) to see what's up. Stay tuned

Live blogging here tonight starting sometime before the game and featuring a special guest from the Great Blazers blog - Blazer's Edge

Update [2008-4-16 16:49:22 by Phoenix Stan]:

When in doubt about anything always ask Paul Coro...here's the scope on the seedings and homecourt advantage, Amare's illness and Lint Man:

Stoudemire played through what he called a "severe cold" Monday and stayed home today because it was still lingering. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said he might be held out tonight against Portland...

If Phoenix beats Portland at home and Utah wins at San Antonio, there is a four-way tie. The tiebreaker makes Phoenix the No. 4 seed and Houston the No. 5, but the league informed the teams this morning that Houston would have home-court advantage...

The Suns will have another player available tonight after re-signing Linton Johnson this morning. Johnson, a versatile swingman, played two 10-day contracts for Phoenix earlier this season.

Johnson will be on the playoff roster but likely will remain on the inactive list unless there is an injury, particularly in Hill's case.

Update [2008-4-16 17:5:46 by Phoenix Stan]:

Wondering how Coach is going to handle the news of Amare's illness, Grant's injury and the greatly reduced chance of homecourt advantage?

Click here to listen to the audio, courtesy of our friends at KTAR Sports Radio.

0 recs | Comment 24 comments

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Comments

So....

Getting the 4th seed isnt so good now huh? Wow.

"Of old, the Skillful Warrior first ensured his own invulnerability;then he waited for the enemy's vulnerability." Sun Tzu

by Turambar on Apr 16, 2008 3:05 PM MDT 0 recs

Ohh man!

So, we have to be Clipper fans tonight?

by PanamaSun on Apr 16, 2008 3:13 PM MDT 0 recs

Al Thornton

is a beast. I predict he'll be the second best rookie in this class behind Oden.

by RealTangiblesGuy on Apr 16, 2008 3:14 PM MDT up 0 recs

I like him too

but second? Durant averages are like melos, and lebrons as rookies. Even with all the hype hes shaping up as much as the sonics could hope. I'd say third to fourth (can't forget about hortford, had himself a pretty good rookie season with almost averaging a double double).

Shaq:"The kobster, he's an assassin" Answer for who should be mvp.

by ldeep on Apr 16, 2008 3:29 PM MDT up 0 recs

You know ldeep

You are a rare specimen among Laker fans!

I have to agree that Hortford has had a great season. You have to look beyond the numbers (which are very good) and measure his impact and hustle every time he is on the court. He is a great asset for his team and has high basketball IQ. But we all know that They are going to give it to Durant.

by PanamaSun on Apr 16, 2008 3:40 PM MDT up 0 recs

Horford

I also follow the Hawks as they are my "home team" (by the way anyone who has their Hawks as their home team should be allowed to adopt another NBA team to cheer for). Horford is also very good and I still think he could be the second best with Thornton coming in third. Thornton is 24 but he will gain veteran savvy. I mean think of all the other NBA players who did not become great until after 24 (Andre Miller, Steve Nash, Terkoglu).

As far as Durant goes, I'm not on that bandwagon. That kid, to me this season, is very unimpressive. He only knows how to do one thing on the court and it's not clear whether he'll be able to do that one thing effectively enough to be a good NBA player. But then again, I'm biased against players who are pure scorers with few other talents.

by RealTangiblesGuy on Apr 16, 2008 11:25 PM MDT up 0 recs

Durant

I should also point out that my analysis of him is from this NBA season only. I do not watch much college ball and did not follow it at all the year he was in college. So if I'm missing stuff he did in college (rebound), I'm missing it because I haven't seen it in the NBA.

by RealTangiblesGuy on Apr 16, 2008 11:26 PM MDT up 0 recs

I didn't watch much college during durant year

but just him having a decent shooting month (over 50% in one of these last months) gives me hope that he might be pretty good. When the lakers played them I wanted him to shoot everything cause he was shooting shots that only kobe/lebron/nash should be allowed to shoot and even then with caution. I think hes turning. Course not right away, I'd say three years and he could be legit.

Shaq:"The kobster, he's an assassin" Answer for who should be mvp.

by ldeep on Apr 16, 2008 11:30 PM MDT up 0 recs

Al Thornton

is 24. He ain't getting much better.

Vulgar. Lazy. And Uncreative. Fuck yeah.

by rosewood on Apr 16, 2008 3:52 PM MDT up 0 recs

forget the 4 seed

let PDX win and bring on the spurs!!

by DaPHXisin on Apr 16, 2008 3:27 PM MDT 0 recs

You are right!

4th seed is useless if Houston wins, I want the Spurs.

by PanamaSun on Apr 16, 2008 3:46 PM MDT up 0 recs

Doesn't Matter

We'll beat whomever, wherever. At least thats what I think.

by MichiganSunsFan on Apr 16, 2008 4:19 PM MDT 0 recs

That's the spirt!!

it's big boy time!

by DaPHXisin on Apr 16, 2008 4:25 PM MDT up 0 recs

Lint Man is obvious

He's insurance in case we play the Hornets! =)

by ZonaFlash on Apr 16, 2008 4:42 PM MDT 0 recs

CAN"T FIND THAT LINK!

I have spent at least 30 minutes searching for the link to that quote...can't find it!!! Grrrr!

Phx - where Lakers Love doesn't happen

by Phoenix Stan on Apr 16, 2008 4:48 PM MDT up 0 recs

Swept under the rug

but stand back. This ain't your ordinary d-league fill in man.

You know he has a ring with the Spurs?

Not saying he earned it necessarily, but saying he witnessed it and was apart of it.

by ZonaFlash on Apr 16, 2008 6:11 PM MDT up 0 recs

Grant Hill insurance

This was the reason given on Feb22. I think it still applies given Grant Hill's groin injury:

"The former 6-foot-8 New Orleans Hornets forward averaged 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game during his 133-game career and is insurance behind Grant Hill at the small forward position."

by ZonaFlash on Apr 16, 2008 6:13 PM MDT up 0 recs

LJ nick names

CP3-stoppa
"The Policy"

by ZonaFlash on Apr 16, 2008 6:14 PM MDT up 0 recs

Nicknames rules

I kind of think you should have to play more then 10 minutes to get a nickname...

Phx - where Lakers Love doesn't happen

by Phoenix Stan on Apr 16, 2008 6:25 PM MDT up 0 recs

Only if the nick is a good one

CP3 Stoppa and The Policy are the opposite.

by ZonaFlash on Apr 16, 2008 6:36 PM MDT up 0 recs

Hehe

He is the CP3 stopper, after all. Nice catch.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Apr 16, 2008 11:30 PM MDT up 0 recs

Not when you say

"I didn't use all my tricks on CP3, I'm saving some for later" - after getting ripped apart by CP3

And as "The Policy" that's like being the opposite of the "Human Victory Cigar". Everyone wants the HVC to play, but if "The Policy" plays, that means GH is injured.

HVC didn't play much either, but it mattered the few times he did. Same case here. LJ is on the inactive list. If The Policy's activated, watch out, the suns in trouble!

by ZonaFlash on Apr 16, 2008 6:30 PM MDT 0 recs