The Suns played a good game. The Mavs just played a little bit better. It didn't help that the Suns had a terrible first quarter. I would have thought that on a big game like this one they would have come out with a bit more energy. Unfortunately, they only scored 20 points in the first quarter to the Mavericks 30.
The Suns did keep Nowitzki under control. But Jason Terry shot 60% from the field and scored 35 points. The rest of the Mavericks were pretty much negated. But Jason Terry going for 35 points and 8 assists was enough to kill the Suns.
One thing that is bothering me is the free throw shooting by the Suns. They shot only 76% tonight and have had similar problems throughout the season. Unfortunately, the one missing most of the free throws is Amare Stoudemire. He was 9-13 for the night. In the 4th quarter, every time he would get to the line he would miss the first free throw, clap his hands and then make the second free throw. The past two games that were lost could have been won with made free throws.
Besides the free throws, Amare Stoudemire had an awesome game. He had 25 points and 13 rebounds and had some monster dunks that took the crowd out of the game. Boris Diaw had another sub-par game with only 7 points, 3 assists, 3 turnovers and 6 fouls.
Overall, the Suns played a really good game. I thought they did a great job and deserved to win the game. Unfortunately, the Mavericks played just a tiny bit better and pulled the win out in the end.
Oh yeah, and if I hear Doug Collins talking about how the Suns will give up a lead because they go on runs but give up runs as well, I think I'm going to throw up. He had a graphic up tonight showing "blown leads" but he was really struggling to find enough content and put in three games where the Suns had a 9 point lead and lost as a "blown lead". I would bet that most teams have had 3 or more games of 7-9 point leads where they lost the game. That just happens in the flow of the game! I didn't hear him once talk about the Mavericks giving up a double-digit lead from the first quarter to the second. I wish Collins would get some new talking points when the Suns are on TNT.
I usually switch the game over to Dan Majerle to listen to him get crazier and crazier as the game went on. I swear he cracks open a beer or two during the game and just gets drunker and drunker until he's just wasted in the 4th quarter. Don't get me wrong - I think he gets hilarious as the game goes on. I just think it's funny.
The Suns play the Knicks in Phoenix on Friday night. More on that game later.