Amare has heard just about enough from all you (us) doubters. He brought his Bully Ball to the game tonight and finished with 42 points and 11 rebounds to shut up a lot of haters.
The Suns got it done despite only shooting 25% from three thanks in large part to aggressively attacking the paint which lead to 41 FTA's; Robin Lopez' incredibly awesome play; and a zone defense that managed to keep the Lakers out of the paint and off the line.
A sweet, sweet win for sure and you can easily take solace in the fact that the Suns were able to win without hot long range bombing. On the other hand, can that much zone really work for three more wins?
Discuss, Suns fans. I'll be back in a little while.
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- Silver Screen and Roll
Game Notes
1st Qtr
- Crowd is jacked
- Amare attacking from the elbow. Good game plan :)
- JRich on Kobe early. No fronting. Nash left Fisher wide open to help on Kobe = three for Fish
- Hill back on Kobe
- Amare's already drawn two fouls on Bynum and 1 on Gasol and 1 on Odom off a JRich steal
- Liking Robin's defense on Gasol. Not biting on the pump fake. Make him hit that outside shot and even if he is just stick with it
- Suns in the penalty and have committed zero fouls
- Ooops, 1 foul off the ball
- Like the start so far
- Nash digging down on Gasol, leaving Fisher. That time it worked. Don't like it much though
- Frye in. 17-17, 6:04. Lets see how this goes
- Gasol goes right at him and scores. That's how that goes
- JRich for three times two!!
- Suns are running doubles at Kobe but doing a better job rotating back and bringing the help from different places
- Lakers still shooting 57% but their points in the paint can't be too high
- Man it sucks to get a turnover and have your break away blocked from behind. Early entry from LB probably so JRich can get more time w/ the second unit instead of LB and Dragic as much
- Kobe btw....killing it. 7 - 9. 15 points but he's not getting to the line so what can you do?
- 32-29 Lakers after 1. Not bad
2nd Qtr
- You can't let that happen - Shannon Brown flies in for a put-back dunk off a missed FT. That kills you
- 36-31 Lakers
- Keep shooting it Channing. It will start going in
- Dudley drawing fouls, playing hard as usual
- Lakers only 10 points in the paint in 1st qtr...that's acceptable
- 3rd foul on Bynum. Nice drive and finish from Dragic. 36-35
- Suns bench unit in a zone. Looks good. No open looks
- Farmar hitting threes. Channing not. 41-35. Decent stretch from the reserves but Frye needs to hit those open looks!!!
- Suns couldn't take advantage of Kobe being on the bench...damn it
- Excellent pump fake by Goran to draw a foul on Gasol
- Defense is actually better...Lakers only 9 points in over half the quarter. Suns only have 8 though. Missed opportunity for sure
- Zone still in effect and doing ok. Seem more prepared for Odom flashing down the middle of the lane. Robin doing well on that end
- Another gut punch...Suns tie it up at 45. Crowd is going NUTS! Suns get steal. Jason can't finish the layup on the run out. Lakers come back and Pau fouled
- Zone still being fairly effective btw
- Suns in this game b/c of free throws. 15-1 FTA advantage
- Kobe called for an offensive foul on Nash. League might want the Lakers / Celtics but they don't want another sweep
- Hill drives and draws 3rd foul on Odom. Powell in. Suns up 52-47
- Great job there. Nash gets Gasol on him and Fisher on Lopez. He patiently holds the ball and moves Robin into position and gets him the ball. Foul on Fisher and Robin hits both
- 54-47 Suns. Much better but not great
3rd Qtr
- Lakers still have 22 to 13 points in the paint. Suns shooting 38% and Lakers 48% but Suns have 18 of 20 free throws. Suns 8 OReb to 5 for Lakers but LA has 13 to 4 2nd chance points
- I can't think this zone will keep working...not feeling great about this lead
- Suns only 3 turnovers. Lakers 9 leading to 8 points for Phoenix. Suns 13-3 fast break points
- Wireless in here as reliable as Channing Frye's jump shot
- Kobe misses his first shot...hopefully that's a sign
- Artest hits a three out of the zone
- Amare attacks Bynum. Fourth foul. And 1
- Odom has to come in early. He's got three fouls
- 59-57 after Hill fouls Fisher taking a three
- Lakers switching on Nash/Lopez screen and roll. Love the result
- JRich passed up an open three and I go...ugh and then he drives and finishes and gets fouled by Kobe and I go...yeah!
- 64-57, 9:00
- YES! Give Robin the BALL!!!
- Fisher is pissed at Robin for something. Well done, big guy. All he did was run right over Fisher who stepped in front of him after the play
- Amare drives right by Gasol and finishes. That's what I am talking about. Bully Ball!
- 73-68, 5:30 Suns
- Robin Lopez > Channing Frye
- Great read there by Amare to get the steal
- Four on Odom. Keep attacking!
- 77-75. Can't get any separation
- Still in the zone...and I mean the zone D not the other kind of zone
- Amare however, he's in THE ZONE
- Kobe is insane
- Fisher draws blood on Amare....I wouldn't cry is he got leveled
- Officials working hard to even out the FTA disparity
- Suns 3 for 14 from three. 86-84
4th Qtr
- 37 point 3rd quarter for LA. That won't work
- Missed two wide open three's that would have been huge....ugh. 88-86, 10:25
- 3 for 16 from three for Suns...so much for home shooting
- Damn it's almost comical how bad the Suns are missing. They should be well ahead in this game if they were even hitting 30% from three
- Gentry goes back to starters with 8:47 to go. Desperation time
- Suns still in the zone D
- Robin Lopez w/ the elbow J...I have no idea why that makes me so happy
- Amare with 32 and 10. Bully Ball
- JRich can hit a three!!! HUGE especially b/c it came off a stop. 98-92
- CAN NOT give Kobe a chance to take over this game and hit a buzzer beater
- Amare takes the CHARGE. 5th on Odom. Yes!!
- Amare Redemption!
- Crowd going NUTS as Kobe missed two in a row
- Flop right there by Gasol followed by a pretty cheap loose ball foul on Nash to put LA in the penalty
- 100-94, 4:25
- Steve misses the dagger three....Kobe drives and gets to the line. Damn, this isn't going to be easy
- 100-96, 3:51
- Amare again! 37 points!!!
- Odom fouls out!! Stupid place to commit a foul too
- Bynum back in. Robin at the line hits both. He's a FUZZY STUD
- NASH!!!! 106-96
- Amare with 41!!! They have NO answer