Things are heating up here in Phoenix, and by that I mean the outside temperature, which is now over 90 and will stay that way until October. The good news there is that the snow birds will leave and us Desert Rats can go back to sweating our summer away without the distraction of malodorous invaders who for whatever reason smell worse than the locals.
And speaking of chasing the smelly visitors out of town, how about that 2-0 butt-kicking the Suns have going?
I realize that there's a danger in over-confidence from a karmic standpoint (I can assure you the Suns players do not share my bravado), but there's just not a valid basketball argument I've heard anyone make for how the Spurs get back in this series.
None of those pundits who picked the Spurs have said anything to convince me that the Spurs will win 4 of the next 5 games, let alone more than 1 of the next 3.
The confidence in the Spurs is more mythical than logical, as if only the Smoke Monster can keep the Suns from escaping the island of doom.
(photoshop by Eutychus)
A massive brawl instigated by Leandro Barbosa that results in suspensions to Dragic, Frye and Collins? Nash developing a sudden rare leather allergy? Amare slices his hand while cutting an apple?
That's really all that can happen at this point for the Suns to lose the series -- a freak series of events. Barring that, this series is over.
This might be the funniest thing I've read in the last 28 hours...Oh how the tables have turned
No More Mr. Nice Guy | Pounding The Rock
This series has been nothing short of ridiculously fluky. And yes, I mean to take away from what the Suns have done so far. How did the Suns win Game 2? Offensive rebounds and Channing freaking Frye. Offensive rebounds are greatly a matter of luck. If you have played the game, you know this. 95% of the time, the defender will get the best position for a rebound, leaving you, as an offensive rebounder, a few options.
Daily Links
-
Game 3 Preview: Spurs vs. Suns | Pounding The Rock
Game 3 Preview: Spurs vs. Suns -
San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Phoenix Suns 110: Reversing the curse by reversing roles | 48 Minutes of Hell
In Game 2 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, Freaky Friday turned Wacky Wednesday and the star-crossed Phoenix Suns have suddenly become the soul swapping -
Phoenix Suns try to keep their edge with 2-0 lead over San Antonio Spurs
But can they be ruthless too? Can they find a killer instinct? Can they win without a pressing need? -
Spurs' Ginobili OK with facilitator role
Spurs Notebook: Guard Manu Ginobili was limited to eight shot attempts in Game 2 at Phoenix. And he's fine with that. -
Spurs face must-win; history is no comfort
Down 2-0 in the series against the Suns, and aware no team has fallen into a 3-0 hole and lived, the Spurs aren't just facing one must-win game as the festivities shift to the AT&T Center. They are facing two. -
Stoudemire Making It Hard for Suns to Resist a Big Contract | NYTimes.com
"Well, that’s going to happen this summer," Gentry said. "We’d like for it to be here. Robert is a guy who wants to win, and I think we’ll do everything possible to keep Amar’e. Obviously, we want him back. I’m sure, like anybody else in that situation, he’ll explore his options, but I think he understands what he means to our team." -
Bill Simmons: Phoenix Suns trying to erase 40 years of stomach punches | ESPN
Bill Simmons length look at the Suns...honestly, I couldn't read it -
NBA Spurs Suns Game 2: Act Two, In Which We Encounter The Inciting Moment | Hardwood Paroxysm
The exposition ends with the inciting moment, which is the incident without which there would be no story. "It is a magnificent feeling to recognize the -
San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center Tim Duncan Spurs Basketball
To my mind, this is where the Suns pose the most difficult challenge to the Spurs. The Spurs must counter the Suns’ tremendous accuracy from range almost entirely with lock down defense. San Antonio does not have the shooters to exchange three point baskets with Phoenix. In the past, the Spurs could go 1 in, 4 out and keep pace with Phoenix (in this respect). -
Gentry on Tim Duncan Hitting Another Playoff 3-Pointer Against Suns | NBA FanHouse
"I should say something about Tim Duncan," Gentry said as he headed for the exit. "The guy's hit two three-pointers in 10 years. You figure out who he's done that against." -
Steve Nash Discusses SB 1070 After Suns' Game 2 Win | NBA FanHouse
PHOENIX -- The Suns made a splash outside the world of sports on Tuesday when their team's owner Robert Sarver went on the record against -
Parker's strong game doesn't lead to victory
When Tony Parker lobbed a ball toward the basket, a teammate was there to throw it through the rim. When he dribbled the ball into the lane and attracted multiple defenders, he found the open man. -
Basketbawful
The San Antonio Spurs: Hey, you know that saying, that benches win home games and stars win away games, or whatever? Or maybe the Spurs decided to deny any pre-existing home/away splits data, as Channing Frye went 5-6 from downtown, with J-Rich going 3-6 himself, and Dudley contributed 11 points. -
NBA HD: Time for Time of Possession | Hardwood Paroxysm
It seems as though I stumble upon a new basketball advanced stats site every week. I found statsbynumbers.com after it was linked to in the APBRmetrics forum -
Has Tim Duncan become a defensive liability? | TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
When you consider that in the closing minutes of Game 2, the Suns repeatedly chose to attack Duncan with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire in a pick-and-roll situation, it's a fair question to ask.