Happy Mother's Day to my lovely wife, mother of my children. To my mother, mother of me and my siblings. To my mother-in-law, mother to my lovely wife and to Mrs. Dragic, mother to Goran Dragic.
Since I don't I have the official preview duties today (for which you should be thankful), I am just going to say a few words about sweeps.
SWEEP THE SPURS!!
How beautiful is that? Never in my wildest dreams -- and I was as bullish about the Suns in this series as anyone -- did I imagine we would be up 3-0 with a chance to SWEEP THE SPURS. Oh, how good that feels.
Will the Suns get it done today? Maybe, maybe not. In many ways, it doesn't matter. Ending the series at home on Tuesday would certainly have its own poetic revenge and I don't think the next round will start before Friday regardless, so there's still plenty of time to rest and yet, how can you not be rooting for the Suns to SWEEP THE SPURS!
Sure, they will come out and show some pride. At least they say they will, but deep down they know they can't beat the Suns. They know they have to play a perfect game to win. They know they don't have a chance of winning four in a row. And one thing we've seen from Spurs teams over the years, they are not afraid to throw in the towel early.
If the Suns can get out to a hot start, in all likelihood led by Amare who played tight in the first quarter of Game 3, this thing not only could be over, it could be over in blowout fashion. The Spurs KNOW they can't win. Their fans KNOW they can't win. And the Suns are a hungry team this post-season. They've stepped up every time and I believe they will again today.
Despite being up 3-0, they've yet to put together a classic Suns great game and the Spurs have yet to have two of their big three collapse as has happened in the past. Tim Duncan is wearing down to the point that he is shooting 48% from the line. Parker is banged up, but will bravely try and play through it. Manu is still Manu but his stretch of hitting impossible shots came in Game 3 and isn't likely repeated. And as the world now knows what we knew all along, the Suns are DEEP.
So, I am looking forward to SWEEP THE SPURS tonight and if it doesn't turn out that way ... no worries at all. A complete no pressure, no lose situation. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Daily Sweep Links:
Please take note of the credit Amare is rightly getting for his mature play in this series.
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On Harsh Realities | Pounding The Rock
unstoppable flood. -
Preview: Game 4, Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs--maybe we'll talk about the Gipper | Pounding The Rock
A sweep seems too horrible to contemplate, but we can't deny that it's a real possibility. I'm not picking a winner in this game. It would be ludicrous to pretend I have any real conviction one way or the other. -
Spurs' Parker sore, but expected to play
Though he left the arena Friday nursing a back contusion, an inflamed right elbow and a sore right shoulder, Parker expects to play in Game 4 tonight. "No excuses now," Parker said Saturday. "We're down 3-0. You just have to play." -
Spurs’ Game 4 keys to victory
The goal for the Spurs tonight will be to plug all of those gaps without springing a leak somewhere else. "We have to play a perfect game," Manu Ginobili said. -
Suns' defense no longer a joke
For Stoudemire, the defensive statement was especially sweet. "Everybody always said the Phoenix Suns couldn't play any defense," Stoudemire said. "And a lot of the time, I got most of the blame for it." Coincidentally, Stoudemire is not getting a lot of credit for Friday's victory, when he struggled on offense and sat out the entire fourth quarter. But he helped lock up the Spurs during a crucial rally during the second and third quarters. Would he have been able to take that kind of pride in his defense in previous playoff series against the Spurs? "Probably not," Stoudemire said. -
Spurs not willing to pack it up yet
"There was nobody, thankfully, who came to the meeting with a Hawaiian shirt on," Popovich said. "Nobody had a travel guide. I saw no fishing poles. I think it's a good sign." -
Teenage games: Hill's response
The fourth game of a 3-0 series is usually about pride more than anything. The Suns were on the opposite end against the Spurs in both 2005 and 2008, and they won this game. So it's likely the Spurs will counter tonight, even with the right side of Tony Parker's body hurting nearly as much as Tim Duncan's entire free-throw touch. But the Spurs also are psychologically bowed. They've been demoralized in fourth quarters, -
Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs have turned upside-down
The Suns learned from previous playoff performances, lamenting less about bad breaks and thinking more about how the Spurs were better molded. They added pieces such as Dragic and Dudley to improve defensively but fit offensively. Dudley and Amundson were role players with constant effort that gets under the opponent's skin, which the Spurs once did to them. "All the dirty things that they used to do, we're the ones doing them, like rebounding and hustling with heart," Barbosa said. "It's not just that we wanted to win. We had to come and take it." -
San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan having major problems at foul line
After making 271 of 374 free throws during the regular season, a respectable 72.5 percent, Duncan has made only 30 of 62 foul shots in nine playoff games, a 48 percent figure that is embarrassing to him. -
Phoenix Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire's growth evident vs. San Antonio Spurs
"Amar'e has really matured as far as his game," Suns assistant coach Dan Majerle said. "He's finding other guys. He's not getting frustrated. He's letting other guys feed off him, and he's making everybody better. To me, that's what makes a great player. He hasn't always done that. He's been a guy who has scored, but now he's contributing in other areas."
Phoenix Suns' Al McCoy nearing end of career
Bickley: Suns broadcaster Al McCoy is nearing the finish line of his legendary career.
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Exhibitions of Excellence: LeBron James and Goran Dragic Take Center Stage | Front Office Fans
LeBron James and Goran Dragic both had incredible performances last night. Instead of blaming the Celtics and Spurs the focus should only be on how the great performances by both players rendered the defenses useless. -
Phoenix Suns staff proud of Goran Dragic's path
"It brings so much joy when you have an idea of what he can be and when he gets there, you have great pride for sure," Suns Director of Player Personnel Todd Quinter said. -
A San Antonio Spurs fan gives the Phoenix Suns respect | 48 Minutes of Hell
The Suns have evolved before our eyes, and by the time last night’s game ended, they were this postseason’s lead car. According to Winston’s numbers, the Suns have been the best team in the playoffs. The. Best. Team. The Suns. Seriously. Don’t get me wrong, my perversity knows its limits: I’ll never cheer for the Lakers. And my grotesque inclinations run hither and yon. Nothing would give me more pleasure than watching the Suns crumble, losing 4 straight to the Spurs. But if that doesn’t happen, I’ll take pleasure in watching them beat everyone else. -
Phoenix Suns point guards cash in vs. San Antonio Spurs | NBA News - FOX Sports on MSN
Phoenix Suns point guards cash in vs. San Antonio Spurs