Bright Side Of The Sun - Full Coverage: With Rockets on both sides, the Phoenix topped the HoustonDedicated to Phoenix Suns Basketball since 2006https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47819/bs-fv.png2013-03-10T09:19:30-07:00http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/rss/stream/38502112013-03-10T09:19:30-07:002013-03-10T09:19:30-07:00VIDEO: Marshall, Dragic, and Hunter Talk Winning
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pGFlTWXN8OPbv7adTOmEUJoStCY=/0x919:3244x3082/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9437627/20130309_jla_sz6_1174.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>"He is a big guy, so I felt like it was a good gap..." Kendall Marshall talks about the highlight of the night as he threaded the needle on a pass between the legs of Omer Asik to Jared Dudley.</p> <h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>BAD AUDIO FOREWARNED </strong></h4>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y918Cl9Qjzc" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>After the game interim head coach discusses his teams effort and win despite the savage play of <span>James Harden</span>, the audio is bad, but fortunately the play on the court has not been as of late.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/It8JNQPlsuQ" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><span>Goran Dragic</span> feels he may have got his rhythm back and THE OTHER highlight of the night where he made a desperation pass that led to a desperation make by Marshall. Unfortunately I make an on camera appearance for the final few questions here, I apologize.</p>
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/3/10/4086116/phoenix-suns-video-hunter-marshall-and-dragic-reflect-on-the-big-winKris Habbas2013-03-09T21:35:30-07:002013-03-09T21:35:30-07:00Hard-ly Rocket Powered, Suns Beat Rockets 107-105
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mao3wOmjZnZ5ZENmVCtelXKiODw=/0x629:3091x2690/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9418165/20130309_mjm_sz6_177.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Visually this was a tough game to watch as it appeared to be the newer jerseys against the older faded jerseys with the home team in orange and the visiting Rockets in red. Thankfully that didn't take away from a very entertaining game that went down to the wire.</p> <p>This season the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> became that strange bedfellow that you needed to be successful, because that would in-turn make you more successful. For a time, the Rockets were the team that could thwart the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> from making the playoffs, but the circumstances have since changed and a win over the Rockets is another notch in the belt of wins that the team should not have had in hindsight.</p>
<p>Coming into tonight the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> have done a pretty remarkable job shooting themselves in the foot winning games they could (should) lose to better help the big picture come together.</p>
<p>The second quarter started a new style of Suns basketball, with a new group on the court. <span>Kendall Marshall</span>, <span>Jared Dudley</span>, <span>P.J. Tucker</span>, and <span>Michael Beasley</span> sparked a 16-0 run in the quarter to erase a six point deficit and put together a respectable 10 point lead. The run went all the way to an 18-1 overall spurt and that was the wake-up call that <span>James Harden</span> needed.</p>
<p>From that point on Harden took it upon himself to score or assist on 26 of his teams next 41 points as the margin was cut to one point heading into the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>The bench was the spark as they scored eight points in the first quarter giving the starters a modest breather, but led by Dudley the reserves lit up the Rockets for 33 points in the middle quarters. Dudley was a starter for 50 games this season and he seems to be responding well to the move to the bench scoring 22 points off the pine. He was able to counteract the scoring of Harden for that period of time reminding the team and the fans how good he can be.</p>
<p>It was the erratic play that the Suns forced that allowed them to go on their run. They were getting their hands on loose balls and forcing turnovers.</p>
<p>Most of the turnovers were a combination of luck and sloppy ball-handling by the Rockets, but credit is given where credit is due and the Suns deserve a lot of it for being in the right place at the right time. On one play in particular Harden threw a perfect pass to <span>Markieff Morris</span>, the problem being that the Rockets no longer have a Morris on their roster. I can see Harden turning to head coach Kevin McHale and saying, "Coach I thought it was Marcus." Well, that is a little better now, but again there are no Morris' on the Rockets.</p>
<p>What got the Rockets back into the game as they were seemingly asleep on the court was a run in the second quarter by Harden. He nailed a contested three to end the run and followed that up a strong drive and finish and then an and-1 giving Tucker his fourth foul just before the half.</p>
<p>In the waning moments of the game the Suns went to a two-point guard line-up with <span>Goran Dragic</span> and Marshall running the offense. This allowed them to mask Marshall on <span>Jeremy Lin</span> and give Dragic some minutes off the ball to create turnovers.</p>
<p>The closing line-up of Dragic, Marshall, Dudley, Marcus, and <span>Hamed Haddadi</span> who had a career-high 10 rebounds in a career-high 27 minutes holding up strong rebounding the ball and playing solid defense. They scored just enough to etch out a 107-105 win over the reeling Rockets.</p>
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/3/9/4084862/hard-ly-houston-rocket-powered-phoenix-suns-beat-rocketsKris Habbas2013-03-09T12:00:04-07:002013-03-09T12:00:04-07:00Preview: Harden, Rockets come to town
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wGutv7hIEBNhpuloKvYXEC9wHb4=/0x213:4000x2880/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9373691/20130302_mje_se2_362.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Phoenix Suns are sinking fast while the Houston Rockets are heading to the playoffs, as long as they can beat the Suns a few times.</p> <p>Get used to seeing these guys, since the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Suns</a> play the Rockets four times in the next four weeks including twice in the next several days. Keep your tissues handy to wipe up the drool over their youth and upside compared to what the Suns have to offer.</p>
<p>There's no way to slice it except that the Rockets jettisoned their aging players a couple years ago, so they're 1-2 years ahead of the Suns in the rebuild process.</p>
<p>Houston, too, had middle-aged players until just last season when Morey cleaned the last rooms of the house for new residents. <span>Goran Dragic</span> was their starting PG after Kyle Lowry got hurt, and <span>Luis Scola</span> was their starting PF for the last five seasons.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> GM Daryl Morey spent years acquiring assets and clearing books so that he could restart his team's future with younger players who, collectively, had a higher ceiling. Yet he kept the team winning while doing all this work behind the curtain. The Rockets missed the playoffs the last three years, but still had winning records.</p>
<p>While the Rockets are still not a contender, they are set up to become one if they can add that one more piece to their puzzle in the near future. For now, they are one of the two youngest teams in the NBA and yet have a strong chance to make the playoffs with a heavy dose of home games the rest of the season.</p>
<p>The Rockets' best player is 23-year old James Harden, the crown jewel of "available" players over the past two seasons. He was bought for a <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kings</a>' ransom (a guaranteed lottery pick, quality SG, 2012 lottery SG and spare parts) and got even better than anyone had hoped.</p>
<p>Harden's supporting cast is talented but not win-the-whole-thing talented.</p>
<p><span>Chandler Parsons</span>, a 2011 second-round pick, has become a quality small forward (15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists a game) who has been on an absolute tear lately. He has scored at least 20 points in six straight games, including 27-44 three-pointers. Let me repeat. That was 44 3-point attempts in the last six games by Parsons alone.</p>
<p>PG <span>Jeremy Lin</span> is no Goran Dragic, but he's two years younger (24 vs. 26), so there's that. Lin puts up 12 points and 6 assists per game and does a good job of getting out of <span>James Harden's</span> way.</p>
<p>C <span>Omer Asik</span> is young, but not that young (26 yrs old), and does a quality job manning the middle. Asik is a rebounding machine who has pulled down 32 boards in the last two games alone. He is currently licking his chops at the prospect of fighting for boards with <span>Hamed Haddadi</span> and <span>Markieff Morris</span>.</p>
<p>The PF position is still a conundrum for Houston, who generally just go small with a stretch four on the floor for spacing. <span>Marcus Morris</span> and <span>Patrick Patterson</span> were that guy until the trade deadline, and <span>Thomas Robinson</span> hasn't found his niche yet in the Houston offense.</p>
<p>Only Harden is all-star caliber, but that's enough to make the playoffs this season.</p>
<h3>Tonight's keys</h3>
<p>The Rockets are young, but will likely be tired after the top four guys played at least 37 minutes against the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Warriors</a> last night.</p>
<p>The Suns are playing a kinda-young rotation right now, but also put in big minutes against Sacramento. <span>Wesley Johnson</span>, Goran Dragic and Luis Scola all played at least 35 minutes.</p>
<p>(By the way, Johnson got his first start of the season last night (along with the Morris twins in the starting lineup!) and put up 19 points and 4 rebounds. Nice.)</p>
<p>Let's see who comes out more focused.</p>
<h3>Key matchup</h3>
<h4>James Harden vs. <span>Michael Beasley</span>
</h4>
<p>I write this with tongue in cheek because they don't play the same position and aren't the same caliber.</p>
<p>Yet Michael Beasley played his best game in a thousand years last night - 24 points on 10-21 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a block - while James Harden played one of his worst - 20 points on 3-17 shooting, 6 rebounds, 11 assists and three steals.</p>
<p>My guess is that this matchup will reverse itself tonight.</p>
<p>Beasley has not had two consecutive good-shooting nights all season, and just might get only a handful of minutes if he comes out lethargic.</p>
<p>Harden has made it a career to kill the Suns. Last season with OKC, he put up 26.7 points on 60% shooting in three games against the Suns, in only 32 minutes a game.</p>
<p>Look for that matchup to be a frustrating one for Suns fans tonight.</p>
<h4>Goran Dragic vs. Jeremy Lin</h4>
<p>Now this is a better matchup to watch. The Rockets dumped Dragic for Lin, even paying Lin more money than Dragic took from the Suns.</p>
<p>Last night against Sacramento, Dragic put up a heckuva stat line: 17 points, 16 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds. Since the All-Star break, he is putting up 14.7 points, 10.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game - easily his best stretch of the season.</p>
<p>Let's hope Dragic wants to send a message back to Houston tonight.</p>
<h3>Summary</h3>
<p>Don't look forward to a Suns win, but don't be surprised if they pull one out either. The Suns are 4-5 since the All-Star break with some nice wins under their belts.</p>
<p>The Suns have three guys on their roster who might want to send a message back to Houston: Dragic, Scola and Marcus Morris.</p>
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/3/9/4082520/game-preview-phoenix-suns-host-james-harden-houston-rocketsDave King