Hey David Stern, it’s not my fault that you still haven’t figured out how to schedule your playoff games. It’s now 6:45 and the “6:30" Suns/Spurs game still isn’t on. If this Nets/Cavs game goes to overtime, I’ll be forced to go change my oil, which I’ve been successful putting off up to this point. Then I’ll REALLY be pissed!

 

Okay, 6:55 now and still no Suns/Spurs. Where’s my funnel and that oil filter I bought last month?

 

7:00 now, the Cavs/Nets game just ended and, after a couple commercials, I see that I missed three and a half minutes of the Suns/Spurs game. Sorry, your “fashionably late” b.s. isn’t working for me. You should take a page from the NFL, the most successful sports league around. They start their games on time. Yes, even the playoff games. (Well, except for the concert and concurrent 45 minute halftime show during the Super Bowl. Okay, forget what I said).

 

 

Coming into this game, some observations I’ve noticed:

-Kurt Thomas has indeed played Tim Duncan pretty tough. Duncan has hit a lot of very tough shots, which is what makes him Tim Duncan. (Memo to young players-the backboard can be your friend. Learn to use it). I’d like to see the Suns continue to play Duncan straight up with Thomas instead of doubling him.

 

-Contrary to popular belief, the Suns defense has played pretty well. The Spurs have shot just 43% through three games.

-The Suns free throw percentage has been a little off. One of the best FT shooting teams in the regular season(80.8), and in last year’s playoffs as well (83.1), they are shooting just 76.8% in this series. That’s enough to make a difference.

-As for all the back-and-forth bickering about the officiating, I look at it this way: I think the officials call a lot of stuff based on a team or player's reputation, whether they intend to or not. The Spurs have the reputation of a tough defensive team, and therefore are going to get more calls in a physical game. The Suns have never had that reputation, and therefore are not going to get a lot of calls when they are physical, simply because it seems out of the ordinary for them. Much like a big man carrying the ball vs. a point guard doing it. Almost all point guards do it at one time or another, and it's almost never called. When a center does it, it looks so out of the ordinary that a red flag goes up and the officials will call it almost every time.
The fact of the matter, though, is that the team that feels like it's not getting the calls has a much better chance of getting some in the future if they play through it. We could go back and forth about which team whines more, but the fact of the matter is that both teams are doing it too much.

-I still haven’t figured out why D’Antoni hasn’t used his bench more, something I’ve been saying all season. Jalen Rose, for example, has the veteran post-season experience that would no doubt help the Suns. With James Jones having been replaced in the starting line-up by Thomas after game one, Rose would seem to me a natural for grabbing Jones’ minutes. I’m not giving up on Jones yet, but this is about the here and now, and Rose should be playing. Don’t laugh, but the Suns also have a sharp shooter, Eric Piatkowski, sitting on their bench. Like Brent Barry and Robert Horry for the Spurs, Piatkowski offers little more than a long-range presence, which may be effective at times. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been used much at all this season, so who knows how accurate his shot would be. But I would have tried him against Barry or Horry early in the series to get a feel. Okay, enough about that. Let’s get on with it.

 

At 3:08 of the first, (which is one of the first plays I saw in the game-thanks, Mr. Stern, you turd), Ginobili hits an open three. Stay on your man, Suns. Shortly after, Marion goes into the crowd trying to retrieve a loose ball, and has to jump over the cameramen. He landed at the feet of Suns’ owner Robert Sarver. The incident reminded me of the Dennis Rodman incident many years ago, when he fell into the cameramen and kicked one of them on the way back to the court. And Rodman was either fined or suspended for it-maybe both, I don't remember. Far be it for me to ever defend Rodman's actions, but I remember getting into it with a lot of my friends at the time, because I felt that cameramen had no business being that close to the field of play. What would happen if a player falls or trips over one of them and tears up a knee or breaks a leg?

Anyway, Michael Finley, who was drafted by the Suns, hits a long jumper. Hey Suns, stay on your man! With 7:27 to go in the second, Duncan is called for a foul on Nash, which was not a good call. Perhaps it was a makeup call for Duncan shuffling both his pivot feet immediately prior to scoring on the other end. Just a thought.

With Duncan out at 2:17, Barry hits a three. Again, why are you leaving three point shooters open? Who are you doubling, Oberto? Wake the hell up.

 

Spurs lead 45-40 at halftime. One thing I’ve noticed-Nash is playing well for the most part, but he is committing too many turnovers. It’s costing the Suns to this point. Great intensity through the first half, though. I wish all NBA games were like this. Though after listening to the last few minutes of the first half on radio, I wonder why the TV broadcast doesn’t produce the same crowd volume. Also, it would be easy to say that the score indicates a Spurs scoring pace, but the first three games disproved that theory, so it means little at this point. And as I suspected, the officiating hasn’t been an issue so far in the game. As much as we all complain about it, it seldom seems to last more than one game at a time. (Which is no excuse, Stern. It still needs to be fixed. Kind of like your scheduling).

Stoudemire converts a three point play late in the third. That’s crucial. Suns need to get some momentum. And with five seconds left in the quarter, Barbosa dribbles right into traffic and doesn’t get a shot off. Come on, Leandro. Use your head. Third quarter ends with an 80-72 Spurs lead, which I believe was the same score after three quarters in game three.

With 8:57 left in the fourth, there’s a TV timeout, which occurs at the first whistle under nine, six, and three minutes of each quarter. Don’t ask me why. Just think advertising. And the Suns have the “deer in the headlights” look. Not looking good for the Suns, as they trail by nine. But coming out of the TV timeout, Marion hits a three. This is a key point, no, a HUGE point in the game-perhaps even a watershed moment, as Steve Kerr suggested-for the Suns.

 

At 6:54 of the fourth, Ginobili goes down like he’s been shot. But then he did run into Stoudemire, who had position. I can honestly say I’ve just seen the first really bad call of the game. Not to worry, though. Our eyes are on the prize.

 

At 5:10, Finley hits an open jumper. STAY ON YOUR F*****G MAN!! And Nash is still turning it over too much. It’s costly. As I hear the stats on three pointers made, I can’t help but think that the Suns haven’t had as many open looks as the Spurs. Probably because they are not staying at home defensively.

 

Shawn Marion is having a huge fourth quarter, both defensively and on the boards. (Okay, we all know the Suns don’t play any defense. You got me there). And as Sebastian said in “The Little Mermaid”, my nerves are shot! But the Suns are not quite dead yet . . .

 

Marion gets another huge rebound, and the Suns are doubling Duncan just enough on the other end. It’s working out nicely. Could it be?

Holy cow. With 32 seconds left, the Suns have a three point lead. NOW HEAR THIS: STAY AT HOME ON DEFENSE!! Which they did. And even with Nash missing two of four free throws in the last minute, the Suns win. (I’d trade Nash for a high-quality folding chair, since he can’t hit his free throws). Suns win in a way that no one saw coming. Well, almost no one. 

 

Oh, did I mention that Steve Nash went a little overboard with Robert Horry late in the game? Yup, trust me. I saw it. Horry was just minding his own business, running over to defend Nash, and BAM! Nash suddenly tried to bite him in the elbow. Totally uncalled for. Oh sure, Nash flopped into the scorer’s table like a Ginobili out of water, but he didn’t fool me. No sir. I wasn’t born yesterday.

 

As for the possible repercussions mentioned for Stoudemire and Diaw for coming off the bench, I would offer this: Earlier this season, after a game vs. Toronto, Raja Bell was suspended for one game because, in the league's opinion, he "intended" to knee an opposing player, though no contact was actually made. However, in game three, Bowen actually DID make contact with Nash's groin area, and was not suspended. I guess the league decided that Bowen did not actually "intend" for his knee to come in contact with Nash. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture? And when did raising one's knee in the direction of your opponents groin become a "natural basketball move"?

 

Okay, I’ll move on. If Horry’s move tonight results in a suspension for any Suns player, does that mean the age of the enforcer is back? You know, like back in the ‘70s when a player would get a little overly physical with an opponents star in hopes of getting the star, or other teammates, out of the game, or a subsequent game? I guess we’ll see.

Before I go, let me leave you with this. Lyrikell, SoAmazin, and Mr. Popovich, with your “hard-nosed defense,” you’re all done. Bbing, jaysisko and all you other Suns nay-sayers; done too. You all have exactly four days to get your shots in. Because after Friday’s game six, you’ll have to wait ‘til next year. Like I’ve been saying all along, the teams would split the first two in Phoenix and the second two in San Antonio, and the Suns would win in six. Ciao. You see, it's all about mental toughness.

And thanks for taking the time to read.