Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns Preview of Game 6
By Anonymous
Fri, 05/28/2010 - 8:42pm
By Sam Littman
Ever since he left Dallas to don a Phoenix Suns jersey back in 2004, Steve Nash has been on of the league’s most respected and accomplished superstars despite failing to reach the Finals. Boasting as many MVP awards as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal combined, Nash is arguably the greatest player ever without a conference championship on his resume.
Jason RichardsonWith the Suns down 3-2 to the defending champs, and that elusive Finals birth taunting him, Nash’s career may well be defined by the outcome of this series. With star sidekick Amar’e Stoudemire prepared to become a free agent, the 36-year point guard knows that this is likely his last shot at a title.
After playing like the underdogs they were labeled as in the series’ first two games, a different Suns team showed up at home, playing like a more defense-oriented version of the 62-win team from 2004-05, which boasted Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion in the starting spots now occupied by Jason Richardson and Grant Hill. In their 118-109 victory in game 3, Nash was phenomenal, dishing out 15 assists against just one turnover while Stoudemire played up to his extraordinary potential, scoring 42 points and grabbing 11 boards. Though the bench was just 3-21 from the field, the starters were terrific, pitching in 103 points while keeping the Lakers’ Pau Gasol in check with a dizzying new zone defense that managed to throw every Laker besides Bryant off balance just long enough to take for them to take control of the game.
Phil Jackson failed to make the necessary adjustments for game 4, as the Suns continued to frustrate the Lakers on both ends of the floor. Kobe went off for 38 points on 15-22 shooting while his teammates struggled for half-decent looks. The Suns shoved Gasol out of his comfort zone, forcing him to shoot below 50% from the field for the first time since April 30th, and allowed the Lakers to shoot just 13 free throws. Meanwhile, six Suns scored in double-figures, paced by 21 points from Stoudemire. The story of the game, however, was the reemergence of Channing Frye, who broke a streak of 17 consecutive missed shots with one of the most electrifying 14-point performances in playoff history.
In game 5 the Lakers got last licks when it came to miracle last-second shots, as Phoenix’s Jason Richardson banked in a three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left only to watch Ron Artest put away the game on a put-back as time expired. The Lakers looked considerably more comfortable attacking the zone, utilizing mismatches on the perimeter, with Nash often switching to Artest, to feed Gasol in the post with better position. Derrick Fisher was outstanding, scoring 22 points on 7-12 shooting, and Lamar Odom got “lucky” once again, contributing 17 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Up until the fourth quarter, when the Suns started to drain jumpers consistently for the first time all game, they struggled to achieve any sort of rhythm.
The outcome of the series will likely be decided by the performance of the warring MVP’s, only Nash is at a disadvantage, tasked with winning in Phoenix and then in Los Angeles. Kobe is enjoying arguably the best playoff series of his career, averaging 33 points, 9.6 assists and 7.4 rebounds while shooting a scorching 53% of the field, though Nash’s achievements cannot be overlooked, as he’s dishing out 12.4 dimes per game against just 2.8 turnovers.
With the Suns proving that they can win even when Kobe and Gasol are clicking on all cylinders, the Phoenix bench looks to be the real x-factor in the series. When Frye and Jared Dudley are knocking down threes, Leandro Barbosa is altering the pace of the game and Goran Dragic is breaking down the defense, the Suns are nearly impossible to beat. Stoudemire, Nash and Richardson combining for 60 points a night is to be expected, so when their backups are playing well they can wear any team down to their breaking point. Expecting the bench to contribute around 40 points in each of the next two games is a lot to ask, but should they answer the challenge, they would have a great chance shot at winning the West.
Even with Andrew Bynum’s productivity deteriorating, the Suns have had trouble containing the Lakers in the paint, allowing them more easy buckets than they would like while surrendering far too many offensive rebounds. Lamar Odom has been outstanding, averaging 15.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, compensating for Bynum’s ineffectiveness. Kobe’s newfound niche as a LeBron-like distributor in the series has allowed question marks Fisher and Artest to get as free as possible, allowing them to contribute admirably on the offensive end.
As the spotlight shines on Phoenix for a pivotal game 6, you can be sure Kobe’s killer instinct will be more aroused than ever. Steve Nash might just be hungrier, however, because if the Suns should lose, he might never play this late in May ever again.
Game 6: Sat. May 29 at Phoenix, 8:30 PM ET on TNT
Game 7: Mon. May 31 at L.A. Lakers, 9:00 PM ET on TNT*
Ever since he left Dallas to don a Phoenix Suns jersey back in 2004, Steve Nash has been on of the league’s most respected and accomplished superstars despite failing to reach the Finals. Boasting as many MVP awards as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal combined, Nash is arguably the greatest player ever without a conference championship on his resume.
Jason RichardsonWith the Suns down 3-2 to the defending champs, and that elusive Finals birth taunting him, Nash’s career may well be defined by the outcome of this series. With star sidekick Amar’e Stoudemire prepared to become a free agent, the 36-year point guard knows that this is likely his last shot at a title.After playing like the underdogs they were labeled as in the series’ first two games, a different Suns team showed up at home, playing like a more defense-oriented version of the 62-win team from 2004-05, which boasted Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion in the starting spots now occupied by Jason Richardson and Grant Hill. In their 118-109 victory in game 3, Nash was phenomenal, dishing out 15 assists against just one turnover while Stoudemire played up to his extraordinary potential, scoring 42 points and grabbing 11 boards. Though the bench was just 3-21 from the field, the starters were terrific, pitching in 103 points while keeping the Lakers’ Pau Gasol in check with a dizzying new zone defense that managed to throw every Laker besides Bryant off balance just long enough to take for them to take control of the game.
Phil Jackson failed to make the necessary adjustments for game 4, as the Suns continued to frustrate the Lakers on both ends of the floor. Kobe went off for 38 points on 15-22 shooting while his teammates struggled for half-decent looks. The Suns shoved Gasol out of his comfort zone, forcing him to shoot below 50% from the field for the first time since April 30th, and allowed the Lakers to shoot just 13 free throws. Meanwhile, six Suns scored in double-figures, paced by 21 points from Stoudemire. The story of the game, however, was the reemergence of Channing Frye, who broke a streak of 17 consecutive missed shots with one of the most electrifying 14-point performances in playoff history.
In game 5 the Lakers got last licks when it came to miracle last-second shots, as Phoenix’s Jason Richardson banked in a three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left only to watch Ron Artest put away the game on a put-back as time expired. The Lakers looked considerably more comfortable attacking the zone, utilizing mismatches on the perimeter, with Nash often switching to Artest, to feed Gasol in the post with better position. Derrick Fisher was outstanding, scoring 22 points on 7-12 shooting, and Lamar Odom got “lucky” once again, contributing 17 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Up until the fourth quarter, when the Suns started to drain jumpers consistently for the first time all game, they struggled to achieve any sort of rhythm.
The outcome of the series will likely be decided by the performance of the warring MVP’s, only Nash is at a disadvantage, tasked with winning in Phoenix and then in Los Angeles. Kobe is enjoying arguably the best playoff series of his career, averaging 33 points, 9.6 assists and 7.4 rebounds while shooting a scorching 53% of the field, though Nash’s achievements cannot be overlooked, as he’s dishing out 12.4 dimes per game against just 2.8 turnovers.
With the Suns proving that they can win even when Kobe and Gasol are clicking on all cylinders, the Phoenix bench looks to be the real x-factor in the series. When Frye and Jared Dudley are knocking down threes, Leandro Barbosa is altering the pace of the game and Goran Dragic is breaking down the defense, the Suns are nearly impossible to beat. Stoudemire, Nash and Richardson combining for 60 points a night is to be expected, so when their backups are playing well they can wear any team down to their breaking point. Expecting the bench to contribute around 40 points in each of the next two games is a lot to ask, but should they answer the challenge, they would have a great chance shot at winning the West.
Even with Andrew Bynum’s productivity deteriorating, the Suns have had trouble containing the Lakers in the paint, allowing them more easy buckets than they would like while surrendering far too many offensive rebounds. Lamar Odom has been outstanding, averaging 15.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, compensating for Bynum’s ineffectiveness. Kobe’s newfound niche as a LeBron-like distributor in the series has allowed question marks Fisher and Artest to get as free as possible, allowing them to contribute admirably on the offensive end.
As the spotlight shines on Phoenix for a pivotal game 6, you can be sure Kobe’s killer instinct will be more aroused than ever. Steve Nash might just be hungrier, however, because if the Suns should lose, he might never play this late in May ever again.
Game 6: Sat. May 29 at Phoenix, 8:30 PM ET on TNT
Game 7: Mon. May 31 at L.A. Lakers, 9:00 PM ET on TNT*
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Comments
Amar'e must have max contract type effort for Suns to win Game 6
Steve Nash was spectacular in Game 5, but they lost the game due to lack of rebounding from their bigs.
Lopez and Amar'e grabbed a combined total of SIX rebounds in that pivotal game. Suns won't win without a max contract effort from one, Amar'e Stoudemire.
Who wins tonight? Suns....or......Lakers?