Its about time!

Suns win by 48 points 81-129 Record 26-20

This is the Suns that fans have been waiting all year to see. Too bad it had to go against a team that has now lost 9 of the last 10 games. From the start the Suns were running, rebounding, and shooting the lights out in Phoenix. This game is only big because this can be a good start for the team after having team meetings for the last couple days trying to figure out what direction they are going. From the look of this game, it looks like they are on the way up. The starters sat most of the 4th quarter so the bench could shine for a little bit and get in on some of that 48 point pie the Kings donated to the Suns. This ends a 3 game home losing streak and may have rejuvenated a team that is finding their place in the west.

Where is the Heart at?

Suns couldn't stop the surging Bulls 122-111 Record 25-20

When this game started, it was bad from the beginning whistle. The Suns just didn't come to play against the Bulls who are searching for some wins and confidence themselves. The scoring with the Suns were spread out pretty evenly with all starters scoring in double digits. The problem with this game is the lack of defense on the ball. The Bulls shot 24 more shots than the Suns and made 10 more buckets than the Suns also. Scoring 111 points is not bad, its the other teams that are scoring more than that against the Suns is the main issue.

Losing to free throws

An early playoff game 114-104 Record 25-19

How can a team that shoots more shots and made more shots lose by ten points at home? Free throws were the killer in this game with both teams not turning it over much at all. The Suns only turned it over 7 times and overall had a great game. The difference was that the Spurs made 18 more free throws than the Suns which made the difference. Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points and Grant hill chipped in 20 with both pulling down 10 rebounds each. Steve Nash had another remarkable game with 16 points and 18 assists. This game was close throughout and was very physical giving that playoff atmosphere to heat things up in these cold winter months. It just came down to free throws and the Spurs got to the line and shot and made much more than the Suns.

A good ending to a so so road trip

Suns beat Wizards 103-87 Record 25-18

The Suns controlled the game from beginning to end. Well actually Shaq was the main focal point in the game with 29 points 8 rebounds 2 assists and 3 blocks that put the Suns in the driver seat to get this easy victory on a team that has only won 9 games this year. Barbosa again with a great night with 23 points off the bench with Amare Stoudemire chipping in 22 points and 15 rebounds. The Suns went for their weakness right away and pounded down low with O'Neal taking two centers on that could not do anything about him. It really looked like the Shaq of a few years ago which gives Suns fans real hope that he has found some kind of fountain of youth to help this team get over that hump ( San Antonio) to make a real championship run, and with the Lakers actually being a good team again does not help the Suns to make that final push for the title. I am watching for the Suns to have a strong second half of the season to pump some fear into some of the hearts of the Western Conferences elite.

Work in progress

Suns win but not convincingly 104-99 Record 24-18

The Suns really needed a win and they barely got one in Atlanta. It was a pretty close game throughout and really came down to the wire like many of their games this season. Amare Stoudemire lead the Suns in points with 23 while Steve Nash had a good game as well with 14 points and 13 assists. The Suns pulled off a nice screen and roll with Nash and Stoudemire with about 26 seconds left that ended with foul on Stoudemire to seal it for the Suns. The Suns really need to buckle down, and with the season nearing its halfway point they need to stop turning the ball over so much. The turnover rate is rediculous, if what I have been seeing lately is whats to come its going to be a rough second half of the season. They should skip right through the Wizards to finally end their less than stellar perfermances on the road the past week.

The pain gets deeper

Suns lose 4 out of 5 109-114 Record 23-17

The Suns didn't really have a bad game, they just couldn't stop the Knicks from scoring baskets. Every player on the bench the Knicks played scored in double digits with Nate Robinson leading the way putting up 20. Three Suns starters scored atleast 20 points and Steve Nash ended up getting a remarkable 19 assists to one better the day he had against the Raptors getting 18 assists. The problem with this seemingly pretty good game overall for the Suns is letting New Yorks' bench put up 57 points. This is something I doubt the Knicks could repeat on a regular basis, but they just happened to do it to a team that is struggling to find its way now losing 4 of 5.

Total breakdown

What happened? 87-104 Record 23-16

From the start, this game was ugly, so so so ugly. The Suns acted like a college team playing against the Celtics today. 1 turnover after the next, missing shot after shot. Getting beat down by 30 by half time is just not acceptable for a Suns team that IS good. This is not a good way to show the league that they belong to be spoken about with the elite teams of the NBA. The Suns had a great game against Toronto last night, but could not find that same magic against the defending world champs. The only upside to this day is that Steve Nash is still perfect from the line making 54 in a row now. The high man for the Suns was Shaq with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Floor General

Suns get by Raptors 117-113 Record 23-15

Steve Nash lead the way for the Suns to seal up their victory over the short handed Raptors. Steve Nash controlled the game and the tempo of the offense throughout the whole game dishing out 18 assists, which is very Steve Nash like. Amare Stoudemire put up a game high 31 points while pulling down 6 rebounds. The rest of the team fared well, most of them getting into double digits in points. The two man wrecking crew of Barbosa and Barnes coming off the bench to do some damage outscoring the Raptor bench 33-14. If Nash can keep playing like the MVP Steve Nash, teams better start getting their umbrella's out because dimes are going to be dropping out of the sky.

2 close to lose

Suns lose at buzzer 105-103 Record 22-15

There were only 3 Suns players that played that were in double digits in points, Only two of those three are starters. The Suns played sloppy defense and their offense followed suit as they got beat by a team that should not have beaten them. How does a team that shoots 50 percent for the game lose to a team that shoots 43 percent? Simply the Suns were out rebounded and out hustled this game. The Suns got killed on the offensive board and just did not have it in them to want to win this game. Jason Richardson had a nice look in the corner to take the last shot for the win, but it should have never come to that. Shaq had a good game with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and even 4 assists. Leandro Barbosa ended up 22 as well off the bench and Amare Stoudemire had 19 points.

Suns lose tough one

Another game Suns should have won 113-119 Record 22-14

The Suns started out good like any other game but let the the Nuggets back in it throughout the game. If Chauncy Billups had the flu, he could have fooled me with the performance he had putting up 26 points and 5 in the over time period. Amare was in foul trouble pretty much all game, which led the bench to pick up the slack without Shaq in the line up as well. Steve Nash almost had a triple double with his 20 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds. Grant hill chipped in 25 points and 8 rebounds, and though Amare was in foul trouble he still managed to put up 21 points and 8 rebounds. This was a good game to watch, but when the Overtime period came, the Suns seemed to pack it up already, due to the lack of effort to take the win. As soon as the Nuggets got the lead, they never lost it.

Suns win 6 of last 7

Suns continue to win 102-107 Record 22-13

The Suns keep rolling as they beat the Hawks Tuesday night winning 6 out of 7 games. Shaq once again had a big night with 26 points and 10 boards dominate the game. Steve Nash had a big night as well putting up 23 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Leandro Barbosa continues to be a firecracker off the bench like he has been doing all his career in Phoenix putting up 22 points.
The Suns had control of the game from the go, but like the trend for the last few games, the Suns let their foe back into the game and had their big 19 point lead deminish, but only allowed Atlanta to take the lead once in the 3rd quarter. Since that point, the Suns maintained their composure and held on for the victory.If the Suns keep playing like this all year long, the west leading Lakers are going to have a lot to worry about.

Business as usual

Suns give Clippers 11th straight loss 109-103 Record 21-13

The Suns went into this game with a lot of momentum after giving a butt kicking to Dallas on Friday. Not that they needed it playing against the Clippers, but winning 5 out of the last 6 games is a good thing for the Suns right now. Shaq again was perfect from the line and the rest of the team chipped in and won this game fairly easily. Amare Stoudemire was in foul trouble but managed to put up 26 points and Jason Richardson adding 21 points. Steve Nash had a good night as well dishing out 12 assists and scoring 14 points. There was one point in the game where the Suns lost focus and gave up a 15 point lead, but then regained and closed out the game with a big free throw from Shaq and big plays down the stretch from Grant Hill who finished with 21 points as well.

Suns win big game vs Mavs

Big win vs Big D 100-128 Record 20-13

Now this is the Suns team that fans have been waiting to see. Shaq looked like the old Shaq, but in a good way. To add to his dominance scoring 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a couple of blocks, he was perfect from the line. (7 of 7) The Suns shot a blistering 62% from the field and put a well deserved beating on the Mavs on Friday night. 3 Suns players had atleast 20 points, with everyone that played atleast getting 1 bucket in this big time whoopin that the Suns gave to the Mavs free of charge. With the balance of defense and offense, the Suns looked really good and with everything working on all cylinders, opponets better not sleep on the Suns, they are a big threat in the West and in the NBA for that matter.

Suns lose close one at buzzer

Suns lose with buzzer beater 113-110 Record 19-13

The game started out ugly as the Suns shot horribly in the first quarter. By the time half time came around, the Suns have cut their deficit to only 4 points. Both teams continued to battle and with only 0.9 sec left, Danny Granger hit a 3 pointer to win to cap off his big night with 37 points. Shaq sat out this game due to back spasms which left the Suns a little soft in the paint. The Pacers exploited it and came up with some easy buckets. Amare Stoudemire lead the Suns with 23 points 11 rebounds 3 steals, with the rest of the starters having atleast 16 points. (with the exception of Lopez who is not a normal starter playing 5 min and scoring 2 points) This was a tough loss for the Suns being that they should have beat these guys off the jump. A win would have been nice to have going into a big game like the Suns are going to have against Dallas on Friday in Phoenix.

Suns keep improving

Suns looking good 98-106 Record 19-12

This game may not be a great test for the Suns, but a win is a win. The Suns led the whole game and really never had any problems with the 8-24 Clippers. 4 Suns starters had double digits in points with Amare Stoudemire leading the way with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The west better take another look at the best teams out here because the Suns have just made themselves a serious contender with the trade made earlier moving Boris Diaw and Raja Bell and gaining Jason Richardson. Shaq seems pretty committed to owning up to his words of bringing a championship to Phoenix by his play lately, or this year for that matter. As the Suns keep winning, the west will be watching.

Suns sign Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes signs a 1 year contract with Suns

Today, Matt Barnes is signed with the Suns, bringing some energy to the team. He is a flexible player that can play 3 positions and can run up and down the court with the best of them. The Warriors play a similar style of run and gun basketball that the Suns play, so this should be a good fit for them. Since Grant Hill will be playing mostly off the bench, this will enable Barnes to maybe start a few games and contribute more than he was able to do with the Warriors. His minutes should increase from the meager 19 or so a game that he is used to. So that means more points and rebounds for him as well. This is a good pick up in my opinion, because of how he would fit in this offense. Being able to play 3 positions may create problems and mismatches for other teams. He does not always need the ball, but is a good contributor when he does get it. Last year for the Warriors he averaged 6.7 points a game, 4.5 rebounds in only 19 minutes.

Suns draft Robin Lopez

Robin Lopez picked 15th overall

The 2008 draft was a very highly anticipated draft with the amount of talent that was coming out. So the Suns went with a big man with their first round pick and drafted Robin Lopez from Stanford University. He stands 7'0" tall and 255 pounds and lots of hair go around. This was a defensive move for the Suns as they really need help in this area seeing what happened to them in the playoffs and during the regular season for that matter last year. He averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks a game last year for Stanford. He is a young talent that could learn a lot from Shaq coming off the bench. The last time the Suns tried their luck with a big man was big Jake Tsakalidis who did not live up to the little bit of hype he got. Whats different this time, is that Robin Lopez has one of the best centers in the history of the game to learn from. Hopefully this will have the David Robinson, Tim Duncan effect that will bring the Suns some real toughness inside and make teams think twice about taking it to the hole. The 2nd pick the Suns aqcuired was Oregon University Alum Malik Hairston who in my opinion is a good player that can be molded into a really good NBA player. I personally watched quite a few Duck games and he showed a lot of skills and smarts for the game. I was pretty dissapointed to tell you the truth when the Suns shipped him to the Spurs for their draft pick Goran Dragic of Slovania. The Suns are clearly getting ready for Steve Nash to retire and get another point guard in there to take his place and learn from him. Also again this is a defensive move being that Goran is known for his defense and all around good play.

The Suns have a new coach

The new face of the Suns

Today, the Suns are about to sign if not already, Terry Porter. Steve Kerr has made his decision on the former Portland Trailblazer player, but recently was the assistant coach in Detroit. I really don't know how this is going to work out for the Suns, but out of the choices the Suns had, this was the best. It remains to be seen what kind of offense they will run and if the he can influence the team enough to play a little defense every now and then, but so far this pick in my opinion is not a bad one. He was a good player when he played, still holding a record in the NBA Finals with 15 free throws made and none missed in a single game and also still holds the Trail Blazers record for assists with 5,319. After playing briefly with a few teams after he left Portland, Porter retired and started coaching. He started with being an assistant coach in Sacramento before becoming the head coach for Milwaukee. After he was let go of the Bucks, he then become the assistant coach of the Pistons. Now that the Suns have signed him, there might still be hope for a great season next year with a Suns team poised and ready for a championship run.

to New York just like that?

Money talks

Mike D'Antoni the Suns now former head coach has decided to go with the horrible horrible New York Knicks. Apparently a possible championship was not enough to keep him in Phoenix, but more money to coach a team that has probably about another 5 years of rebuilding to do. When this was first reported, I blew it off thinking that Mike would be an idiot to go anywhere else right now. Sure enough, when it was all said and done, D'Antoni jumped ship and was eastern bound. There has been some speculation of the relationship between Kerr and D'Antoni not seeing eye to eye on what style of basketball the Suns should be playing, which I am sure had something to do with his departure. Now the Suns have a vacancy that many coaches would love to get into. Its not all the time that a coach can be set up with a team that is already championship ready. In the meantime all the Suns and fans will just have to sit back enjoy the summer and be ready for whats to come.

Time to go home

Free throws Free throws loss 87-92 series 1-4 Spurs win

The Suns played good defense this game and held the Spurs to 39 percent shooting from the field. Only this time the Suns shot themselves in the foot not making their free throws. The Suns shot a horrible 54 percent from the free throw line, due mainly to Shaq only making 9-20. On the other side of the floor, Parker lived at the free throw line making 13-16 with the team overall shooting 80 percent from the line. This was a game the Suns could have won, everyone in the starting lineup contributed decent numbers and it just came down to who made more free throws in the end. The Suns end the season with a lot of up and downs, but they remained consistent until the end of the season. This first round playoff exit hurts, its only a matter of time until the Suns get to those finals that have eluded them since the Barkley era.