Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
NBA Playoffs: Suns down to last ray of hope
By Bob Baum, AP Sports Writer
Sunday, April 27, 2008 | No comments posted.
PHOENIX — Phoenix took away Tony Parker’s easy layups just like it wanted to. So he just made jump shot after jump shot after jump shot.
The smooth San Antonio point guard burned the Suns for a career-high 41 points along with 12 assists and the Spurs rolled to a 115-99 victory Friday night to take a 3-0 series lead.
This was supposed to be a spectacular first-round matchup of potential NBA champions. Instead, it’s been a Spurs smackdown, with Parker leading the way.
“They were backing off on the pick-and-rolls,” he said, “so I just took the shot, and it felt good tonight.”
Everything felt good for the defending NBA champions, who never trailed in winning their ninth consecutive playoff game and 13th of 14, dating to last season.
“We possibly played our best game of the year,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
San Antonio can complete the sweep on Sunday in Phoenix. No NBA team has come back from 0-3 to win a series.
It’s the first three-game losing streak for the Suns this season.
“They were almost perfect,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We didn’t play well, and I’ll take the blame for that, but you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They played great.”
Phoenix acquired Shaquille O’Neal to better match up with the Spurs, but the Suns are one loss away from being swept in a seven-game series for the first time since the Los Angeles Lakers did it to them in the 1988-89 Western Conference finals.
Tim Duncan added 23 points and 10 rebounds and Manu Ginobili scored 20 points in the Spurs’ fourth consecutive playoff road victory and ninth in their last 11.
But Parker did the most damage, often on the pick-and-roll that has flustered Phoenix all series. With three different defenders trying to stop him, he finished 17-of-26 from the field.
The ultra-quick Frenchman scored 26 points in Game 1 and 32 in Game 2.
“Tony has been very aggressive and just done a great job at both ends of the floor,” Popovich said. “He’s just been phenomenal. I don’t know what else to say about him.”
The Suns cut the lead to 13 points twice in the fourth quarter, the last on Raja Bell’s 3-pointer with 7:35 to play, but Parker countered with his first 3 of the game and the Suns were finished.
“We just played great. Sometimes that happens,” Parker said. “It just clicked tonight. We played great on defense and everybody made shots.”
The packed house in the Suns’ first home game of the playoffs booed Popovich’s “Hack-a-Shaq” tactics in the first half, but they turned on the home team when the Spurs took a 23-point lead on Ginobili’s 3-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
Amare Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead Phoenix, which was last swept in a series when Portland did it in a best-of-five matchup in 1998-99. Leandro Barbosa scored 20 points and O’Neal, who finished 9-for-17 from the free throw line, had 19. Steve Nash, defended ferociously by Bruce Bowen, had seven points on 3-of-8 shooting with nine assists.
Phoenix took big early leads in the first two games in San Antonio. The Spurs were in control of this one from the start.
San Antonio made 10 of its first 13 shots, including five of six jumpers by Parker. A 17-4 outburst capped by Parker’s 22-footer put the Spurs up 27-12.
Popovich went to the “Hack-a-Shaq” ploy, having Jacque Vaughn foul the big guy three straight times late in the first. O’Neal was called for crossing the free throw line on his first two tries, missed his next two, then made one of two.
Kurt Thomas, a surprise starter, converted a three-point play with .3 seconds left in the first quarter to put San Antonio up 33-19.
Barbosa scored 10 quick points as Phoenix cut the lead to 37-31 with 8:05 left in the half, but the Spurs scored the next seven points.
Popovich returned to purposely fouling O’Neal late in the second quarter after Brent Barry’s 3-pointer put San Antonio ahead 57-43 with 58 seconds left in the half.
O’Neal made three of four free throws, but Parker’s driving layup at the buzzer put the Spurs up 61-47.
Parker scored the first five points of the second half, including a three-point play that made it 66-47. Consecutive outside jumpers by Duncan put the Spurs up 70-50, and the boos began.
76ers 95, Pistons 75
PHILADELPHIA — Andre Miller scored 21 points and Philadelphia dominated Detroit in a 95-75 victory Friday night that gave the 76ers a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Samuel Dalembert had 22 points and 16 rebounds, and the Sixers led by as many as 24 points in their first home playoff game since 2005.
Richard Hamilton scored 23 points and Tayshaun Prince had 18 for the Pistons, who led the league with just 11 turnovers per game but committed 23, easily their season high. The 76ers scored 29 points off the turnovers and scored 40 points in the paint.
Philadelphia broke the game open in the third quarter, ending it with a 22-9 run.
Detroit missed 16 straight shots spanning the third and fourth quarters until the Pistons were credited with a basket on a goal tend by Dalembert.
Antonio McDyess — who left in the third quarter with a broken nose — Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups combined for 15 points for the Pistons.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Mavericks 97, Hornets 87
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki had 32 points, 19 rebounds and six assists and Dallas finally made New Orleans look like playoff novices, winning Game 3 to get right back into this series.
Chris Paul of the Hornets, the first player ever to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in his first two playoff games, finished with 16 points on 4-of-18 shooting. He still had 10 assists.
David West was 3-of-16 through three quarters. He wound up 6-of-20 with 14 points and his late surge helped New Orleans cut a 17-point deficit to 90-83 with 2 minutes left.
Jannero Pargo of New Orleans had 30 points, his most this season and most ever in a playoff game.
Jason Terry replaced Jerry Stackhouse in Dallas’ starting lineup and responded with 22 points and six assists but his biggest contribution was his defense on Paul.
The way he kept cutting off Paul’s first step early, the speedster seemed to lose his will to drive the lane, looking content running the offense from the 3-point line.
Game 4 is Sunday night in Dallas, where the Hornets haven’t won since January 1998.
The smooth San Antonio point guard burned the Suns for a career-high 41 points along with 12 assists and the Spurs rolled to a 115-99 victory Friday night to take a 3-0 series lead.
This was supposed to be a spectacular first-round matchup of potential NBA champions. Instead, it’s been a Spurs smackdown, with Parker leading the way.
“They were backing off on the pick-and-rolls,” he said, “so I just took the shot, and it felt good tonight.”
Everything felt good for the defending NBA champions, who never trailed in winning their ninth consecutive playoff game and 13th of 14, dating to last season.
“We possibly played our best game of the year,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
San Antonio can complete the sweep on Sunday in Phoenix. No NBA team has come back from 0-3 to win a series.
It’s the first three-game losing streak for the Suns this season.
“They were almost perfect,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We didn’t play well, and I’ll take the blame for that, but you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They played great.”
Phoenix acquired Shaquille O’Neal to better match up with the Spurs, but the Suns are one loss away from being swept in a seven-game series for the first time since the Los Angeles Lakers did it to them in the 1988-89 Western Conference finals.
Tim Duncan added 23 points and 10 rebounds and Manu Ginobili scored 20 points in the Spurs’ fourth consecutive playoff road victory and ninth in their last 11.
But Parker did the most damage, often on the pick-and-roll that has flustered Phoenix all series. With three different defenders trying to stop him, he finished 17-of-26 from the field.
The ultra-quick Frenchman scored 26 points in Game 1 and 32 in Game 2.
“Tony has been very aggressive and just done a great job at both ends of the floor,” Popovich said. “He’s just been phenomenal. I don’t know what else to say about him.”
The Suns cut the lead to 13 points twice in the fourth quarter, the last on Raja Bell’s 3-pointer with 7:35 to play, but Parker countered with his first 3 of the game and the Suns were finished.
“We just played great. Sometimes that happens,” Parker said. “It just clicked tonight. We played great on defense and everybody made shots.”
The packed house in the Suns’ first home game of the playoffs booed Popovich’s “Hack-a-Shaq” tactics in the first half, but they turned on the home team when the Spurs took a 23-point lead on Ginobili’s 3-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
Amare Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead Phoenix, which was last swept in a series when Portland did it in a best-of-five matchup in 1998-99. Leandro Barbosa scored 20 points and O’Neal, who finished 9-for-17 from the free throw line, had 19. Steve Nash, defended ferociously by Bruce Bowen, had seven points on 3-of-8 shooting with nine assists.
Phoenix took big early leads in the first two games in San Antonio. The Spurs were in control of this one from the start.
San Antonio made 10 of its first 13 shots, including five of six jumpers by Parker. A 17-4 outburst capped by Parker’s 22-footer put the Spurs up 27-12.
Popovich went to the “Hack-a-Shaq” ploy, having Jacque Vaughn foul the big guy three straight times late in the first. O’Neal was called for crossing the free throw line on his first two tries, missed his next two, then made one of two.
Kurt Thomas, a surprise starter, converted a three-point play with .3 seconds left in the first quarter to put San Antonio up 33-19.
Barbosa scored 10 quick points as Phoenix cut the lead to 37-31 with 8:05 left in the half, but the Spurs scored the next seven points.
Popovich returned to purposely fouling O’Neal late in the second quarter after Brent Barry’s 3-pointer put San Antonio ahead 57-43 with 58 seconds left in the half.
O’Neal made three of four free throws, but Parker’s driving layup at the buzzer put the Spurs up 61-47.
Parker scored the first five points of the second half, including a three-point play that made it 66-47. Consecutive outside jumpers by Duncan put the Spurs up 70-50, and the boos began.
76ers 95, Pistons 75
PHILADELPHIA — Andre Miller scored 21 points and Philadelphia dominated Detroit in a 95-75 victory Friday night that gave the 76ers a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Samuel Dalembert had 22 points and 16 rebounds, and the Sixers led by as many as 24 points in their first home playoff game since 2005.
Richard Hamilton scored 23 points and Tayshaun Prince had 18 for the Pistons, who led the league with just 11 turnovers per game but committed 23, easily their season high. The 76ers scored 29 points off the turnovers and scored 40 points in the paint.
Philadelphia broke the game open in the third quarter, ending it with a 22-9 run.
Detroit missed 16 straight shots spanning the third and fourth quarters until the Pistons were credited with a basket on a goal tend by Dalembert.
Antonio McDyess — who left in the third quarter with a broken nose — Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups combined for 15 points for the Pistons.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Mavericks 97, Hornets 87
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki had 32 points, 19 rebounds and six assists and Dallas finally made New Orleans look like playoff novices, winning Game 3 to get right back into this series.
Chris Paul of the Hornets, the first player ever to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in his first two playoff games, finished with 16 points on 4-of-18 shooting. He still had 10 assists.
David West was 3-of-16 through three quarters. He wound up 6-of-20 with 14 points and his late surge helped New Orleans cut a 17-point deficit to 90-83 with 2 minutes left.
Jannero Pargo of New Orleans had 30 points, his most this season and most ever in a playoff game.
Jason Terry replaced Jerry Stackhouse in Dallas’ starting lineup and responded with 22 points and six assists but his biggest contribution was his defense on Paul.
The way he kept cutting off Paul’s first step early, the speedster seemed to lose his will to drive the lane, looking content running the offense from the 3-point line.
Game 4 is Sunday night in Dallas, where the Hornets haven’t won since January 1998.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines