GameTrax: Stats and more
By RANDY HILL
FOXSportsArizona.com
Feb. 24, 2011
PHOENIX � Before blowin' town on a six-game roadie, the Phoenix Suns threw a trade-deadline party for more than 18,000 of their favorite peeps.
For the record, the Suns weren't directly involved in any deals through Wednesday night. But a Western Conference landscape ruptured by deadline-related events could have an impact on their battle to secure a playoff spot.
Let's begin this roll call of roster shakes with the Atlanta Hawks, who showed up for the aforementioned US Airways gala without two rotation players (including starting point guard Mike Bibby) after making a five-player swap with the Washington Wizards. Bibby's absence probably didn't have much influence on the Suns' 105-97 triumph � Jamal Crawford usually eats the big fourth-quarter minutes, anyway � but the Hawks' temporarily short bench could have been slightly advantageous for the home team.
Now sitting at 28-27 and slowly closing on the teams directly above them in the standings, the Suns are hoping for goal-chasing assistance through various transactions. For example, with Deron Williams shipped to New Jersey by the Utah Jazz (who lost to the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday), a playoff drive has the potential to stall in Salt Lake City.
The Denver Nuggets certainly rallied on their first night without goner Carmelo Anthony, but holding off the Suns (among others) won't exactly be a hay ride for George Karl's fluid crew.
Now if some team could take Zach Randolph off the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies (who are 1-1 without the injured Rudy Gay), the home stretch of this trade deadline may be something the Suns really can celebrate.
For pep-rally perspective, let's go to Suns coach Alvin Gentry.
"As I said to our guys, we're approaching this like we're a college team and we're trying to get into the NCAA tournament," said Gentry, whose team has won 13 of its past 19 games (and seven of nine vs. winning teams). "We've got 27 games left, and we don't have a conference tournament, so we've got to have an at-large bid.
"The only way we're going to do that is to have a good enough record to do that. So that's the approach that we're taking."
By the time the Suns return to Phoenix, the NBA will be a week into its interpretation of March Madness. The trip begins Friday in Toronto, continues Sunday in Indianapolis and hits the midway point the following night in Jersey. Yeah, this three-game run might not seem all that nasty, but please note that the Raptors knocked off the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. And the Pacers are no fun to mess with now that Frank Vogel's sitting in the catbird seat. We certainly can't tell what the Suns might see from Williams and the Nets come Monday night in Newark.
By the way, the last half of the journey includes stops in Boston, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City.
"We know what we have ahead of us," Gentry said.
The game immediately behind them was a typically uneven NBA event.
With Channing Frye (a team-high 20) bagging 11 points in the opening quarter, the Suns held a 33-31 edge in a 12-minute segment defined as much by slick offensive execution as uninspired defense.
The second quarter was owned by the Phoenix bench, which outscored a combination of Atlanta subs and starters 53-40 until 3:09 before intermission.
That's when Steve Nash � the only starter to play in the second quarter � returned and helped the Suns finish the period with a 61-47 lead. The Suns' reserves � rotating like champs to help the helper, showing hard and recovering on ball screens and challenging shots � limited Atlanta to 16 second-quarter points on 29.4 percent shooting.
Unfortunately, the subs starting sinking when the fourth quarter began and the Hawks, trailing 80-71, mixed in a 1-2-2 formatted matchup zone. Goran Dragic, who looked patient and steady in the second quarter, had two quick turnovers, provoking a quick hook and a return for Nash.
"I don't think I had a choice," Gentry said.
OK, so Nash rescued the Suns and everyone was ducky, right? Well, not right away. Nash (13 points and 10 assists) had two turnovers in the Suns' first two possessions after his return. With the momentum gone, the Suns staggered until Joe Johnson (remember him?) knocked in a 3-pointer to tie the game 92-92 with 5:23 remaining. That was Johnson's only deep hit in a 5-for-13 shooting performance assisted by the defense of Grant Hill.
The Suns went on a game-saving 8-0 run that included two post-up baskets by Frye, who was working against two-guard Damien Wilkins because the Hawks were switching every ball screen.
When it was over, the Suns had four subs among their six double-digit scorers. Marcin Gortat posted another double-double (13 points and 12 rebounds), Jared Dudley contributed 17 points (including a two-handed, baseline flush), Hakim Warrick (who also was active on defense) had 10 and Mickael Pietrus (11) demonstrated why the Boston Celtics have been shopping in Phoenix for seemingly spare wings.
The Suns' stunt crew will need to play with more consistency to start the fourth quarter. In the past six losses, Phoenix � largely because of Nash's absence and a lack of patience by the subs � has scored 20 or fewer fourth-quarter points three times.
"That's the Jekyll and Hyde part of what the second unit has been," Gentry said.
