Some PtRers lost faith during the last Game Thread. Negativity was rampant, and bad attitudes prevailed. To help combat these problems tonight, I give you perhaps the finest inspirational speech known to mankind:
 San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns Where: US Airways Center - Phoenix, AZ When: May 5, 2010, 8:00 PM Spurs time Watch: TNT
How They Stack Up
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Matchups
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 George Hill |
Point Guard Poor George. You look overwhelmed most of the game. I'm banking on you being a much better defender this game. Also, be aggressive on the offensive end. Demand the ball. Nash torched us in the 1st. It was embarrassing. And we didn't go at him enough on the offensive end. I don't think we can totally shut down the Canadian, but it would be nice if we made him work harder. Advantage: Suns |
 Steve Nash |
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 Manu Ginobili |
Shooting Guard Manu, your boxscore line looks good, but I think you chucked too many bad shots from behind the arc. JRich continued his good play from the Blazers series. Many of his points came in transition though. I think the Spurs will do a better job defending him tonight. Advantage: Tied |
 Jason Richardson |
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 Richard Jefferson |
Small Forward PtRers have complained that RJ didn't score enough. Well, he didn't touch the ball enough. We need to force feed him in the 1st, to take advantage of the matchup and to better space the floor. Grant Hill played some decent defense, but I didn't notice him much on the offensive end. Advantage: Tied |
 Grant Hill |
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 Tim Duncan |
Power Forward Timmeh looked old at moments in the 1st quarter, but still had 20 and 11. He needs to provide a little more help on the pick and rolls. And Timmeh really needs to hit FTs. He shooting worse from the line than from the field. Amare played well, not forcing anything. I wouldn't mind if he became a little more selfish tonight. Advantage: Tied |
 A'm'a'r'e Stoudemire |
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 Antonio McDyess |
Center Dice needs more minutes to provide rebounding and defense. I have absolutely no idea why Collins even plays. Advantage: Spurs |
 Jarron Collins |
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 Tony Parker |
Bench & Role Players Monday we learned that Bogans should play more in this series, and Mason should play none. And even though Matty played with a lot of energy, he really needs to start hitting 3s. Frye hit some timely 3 pointers, and the rest of the bench provided energy and a defensive spark. Advantage: Tied |
 Leandro Barbosa |
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 Gregg Popovich |
Coach Pop showed he still knows what he's doing with the adjustments he made throughout the last game. But we should still fire him. For a first-time playoff coach, Gentry has done a good job. But he doesn't have his own winery. Advantage: Spurs |
 Alvin Gentry |
| images via yahoo.com | ||
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Other Factors
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Intangibles |
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The Suns, and their fans, got a boost of confidence by winning Game 1. Advantage: Suns |
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Mojo |
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The mojo seems to be a little trickier this series. Don't break Rule #1, and we'll figure the rest out as we go along. Advantage: Spurs? |
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Winner: |
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I still think the Spurs steal one in Phoenix, but I'm anticipating a close game. |
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Keys To The Game
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Last Time They MetI don't think we really need to revisit our loss on Monday at this point. But if you feel the need, here's the Recap for you masochists. |
Strength of Schedule
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Some Other ReadingSunsBright Side of the Sun - These guys are our SBN siblings for Phoenix, and they do a phenomenal job. Valley of the Suns - Here's the TrueHoop blog dedicated to the Suns. These other teams' THN blogs seem to be getting better over time, which is a very encouraging sign. Worth the read. Spurs48 Minutes of Hell: Speaking of THN blogs, Tim, Graydon, Jessie and Andrew are still the best. |
Where to Tune InTVThis game will be on TNT, but for those who don't have access, you might want to read on below... OnlineAs always, NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. You know, when we're not at the games. Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to poundingtherockmail@yahoo.com for more assistance. Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year, so check it out. RadioIf you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM). |