Phoenix Suns Resigned To End Of Playoff Hopes, Lose To Mavericks 91-83

You can stick a fork in this season, it's over. The players aren't going to pretend that any playoff hope still live as the team lost its third game in four tries. The Suns vow to keep fighting and to be professional but there's no denying reality and this team is a lot of things, but delusional isn't one of them.

"It feels like it's over, just because we haven't played as well or won games so it's disappointing, but it's been disappointing all season," Steve Nash said after the game.

Nash, who is worn down and banged up at this point in the season -- as he's been at this point in the last three or four seasons -- couldn't find his shot tonight. He went 3-11 and had just six points but still managed to record 10 assists on a night when his team only shot 42.5 percent.

As a team, the Suns had a horrible shooting night from the field. They went just 1-16 from the three-point line. The one three point shot, credited to Vince Carter, is the fewest the team has made all season. Three times they had just three, threes in a game.

Add to that just 14-23 (.609) from the free throw line and the Suns gave themselves little chance even though the Mavericks, who played last night in Utah, were also cold. Dallas shot just 38.1 percent and thanks to solid defense from Grant Hill, Dirk Nowitzki went 6-19 on the night. 

While coach Alvin Gentry was proud of his team's effort and will stick with his new starting lineup, there's no getting over the fact that this season is going to end in disappointment. 

For Nash, the blame falls on the lack of continuity on the roster. Asked about his feelings on the new lineup that has Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat starting, Nash answered with a comment about theme of the season.

"Well, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. We start this lineup and we have a good first quarter but then we don't have Marcin coming off the bench or Jared (Dudley) coming off the bench.

"We're a team that's had so much change this year that I don't think we know where we are yet. We're still trying to learn who we are with all the new pieces. We have five guys left from last year. It's been hard to really get on a roll or momentum without commonality."

The Mavericks were led by three players with 16 points each: Jason Terry off the bench, along with Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler.

The Suns fall to 36-36 on the season with just 10 games remaining for this lottery-bound team. 

Vince Carter And Robin Lopez Benched, Marcin Gortat And Jared Dudley Now Starting

Alvin Gentry didn't beat around the bush today when asked about the changes to his starting lineup that were hinted at yesterday.

"I'm going to start Marcin and I'm going to start JD (Jared Dudley). How about that for a direct answer," Gentry said.

Here's everything Gentry had to say about the moves, including Vince Carter's reaction:

"JD's played well over a stretch of games. We'll stick him out there as starter and see if that gets us off to a better start, see if we can finish quarters."

"Obviously, Marcin has been playing starters' minutes anyway. This way he can probably get more rest in between long stretches then playing him off the bench. When we play him off the bench he's basically playing the last 17 or 18 minutes of the first and second quarters. This way, I think we can break it up a little bit more and give him an opportunity (to rest), and even in the third and fourth quarters he can find a way to get a little rest where he's not playing 16, 17 consecutive minutes."

"I don't think it's a reflection on (how Vince and Robin have played). As a team, we've been inconsistent. It hasn't been one guy, it hasn't been two guys. Marcin, I put in the lineup because he can give us some additional scoring early in the game and see what happens and JD's played well and pretty consistent."

"I'm sure that (Carter) is disappointed. I'm glad that he's disappointed. I would be disappointed if he weren't disappointed but it's just something that we want to take a look at. He's understanding of it, I don't think he's real happy about it."

Gentry said that Carter will come off the bench and play. Carter has started 907 of 915 games in his NBA career.

Phoenix Suns Schedule: Dallas Mavericks In Town For Not-Must-Win Game

Well, that's about all she wrote. After losing to the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night, the Phoenix Suns now find themselves in a hole so deep that it would take a really big ladder to get out of. Or maybe a really, really, long rope. Possible even some kind of Chilean mine rescue drill capsule thing. The eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies (40-33) are seven games over .500 with nine games remaining. The Suns (36-35) are one game over .500 with eleven games remaining and the 38-34 Houston Rockets (9th seed) stand between the Suns and the Grizzlies.

The team, however, vows to keep on fighting like baby Jessica in the bottom of a deep Texas well (link included for those under 30).

"There's no reason for us not to play hard and not to compete because that's what we get paid to do. No, we're not taking any days off and we'll find guys that play hard and compete," Alvin Gentry said.

The Suns, in an effort that Gentry hopes will help the team's energy, will start Marcin Gortat in place of Robin Lopez and Jared Dudley in place of Vince Carter.

Gortat broke his nose in Friday's game against the Hornets but will play tonight with tape on the nose. He will not wear a mask which means a blow to the nose could put him in the hospital. 

"He'll go. He's just got a broken nose," Gentry said, "Steve (Nash) has played for the last three years with a broken nose. Around here, it's not that big a deal. It's a badge of honor as a matter of fact."

Forward Mickael Pietrus did not practice again today as a result of a quad strain and is doubtful for tonight's game. He declined to answer questions from the media after practice.

The game tips at 7:30 p.m. local time on Fox Sports Arizona and ESPN and will be broadcast on Sports 620 radio. Fans can follow along during the game with other Suns fans at the live game thread at Bright Side of the Sun.