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Poor 4th Quarter Defense Dooms Suns, Lose 96-102 To Warriors

2012-02-14T06:13:57Z

The Phoenix Suns cooled off Monday night as they fell 96-102 to the Golden State Warriors. The Suns have now lost two of their last three games and fall to 12-16 on the season. Marcin Gortat led the Suns with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Considering the history of the two teams, the game was relatively low scoring as the Warriors shot 45.3% from the field and the Suns shot 46.3%. Phoenix led by seven after the first quarter and by four at halftime but Golden State continued to chip away in the second half.

David Lee led the way for the Warriors with 28 points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors' bench contributed with 28 points including Nate Robinson with 11 and Klay Thompson with 10.

The Suns could not get a stop in crunch time. According to a tweet from Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, Phoenix at one point in the fourth quarter had two defensive stops in 22 Warrior possessions. The Warriors got crucial shots from Robinson and Ekpe Udoh to help seal the game.

Late in the fourth, the Suns pulled within three but after a missed three-point field goal from Jared Dudley, Golden State opened the lead up and never looked back. Phoenix shot 5-25 from three point land.

Tonight began a brutal stretch for the Suns which sees them play the dreaded three games in three days. A feat new to teams because of the shorten seasoned. Tomorrow the Suns visit Denver before a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at U.S. Airways Center.

SI Swimsuit Issue 2012: Kate Upton On The Cover

2012-02-14T04:35:05Z

Kate Upton was introduced as the cover model for the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue during CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman in New York City Monday night.

View the cover here or after the jump.

Photograph by Walter Iooss Jr.

SI also unveiled a billboard of Upton and her cover in Manhattan across from the Ed Sullivan Theatre. Upton and 9 other models presented "Top Ten Reasons This Year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Is the Best One Ever" during the show.

Those other models include Julie Henderson, Jessica Gomes, Ariel Meredith, Alyssa Miller, Chrissy Teigen, Genevieve Morton, Izabel Goulart, Jessica Perez and last-year's cover model Irina Shayk.

Not present but included in the issue is Alex Morgan, who posed while covered in paint.

Photograph by Stewart Shining

The 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue features 18 models and 6 athletes and is estimated to be read by 70 million adults or one in every three American adults.

Interesting in finding out where to get some of the swimsuits featured? Here in Seattle you can visit Heidi Fish at 4519 California Ave SW.

See more of Kate Upton and Alex Morgan at SI Swimsuit 2012.

NBA Power Rankings: Phoenix Suns Rise To No. 21

2012-02-13T23:43:04Z

The Phoenix Suns played four games this week, and did fairly well for themselves. Phoenix had their most impressive win when they beat the Atlanta Hawks, and also beating two mediocre teams in the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks. Their lone loss was to the Houston Rockets, who are a solid team in their own right.

Marc Stein released his latest NBA Power Rankings, and the Suns did get a little credit for their performance from last week. Phoenix moved up from 24th to 21st after winning three of the last four contests.

Although I've learned over the years to tune out The Chuckster's TNT proclamations, it ain't easy to let his Nash rant slide. Unworthy for All-Star selection? Say what? The 38-year-old is averaging 15-and-10 and shooting .563 from the floor. Why does Chuck think Phoenix is anywhere near .500?

Interestingly, Phoenix won all three of their road contests and lost their only home game. Strange week, but it's been good enough to rise them a little up. The Suns do have a tough stretch this week to hold it though, as they play three games in three nights and have a home-and-away with the hated Lakers.

To talk about the Suns, head on over to Bright Side of the Sun.

Pac-12 Studios Break Ground In San Francisco

2012-02-13T22:09:59Z

The Pac-12 studios have been a work in progress the past few years ever since Larry Scott became commissioner. Scott has wanted a network to become the main distributor of the conference and showcase the best of the West to the rest of the country.

The conference took the first step this afternoon to putting together a network for the Pac-12 to follow. Here are the quotes from the latest press release.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF. – Pac-12 Enterprises, the diversified and
integrated content and media company of the Pac-12 Conference, has
officially begun construction on the Pac-12 Studios, it’s soon-to-be
headquarters in downtown San Francisco, it was announced today. The
project is scheduled to be completed in the summer.

Located at 370 Third Street in the technology-rich SOMA district, the
Pac-12 Studios will serve as the headquarters and operations hub for
the new Pac-12 Networks, the Pac-12 Digital Network and Pac-12
Properties, the sponsorship, licensing and events management arm for
the Conference. The new venture will bring more than 100 new jobs to
San Francisco this year.

“This represents another groundbreaking moment for a Conference that
is steeped in tradition and history and has enjoyed more success than
any collegiate conference in the country,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry
Scott said. “There may be concrete at our feet, but the foundation for
the Pac-12 Studios is being built on the success and excellence of our
programs and our dynamic student-athletes. We love the vibrancy of
being in San Francisco and believe it will be very conducive to the
environment we envision. It’s very exciting.”

“San Francisco is a perfect intersection of sports, entertainment and
technology, and I am thrilled by the Pac-12 decision to base their
operations here, demonstrating once again that San Francisco is
attracting an incredible mix of talent and industry from across the
nation,” San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee said. “Pac-12 Enterprises
will not only have access to the best and brightest creative talent
for their staff here but they will also tap into the City’s innovative
culture and entrepreneurial spirit as they grow their media company
and innovate their business model.”

The Pac-12 Network is on its way, and should be ready to go by this fall.

To talk about the Pac-12 in general, go to Pacific Takes.

Phoenix Suns Player Thermometer, Week 7: Jared Dudley, Channing Frye Heat Up

2012-02-13T21:00:33Z

It was a promising week in Phoenix, as the hometown squad went 3-1 (although the competition wasn't spectacular, and they avoided Jeremy Lin altogether). Outside of the actual wins, it was good to see Channing Frye and Jared Dudley make their presences known. It wasn't quite as nice to see Gortat's play drop off, but he's shown he's a consistent player, so we'll forgive this little blip. The key for the team this week was finding their offensive touch again. You have to give this team credit: they do seem to play effective defense most of the time; so when they score, it gives them a good chance to win.

Here are this week's player rankings, with their previous week's rank in parentheses.

1. Steve Nash (1): The Suns went 3-1 and Nash was a major reason why. Nash posted double-digit assists in all four games this week, averaging 12.5 dimes a game this week. Although Nash only had four points against the Kings, he still averaged 15 points this week.

2. Channing Frye (10): Channing had, by far, his best week of the season. He exploded for 17.8 points and six rebounds in four games, including nabbing 21/10 in a losing effort against Houston. He's still inconsistent (zero rebounds in 27 minutes against the Kings??), but his production is on the uptick. Frye doesn't need to be the team's second-best player, but he needs to keep up his shooting percentages.

3. Jared Dudley (3): Both Channing Frye and Jared Dudley found their shooting touch this week. The Junkyard Dog shot a scorching 63 percent from the floor in four games this year after coming back injury. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in the win against the Kings, and averaged 14.3 points in the other three. The Suns are a decent team when all of their core players are contributing.

4. Marcin Gortat (2): Marcin had one of his worst statistical games (against the Hawks, with eight points and nine rebounds) and one in which he looked just not quite right (against Houston). He also had two very good games, including a 15-point, seven-rebound, and four-block performance against the Kings, all while getting a little bit inside the head of DeMarcus Cousins. On the downside, he had his streak of consecutive games with a block ended in Milwaukee.

5. Michael Redd (6): Redd had his most productive week as a member of the Suns last week. Redd averaged 11 points in four games played and averaged over 19 minutes a game. Redd was 7-14 from the field against Milwaukee, and he will likely continue to see an increase in his minutes this week.

6. Grant Hill (4): Hill's week was a mixed bag. He had two solid games sandwiched by two ""meh"" games. In a way, Hill's at least been consistent in not quite being the same player he has been for the Suns the past few years. Overall, his averages are way down across the board, but he still finds ways to help the team.

7. Markieff Morris (5): Markieff definitely seems more comfortable back to playing a bench role. Though most of his week wasn't notable, he came through with 18 points, six rebounds, and three blocks to help the Suns topple the Kings. The key for coach Gentry will be finding what makes Morris tick and putting one of the team's most talented players in a position to contribute every night.

8. Josh Childress (8): After having perhaps his best stretch as a Phoenix Sun, Josh Childress sort of disappeared again. His playing time was pretty consistent (except against the Kings), but outside of a 12-rebound carom-splosion against Milwaukee, he's been unproductive.

9. Robin Lopez (12): Lopez disappeared this week. He only played 11 and 13 minutes in the first two games of the week, but they were effective minutes ( six points, five boards and six points, two boards). After that, he went scoreless the next two games, playing only a total of 13 minutes.

10. Sebastian Telfair (9): Telfair had nine points, three rebounds and three assists against Atlanta. However, Telfair did not score a point the rest of the week, he did have four assists in seven minutes against Sacramento.

11. Ronnie Price (11): Had it not been for a Steve Nash bloody lip, Price would have been invisible. He had a DNP, and in two other games, he played a combined six minutes. Against Sacramento, he scored six points in 13 minutes on 3-3 shooting. His playing time has effectively been taken away by Sebastian Telfair and Michael Redd.

12. Shannon Brown (7): Shannon's week is easily summed up as follows: DNP-CD.

13. Hakim Warrick (13): Warrick has found himself out of the rotation and did not see action in any game last week.

Phoenix Mercury's Diana Taurasi and Candice Dupree Among 21 Finalists For U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team

2012-02-13T20:22:16Z

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and forward Candice Dupree are among a field of 21 finalists to be chosen to represent the U.S. as a part of the U.S. Women's Olympic basketball team this summer.

"Now that we're down to 21 finalists, you look around and you see a group of players that have tremendous experience," said Geno Auriemma, the USA National Team and University of Connecticut head coach. "(We have) players that have won (Olympic) gold medals, won World Championships, there are WNBA champions on the list, players that have won in Europe in international competition. You've got a group of players that have experienced everything there is to experience and as a coach, as someone who's been around these players, I couldn't be happier with this group. They represent the best of what the United States has to offer."

Taurasi joins the Seattle Storm's Sue Bird and Indian Fever's Tamika Catchings as the only finalists who were also on the Gold medal-winning teams in 2004 and 2008. Dupree and Taurasi were both on the 2010 World Championship Team.

For the full list of finalists and more on the U.S. Women's basketball team, click here.

Phoenix Suns Cool Off, Fall To Golden State 96-102

2012-02-13T20:05:20Z

The Phoenix Suns (12-15) have won four of their last five games thanks mostly to improved and consistent effort and energy and healthy dose of clean shooting from role players Channing Frye and Jared Dudley. The lack of scoring production from Dudley and Frye was a key feature in the Suns early season offensive struggles.

With Dudley and Frye playing up to their historic norms, the Phoenix Suns are talented enough to beat the likes of the Charlotte Bobcats and Sacramento Kings. They should also be good enough to beat the Golden State Warriors (10-14) in the first game of three in three days. With the Denver Nuggets Tuesday and the Atlanta Hawks back home on Wednesday, this stretch won't get any easier.

Projected Lineups:

Point guard: Steve Nash --- Stephen Curry
Shooting guard: Jared Dudley -- Monta Ellis
Small forward: Grant Hill -- Dorell Wright
Power forward: Channing Frye -- David Lee
Center: Marcin Gortat -- Andris Biedrins
Key subs: Suns (Markieff Morris, Michael Redd, Ronnie Price, Shannon Brown,Hakim Warrick). Warriors (Ekpe Udoh, Brandon Rush, Klay Thompson, Nate Robinson)

TV broadcast info:

The Suns game tips off at 8:30 p.m. Arizona time on Fox Sports Arizona. Arizona Sports 620 radio. Bright Side of the Sun will have the live game thread.

The Dreaded Back-To-Back-To-Back; Reason For The Phoenix Suns To Worry? - Bright Side Of The Sun
One of the more taxing byproducts of the shortened, compressed 2011/2012 NBA season are the back-to-back-to-back games that every NBA team must face on at least one occasion this year, along with some teams, like the Phoenix Suns, who are scheduled to to play two sets of them.

So what can we expect from the Suns' first back-to-back-to-back series of games? How have other teams who have already played three-straight games responded?

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Phoenix Suns Vs. Golden State Warriors: TV Schedule, Lineups, And More

2012-02-13T20:03:29Z

Projected Lineups:

Point guard: Steve Nash --- Stephen Curry
Shooting guard: Jared Dudley -- Monta Ellis
Small forward: Grant Hill -- Dorell Wright
Power forward: Channing Frye -- David Lee
Center: Marcin Gortat -- Andris Biedrins
Key subs: Suns (Markieff Morris, Michael Redd, Ronnie Price, Shannon Brown,Hakim Warrick). Warriors (Ekpe Udoh, Brandon Rush, Klay Thompson, Nate Robinson)

TV broadcast info:

The Suns game tips off at 8:30 p.m. Arizona time on Fox Sports Arizona. Arizona Sports 620 radio. Bright Side of the Sun will have the live game thread.

The Dreaded Back-To-Back-To-Back; Reason For The Phoenix Suns To Worry? - Bright Side Of The Sun
One of the more taxing byproducts of the shortened, compressed 2011/2012 NBA season are the back-to-back-to-back games that every NBA team must face on at least one occasion this year, along with some teams, like the Phoenix Suns, who are scheduled to to play two sets of them.

So what can we expect from the Suns' first back-to-back-to-back series of games? How have other teams who have already played three-straight games responded?

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.