SB Nation Arizona - Suns Beat Rockets Despite Getting Killed On The Glasshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2010-11-22T21:47:12-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15939152010-11-22T21:47:12-07:002010-11-22T21:47:12-07:00Phoenix Suns Weaknesses Exposed In Win Over Houston Rockets, 123-116
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<p>The <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> got the win in Houston over the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> because they are a talented team filled with quality players. They shot the ball well from range (.538 3P%) and they got to the free throw line and converted the attempts (32-38). This is a veteran team that was desperate for a win to avoid coming home from the four-game road trip with nothing and they played well and they played hard. But this was anything but an encouraging victory for the Suns.</p>
<p>The Rockets were 24th in the league in rebounding differential (-2.08), but came away with a 51-33 total rebounds advantage and were plus 17 in second chance points. This was in large part due to the small lineups the Suns played, which worked in the first half of the game against Chuck Hayes and Luis Scola. In the second half, Rockets Coach <span>Rick Adelman</span> played Brad Miller and Jordan Hill more and they simply dominated the Suns in the paint to the tune of 40 points in the fourth quarter, 59.6 percent shooting in the second half, and a 62-42 overall margin in points in the paint. </p>
<p>The Suns were able to get away with playing Josh Childress big minutes at the power forward position or Hakim Warrick at center because the Rockets front line without Yao Ming isn't extremely talented. Against better teams, the Suns will not be able to play so much small ball, which is going to force Coach <span>Alvin Gentry</span> into playing his lesser skilled bigs, Garret Siler and Earl Barron. That's something he obviously would prefer not to have to do.</p>
<p>The Suns, in the first half of the game, were effective defensively using switches against the Rockets' smaller lineup. Without a dominant point guard to manage the attack, Houston simply didn't have the players needed to move the ball and take advantage of the mismatches the switching created. In the second half, when the Rockets went bigger, it took away the Suns' ability to switch as much and put too much pressure on the undersized interior defenders. </p>
<p>Credit the Suns for playing hard and determined basketball. This team has character and they are not going to let a three-game losing streak get them too down. They will find a way to fight and there will be games they win simply on the sheer will and brilliance of their star players. Tonight was one of those games.</p>
<p>Grant Hill was incredible again, with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He is playing the role of emotional floor leader for the Suns by setting an example for the younger players and refusing to give them an excuse not to play hard.</p>
<p>Steve Nash, who originally was going to miss the game to give his groin injury more time to recover, declared himself fit 45 minutes for before tip and played like the MVP he is. 24 points on 8-14 shooting, along with nine assists, lifted his team and offensively created the confidence and rhythm lacking in his absence. </p>
<p>It was the first half defense that really fueled the Suns' transition game, however, with the Rockets missing on 21 of their 53 attempts, which gave the Suns opportunities to rebound and run. When Houston started making shots in the second half, it slowed the Suns down, as evidenced by the 15 fast break points before the half and only three after.</p>
<p>It was a good road win for the Suns, but one that continued to show the Suns' extreme weakness on the glass. They can't be a good defensive team if they don't secure the rebound and right now, without Robin Lopez in the lineup and playing at a high level, they don't have the quality depth of big men to do anything but try and win via the track meet, hot shooting style of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. It's a formula that worked in its first few years when the NBA wasn't ready for it, but the league is much more talented now and much more prepared to play against a small, high-tempo-oriented team.</p>
<p>Though it was a win, it's not a sustainable way to be successful in the NBA. Unfortunately, with Lopez out for several more weeks and of unknown fitness when he returns, there just aren't any good options.</p>
<p>The Suns now return home to face the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bulls</a> (7-4) on Wednesday and then the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> (1-13) on Friday in their first match-up against one of the the league's bottom feeders.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2010/11/22/1831455/phoenix-suns-weaknesses-exposed-in-win-over-houston-rockets-score-123-116Seth Pollack2010-11-22T10:32:49-07:002010-11-22T10:32:49-07:00Phoenix Suns Stagger Into Houston To Face Disappointing Rockets
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<p>The <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> are not a happy team right now. After getting blown out on the Florida back-to-back games with the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Heat</a> and <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orlando Magic</a>, the Suns needed a win against the Charlotte <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats" class="sbn-auto-link">Bobcats</a> on Saturday night. That didn't happen and the reason was pretty clear, <a href="http://www.nba.com/suns/news/quotes_101120.html" target="_blank">according </a>to one of the few Suns players who did show up, <span>Grant Hill</span>.</p>
<p>"Obviously, with our quarterback (<span>Steve Nash</span>) out, it certainly creates some challenges, but we've just got to play hard. We've got to compete and give effort. If you make mental mistakes, that'll happen. But we just didn't play as hard as we should -- especially for a team that needed a win," Hill said.</p>
<p>The margin of error for this Phoenix Suns team is small. With two starters (Steve Nash and <span>Robin Lopez</span>) out of the lineup, that margin becomes razor thin. The team might get a pass under those difficult circumstances if they played hard and lost, but what you can't have is lack of effort on the defensive end.</p>
<p>"I'm disappointed. We can't use the fact that Steve (Nash) is out as an excuse; we still have 12 guys on our team that have to play. We didn't do what we were supposed to do. When you are an NBA team and you play like we did, you are going to lose and we did," Coach <span>Alvin Gentry</span> said after the game.</p>
<p>No excuses. Disappointed. Play hard. Compete and give effort. Those are things that the Phoenix Suns absolutely can't afford not to do and there's no faster way to lose a fan base than to play like that.</p>
<p>Tonight, the Suns get a chance at redemption against the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> (3-9). The Rockets were picked by many preseason prognosticators to do very well this season, but for whatever reason, those pundits assumed that <span>Yao Ming</span> would somehow stay on the court. He's only been able to play more than 60 games in four out of his eight NBA seasons and now he's out again with yet another foot injury.</p>
<p>The Rockets are also without starting point guard <span>Aaron Brooks,</span> who is out four-to-six weeks with an ankle injury. </p>
<p>Without Yao, who played five times this season, the Rockets' only three wins came over teams with a combined 15-24 record (<a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Timberwolves</a>, <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Knicks</a>, <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pacers</a>). But they are well-rested, having last played Friday (loss to Toronto) and, at home, should feel confident about their chances against the Suns with the way Phoenix has been playing.</p>
<p>The key to the Rockets is stopping their two big scoring threats, <span>Luis Scola</span> and <span>Kevin Martin</span>. With Ming and Brooks out, those are the only two Houston players averaging double figures scoring. Veteran center <span>Brad Miller</span> and fourth-year point guard <span>Kyle Lowry</span> will likely start in place of Ming and Brooks.</p>
<p>The Suns may get a lift with the return of their leader, Steve Nash. He reportedly is feeling better and will be a game time decision. Backup <span>Goran Dragic</span> played well against the Bobcats (17 points, 10 assists), but the team struggled mightily when he was on the bench and the playmaking was shared by <span>Jared Dudley</span>, Grant Hill and <span>Hedo Turkoglu</span>.</p>
<p>Nash or not, the Suns need to pick up their defensive intensity and effort and finish their four-game road trip with at least one win.</p>
<p><i>Bright Side of the Suns looks at just how </i><a href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2010/11/22/1829067/suns-look-to-snuff-out-the-rockets" target="_blank"><i>bad the Suns rebounding and defense</i></a><i> are this season.</i></p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2010/11/22/2324876/phoenix-suns-stagger-into-houston-to-face-disappointing-rocketsSeth Pollack