SB Nation Arizona - Suns Start A New Slump, Blow Late Lead To Kingshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2011-01-02T22:06:53-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/16729892011-01-02T22:06:53-07:002011-01-02T22:06:53-07:00Phoenix Suns Cold Shooting, Poor Rebounding Allows Kings To Steal Game Late
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<p>The Phoenix Suns never really great in this game but were able to take a comfortable 12-point lead into the final six minutes of the game but couldn't get the late stops, key rebounds or big buckets needed to win on the road even against the team with the league's worst record, the Sacramento Kings. The Suns renewed focus on defense paid off as they held the Kings to just 40.5 percent shooting but Sacramento's 60 rebounds, 18 offensive, were too much for the Suns to overcome as they fell to the Kings 94-89 and dropped back to four games under .500.</p>
<p>The Suns will have to evaluate the decision to play a small lineup with Grant Hill at the power forward position. It was a formula that worked well against the Detroit Pistons but Hill was simply over-matched in the paint by Carl Landry (12 rebounds) and Jason Thompson (6 rebounds). With Channing Frye moved to the bench to help that unit play better, the options at power forward are limited to the defensively-challenged Hakim Warrick or a big lineup with Robin Lopez and Marcin Gortat playing together which would clog the lane for Steve Nash.</p>
<p>The Suns still would have been fine had at least one other shooter been able to hit their shots. Grant Hill, Mickael Pietrus, Jared Dudley and Channing Frye all combined for 10-40 shooting for the game. Vince Carter was an inefficient 7-17 and other than a few threes didn't look good. Only Steve Nash (8-8) and Marcin Gortat (6-10) were able to get anything going offensively against the Kings and that was taken away by a late pack-the-paint defense from Sacramento.</p>
<p>Sacramento's late 19-2 run was fueled 13 fourth-quarter points from DeMarcus Cousins and two huge threes from Omri Casspi. Cousins finished the game with 28 points against the defense of Marcin Gortat and to a lesser degree, Robin Lopez. </p>
<p>The Suns are off the next two days and will undoubtedly be back on the practice court searching for answers before facing the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Wednesday. </p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2011/1/2/1910334/phoenix-suns-cold-shooting-poor-rebounding-allows-kings-to-steal-gameSeth Pollack2011-01-02T11:04:44-07:002011-01-02T11:04:44-07:00Garret Siler Assigned To D-League Iowa Energy By Suns
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> have been working hard with <span>Garret Siler</span> to improve his fitness and overall game play. It is next to impossible however, for Siler to show any of that in live <span class="caps">NBA</span> action now that the Suns have a healthy <span>Robin Lopez</span> and <span>Marcin Gortat</span> on the roster.</p>
<p>By going to the Iowa Energy, Siler will get the chance to play significant minutes as he splits time at center with <span>Courtney Sims</span>. The Energy, under Head Coach Nick Nurse, have an impressive 11-5 record.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2011/1/2/1909072/garret-siler-assigned-to-d-league-iowa-energy-by-sunsSeth Pollack2011-01-02T10:42:06-07:002011-01-02T10:42:06-07:00Phoenix Suns Slump Busting Continues Vs. Sacramento Kings
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<p>The term made famous by former baseball player Mark Grace was "slump buster". What Grace was <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slump%20buster" target="_blank">talking about</a> doesn't technically apply to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> but there's also a direct correlation between his phrase and what the Suns are hoping to do again today when they "hook up" with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Sacramento Kings</a>.</p>
<p>The four-game losing slump was officially busted on New Year's Eve thanks to a defensive performance that was full of verve and vigor and in true slump busting fashion took it's aggression out on an otherwise unfortunate partner. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Pistons</a> on most days aren't a very good basketball team but on Friday they were even worse without the services of their top scorer and ball handler, Rodney Stuckey. Rip Hamilton's inability to drop the basketball and have it hit the floor helped as well.</p>
<p>The Kings present a similar opportunity for the Suns reinforce the busted slump and get right before coming home for some more intriguing dates with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> (Wednesday) followed by the triumphant return of <span>Amare Stoudemire</span> and Mike D'Antoni who's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> (Friday) are four games over .500.</p>
<p>Sacramento sports the worst record in the league (6-24) and it took a miracle <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP2dvmEUvJ8" target="_blank">half court buzzer beating shot </a>last week to even get their sixth win. They are a team that has some nice young pieces and a decent enough roster so it's a mystery why Suns legend <span>Paul Westphal</span> hasn't been able to get his team to work together.</p>
<p>They have suffered some setbacks, to be fair. <span>Tyreke Evans</span> has battled with plantar fasciitis and missed a couple of games and has seen his scoring and productivity dip after his Rookie of the Year season in 2009-10. This year's rookie stud, <span>DeMarcus Cousins</span> has put up decent numbers (11.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg) but has had his run-ins with the coaching staff and demonstrated the "character issue" chatter that surrounded him prior to the draft. In short, it is a talented but very young and immature team and in the NBA that's not a recipe for success.</p>
<p>The Kings are 28th in the league in offensive efficiency and 20th in defensive rating. The Suns should have no problem scoring on the Kings and the new and improved defense should, on paper, be able to hold the Kings to below their season average 94.4 points per game. That's the goal.</p>
<p>The Suns will come into the game with no injury issues and will likely start their small lineup they used effectively against the Pistons on Friday. That means Mikael Pietrus starts along with <span>Vince Carter</span>, <span>Robin Lopez</span>, <span>Grant Hill</span> and <span>Steve Nash</span>. With the Kings likely starting 7-foot Cousins and 6-11 <span>Jason Thompson</span> in the front court, this small lineup could prove problematic.</p>
<p>If Gentry is committed to keeping Frye on the bench where he helps stretch the floor for <span>Goran Dragic</span> and gives the bench some punch that it needs, we might see our first look at the Suns "jumbo package" of Lopez and <span>Marcin Gortat</span> playing together.</p>
<p>The front court rotation will likely continue to be a mystery and bit of an issue with the team only having one power forward who can spread the floor (Frye). The Suns offense has yet to prove it can be effective using a big lineup that has two inside players on the court at the same time. How Coach <span>Alvin Gentry</span> deals with this issue is one of the bigger questions facing the Suns right now.</p>
<p><i>The game tips off at 7 p.m. local time and will be broadcast in the home market on My45 TV and Sports 620 radio. Fans can follow along with the live game thread at <a href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com" target="_blank">Bright Side of the Sun</a>.</i></p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2011/1/2/2327334/phoenix-suns-slump-busting-continues-vs-sacramento-kingsSeth Pollack