SB Nation Arizona - Suns Grind Out 102-101 Win Over Jazz, Sweep Season Serieshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2011-02-15T22:48:02-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/17589322011-02-15T22:48:02-07:002011-02-15T22:48:02-07:00Phoenix Suns Hang On To Beat Utah Jazz And Sweep Season Series
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<p>The Phoenix Suns played basketball in the first half like the Suns team that started the season and were on a pace to be an historically bad defensive team. They turned the ball over 14 times and gave up 50 percent shooting to the Utah Jazz. In the second half, however, the new Suns showed up. The Suns who are playing elite level defense over their past 15 or so games and the team that's winning games on the defensive end of the floor.</p>
<p>That Suns team held Utah to just 41.9 percent shooting, had just five turnovers compared to eight forced, recorded five blocks, fought to a near draw on the boards, and most importantly won the game in the final possessions by getting three key stops and a big rebound. </p>
<p>It's fitting that the new-look Suns were led defensively by two of their three new players.</p>
<p>Marcin Gortat recorded 11 points and seven rebounds and had the biggest play of the game when he rotated on the baseline and forced Paul Millsap into a turnover with the Suns leading by just two points and seven seconds on the clock.</p>
<p>Mickael Pietrus was an even bigger factor for the Suns. Playing the entire fourth quarter in place of Vince Carter, he brought an aggression to the floor and hit big shots. Pietrus finished the game with 11 points, four rebounds, and four blocked shots in just 23 minutes of play.</p>
<p>"It's great when he makes shots, obviously, but what I love is him blocking shots, grabbing big rebounds. Tonight he was so active. You see this athleticism you don't see every night and it's pretty impressive. He really was huge for us tonight," Steve Nash (20 points, 14 assists) said.</p>
<p>Nash himself didn't do a bad job defensively either. Grant Hill deservingly got a lot of credit for his key stops on All-Star Deron Williams who was just 2-11 shooting in the game. But as Nash pointed out, the credit should be shared.</p>
<p>"Letting me guard him for most of the game. Obviously," Nash said when asked about the key to Hill's defense on Williams. "To be honest, I was guarding him for most of the game."</p>
<p>Channing Frye was the offensive star of the game for the Suns. He posted a career-high 31 points, including 19 in the first quarter. He was in a zone from long range (6-10) but also had a few nice post ups and mid-range shots. Frye also led the Suns with 11 rebounds and played solid defense on Paul Millsap.</p>
<p>Goran Dragic had a shaky return after missing the last seven games. He played just five minutes in the first half (two points, two turnovers) and then was benched in the second half in favor of Zabian Dowdell. </p>
<p>Dragic didn't seem upset by the decision to give his minutes to the third string point guard and based on the way Dowdell played, he shouldn't be too concerned about losing his job unless he fails to bounce back over an extended period of time.</p>
<p>"That's normal. It's coaches decision. He runs the team so (whatever is) better for the team. I know that I didn't play like 14 days so it's normal. I just have to work hard in the practice and get my minutes back," Dragic said.</p>
<p>With the win, the Suns sweep the season series over the Jazz for the first time since the 1982-83. The Jazz (31-25) are just one game ahead of the Suns (27-26) in the loss column. </p>
<p>Phoenix has one more game, Thursday at home against the Dallas Mavericks, before heading into the All-Star break. The team will have four full days off before returning to practice the following Tuesday afternoon.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2011/2/15/1996519/phoenix-suns-hang-on-to-beat-utah-jazz-and-sweep-season-seriesSeth Pollack2011-02-15T10:28:36-07:002011-02-15T10:28:36-07:00Vince Carter Needs To Play Better To Play More
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<p>Vince Carter has seen his minutes drop over the last three games as Suns coach Gentry has shown that he's no longer willing to play Vince simply based on career history. Gentry wants Carter to play well and if he does he will give him minutes. If he doesn't....well, we've seen what happens.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">"Sometimes he defers, and we don't need him to defer. He's got to be our guy, and he can only be our guy if he's in there. I've got to make sure he's out there in the game," Gentry said. He told Carter the Suns traded their leading scorer (Jason Richardson) for him and they need him to fill that role.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">Carter still thinks he can give the team more and called himself "average" right now and says he will do better. While Gentry wants him to be aggressive, Carter says he's just trying to fit into the flow of the offense.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">"The ways Steve (Nash) creates for this team, I feel personally that I need to knock down open shots. It's a new situation for me as far as having open shots without having to worry about the double team. I think that's me turning the corner right there being able to knock down open shots."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">Carter has played under 20 minutes in the last three games for the Suns and scored a total of 19 points in those outings. He was benched for the fourth quarter in the last two games.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2011/2/15/1995178/vince-carter-needs-to-play-better-to-play-more-phoenix-sunsSeth Pollack2011-02-15T10:23:16-07:002011-02-15T10:23:16-07:00Phoenix Suns Face Yet Another Big Test With Utah Jazz
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<p>While the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> (26-26) were busy forgetting how to play defense and rebound against the <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Sacramento Kings</a> on Sunday, the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Utah Jazz</a> (31-24) were back home adjusting to life with their new coach. The Jazz added former Suns Jeff Hornacek to their staff as an assistant to former Sun <span>Tyrone Corbin</span> who is anxious to get his first win tonight.</p>
<p>The Jazz are on the verge of falling out of the playoff chase and with the way they've played recently, combined with the departure of <span>Jerry Sloan</span>, are very much in need of a win. That means the Suns very much need to not give them that win.</p>
<p>Beating Utah tonight not only helps in the standings but could also help further the demise of the Jazz season. This is a big game and Corbin knows it.</p>
<p>"We're in a situation now where we're kind of working our way out of the playoffs and we don't want that to happen. So we need to win games ... to continue to grow and feel good about ourselves. This is a good team. We should be able to win games and we need to win games," Cobin <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsjazznotes/51248739-62/corbin-games-win-jazz.html.csp">told </a>the Salt Lake Tribune. </p>
<p>The Suns are also looking to bounce back from their poor defensive performance in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings. The rotations were slow and players simply got beat too many times in isolation situations according unofficial team defensive captain, <span>Grant Hill</span>. </p>
<p>Hill also understands the importance of tonight's game.</p>
<p>"A lot was going on in a short period of time for them and now they've had some practices under their belt, they get a chance to get comfortable with one another, and I think we're the last team they faced," Hill said.</p>
<p>"We can't come in thinking we're just going to have an easy time with them. We've beaten them before on their court the last few years and they've beaten us here. They're more than capable of coming in here and playing very well. We've got to come out with a sense of urgency."</p>
<p>The Suns are expected to have a very anxious <span>Goran Dragic</span> back on the court tonight. Dragic is chomping at the bit to play and promises "120 percent" effort in his return. The Suns sure could use his scoring punch but at the same time, hopefully he picked up a few things about running the half court offense by watching <span>Zabian Dowdell</span> play in his his absence. </p>
<p>The Jazz will be without forward Andrei Kirilenko who is out with an ankle sprain.</p>
<p><i>The game tips at 7 p.m. local time and will be broadcast locally on Fox Sports Arizona along with Sports 620 KTAR radio. Fans can follow along with other Suns fans at the live game thread at <a href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" target="_blank">Bright Side of the Sun.</a></i></p>
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https://arizona.sbnation.com/2011/2/15/2329826/phoenix-suns-face-yet-another-big-test-with-utah-jazzSeth Pollack