SB Nation Arizona - Phoenix Suns head to LA to play Lakershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2012-11-17T14:08:19-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/34193872012-11-17T14:08:19-07:002012-11-17T14:08:19-07:00SB Nation's Suns blog reacts to loss to Lakers
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<figcaption>Stephen Dunn</figcaption>
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<p>The Phoenix Suns have won several games this season by coming from behind, but the team was unable to mount the comeback on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> have been able to win several games this season after falling behind by double-digits, but <span>Alvin Gentry's</span> team was unable to do so on Friday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, falling at the STAPLES Center by the score of 114-102.</p>
<p>Entering the fourth quarter down eight, some may have thought the Suns had the Lakers right where they wanted them, as the team has made it a habit to comeback late in games. But the team struggled in the closing quarter offensively, despite their hot shooting in the first three quarters of play and scoring 27 or more in the three previous three quarters.</p>
<p>As Sean Sullivan of SB Nation's Phoenix Suns blog, <a href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com">Bright Side of the Sun</a> writes, the play prompted Alvin Gentry to waive the white flag.</p>
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<p>However, they were unable to ever mount any sort of comeback this time, and Alvin Gentry finally waived the white flag with around two minutes to go bringing in <span>Kendall Marshall</span>, <span>Wesley Johnson</span>, and <span>Luke Zeller</span> to finish out the game as the Lakers were able to hold on to win it 114-102.</p>
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<p>The (4-6) Suns will now head back to Phoenix and prepare to host the visiting <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a>, in what will be the second game of a back-to-back for the Suns.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2012/11/17/3659130/nba-suns-lakersRon Shah2012-11-17T08:02:02-07:002012-11-17T08:02:02-07:00Jermaine O'Neal turns back the clock vs Lakers
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<figcaption>Elsa</figcaption>
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<p>The veteran center had by far his best showing as a member of the Suns.</p> <p>Sure the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> faltered at the end of the first half, the third quarter and then for most of the fourth quarter in a 114-102 loss to the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, but there was a surprising bright spot. It came from veteran center Jermaine O'Neal, who was playing his first game since November 4.</p>
<p>O'Neal played 20 minutes and contributed 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.</p>
<p>He also mixed it up with <span>Dwight Howard</span>, drawing a technical foul from both Howard and <span>Jordan Hill</span>. He attacked the hoop and played with a physicality fans had not seen yet from him this season.</p>
<p>Maybe it was the matchup against Howard, whom he would battle often when he was playing in the Eastern Conference, or maybe it was simply having fresh legs after several games off. In any case, getting that sort of play from the 16-year veteran on a consistent basis will be something no one thought would happen when he was signed this past offseason.</p>
<p>We knew that O'Neal would bring veteran leadership and mentoring for <span>Michael Beasley</span>. If he can be a physical force and actually contribute more than fouls and a few rebounds, then it may be the most underrated signing of the offseason for the Suns.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2012/11/17/3657332/suns-lakers-dwight-howard-jermaine-onealJess Root2012-11-16T12:01:28-07:002012-11-16T12:01:28-07:00Suns. Lakers ready for first meeting of the season
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>No Steve Nash and no Mike D'Antoni for L.A. take a lot of the fun out of this NBA Pacific Division rivalry, but for now, it's the Suns with the better record going in.</p> <p>The first of four meetings between the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> and <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> was setting up to be something more meaningful than, say, your typical NBA regular-season game in November. It was to mark the first time point guard <span>Steve Nash</span>, who passed on the Suns' offer to keep him and forced a trade to the hated Lakers, faces his former team.</p>
<p>We all know the story by now. Nash spent the previous eight seasons in Phoenix making his way into the hearts of Suns fans with his gritty play, sharp passing and community endeavors. Then he did the unimaginable -- leaving Phoenix as a free agent was one thing, going to the rival Lakers was like twisting the dagger.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the 38-year-old Nash doesn't heal as fast as he used to, and a leg injury will force him to watch some former teammates from the bench. Fans who couldn't wait to see Nash vs. Suns will have to wait until Jan. 30, 2013 against the Lakers in Phoenix.</p>
<p>But that isn't the only foiled reunion of Suns past and Lakers present. Former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni was this week named the Lakers' new head coach. He was introduced on Thursday, but apparently it's too soon for him to guide the Lakers since he is on crutches and pain medication for knee surgery recovery, and D'Antoni won't coach his first game until Sunday.</p>
<p>The Lakers have sputtered out to a 3-5 start with their wins all the Staples Center against teams that are a combined 7-18, and in the Suns they will find a team with less talent but one that refuses to give up even in the toughest of situations. Case in point -- the Suns got down 79-61 to the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bulls</a> at home Wednesday night late in the third quarter and trailed by 14 going into the fourth. But they forced overtime, only to lose 112-106 and drop to 4-5.</p>
<p>The Suns could be without key reserve <span>Markieff Morris</span>, who landed hard on his backside during the Bulls game and is day-to-day with soreness. The Lakers might be missing Nash's backup, <span>Steve Blake</span>, who has an abdominal strain.</p>
<p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Game Time: 8:30 PM</b></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">TV/Radio: Fox Sports Arizona/ Arizona Sports 620</b></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Projected Starting Lineups:</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></b>SG - <span>Jared Dudley</span> vs. <span>Kobe Bryant</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">PG - <span>Goran Dragic</span> vs. <span>Darius Morris</span> or Steve Blake</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">SF - <span>Michael Beasley</span> vs. <span>Metta World Peace</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">PF - <span>Luis Scola</span> vs. <span>Pau Gasol</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">C - <span>Marcin Gortat</span> vs. Dwight Howard</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Key Matchup</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Darius Morris vs. Goran Dragic: </b><span style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">It appears Blake is going to miss the game, so this is a big opportunity for the Suns to test a second-year pro. Perhaps some pressure up top on defense will cause Morris to make mistakes, and some screens on offense could free up Dragic to take advantage of the youngster. </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Key Stat</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">49.7, 108.6 - </b><span style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Suns are allowing opponents to shoot 49.7 percent from the field and score an average of 108.6 points per game over the past seven. That means more of a defensive effort is needed throughout the entire game, and the Suns most also reverse a recent trend of getting down by big margins and having to fight back and expend energy needed to close out games.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">What to Watch For:</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Frontcourt Battle: </b><span style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Marcin Gortat was <span>Dwight Howard's</span> backup in Orlando and the two know each other well. Let's see how that translates into when the two are battling in the paint and posting up.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Bench: </b><span style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Former Laker Shannon Brown is a force off the Suns bench, which is playing well of late. So is <span>Sebastian Telfair</span>, who played very well offensively and defensively in the loss to the Bulls, and coach <span>Alvin Gentry</span> loves <span>P.J. Tucker</span>, who does the dirty work on defense and rebounding. The Suns bench is deeper, but the Lakers look like they are starting to get on the same page.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0px; width: 558px; overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For full Suns coverage head over to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" style="image-rendering: optimizequality; color: #2c418b; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Bright Side of the Sun</a>.</p>
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https://arizona.sbnation.com/2012/11/16/3654236/phoenix-suns-vs-los-angeles-lakers-preview-lineups-tv-schedule-andJose Romero2012-11-16T06:02:41-07:002012-11-16T06:02:41-07:00D'Antoni won't be on bench vs. Suns
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<figcaption>Jeff Gross</figcaption>
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<p>New Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni won't coach team Friday vs. the Phoenix Suns, will debut against the Rockets on Sunday.</p> <p>New <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> head coach Mike D'Antoni was introduced to the media Thursday afternoon. From a storyline standpoint, it would've made the most sense for D'Antoni to debut Friday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Suns</a>, the team he made a name for himself with from 2003-2008. According to Yahoo!'s <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/269205995119579136">Marc Spears</a>, D'Antoni, who recently had knee replacement surgery, won't be on the Lakers' bench Friday and will make his debut Sunday vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a>.</p>
<p>D'Antoni attended practice Thursday on crutches because of a knee replacement surgery earlier this month. His brother, Dan, ran drills with the Lakers, and interim coach <span>Bernie Bickerstaff</span> was also present. It is expected that Bickerstaff will coach the Lakers on Friday.</p>
<p>At the press conference, D'Antoni said he was simply happy to be with the Lakers and working once again. He added that<a href="https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/269209067355000832" target="_blank"> </a>he felt fortunate to be offered the position considering Los Angeles had spoken with former head coach <span>Phil Jackson</span>.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2012/11/16/3652754/nba-lakers-suns-mike-dantoni-steve-nashTrevor Zickgraf2012-11-16T06:02:10-07:002012-11-16T06:02:10-07:00Markieff Morris day-to-day
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<figcaption>Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris is recovering from a banged-up back.</p> <p><a href="http://arizonasports.com/41/1588975/Markieff-Morris-daytoday-with-back-injury" target="_blank">Vince Marotta of Arizona Sports reports </a>that <span>Markieff Morris</span> of the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> is day-to-day with a back injury he sustained in game action. The Suns forward went down hard on his back after tangling with <span>Luol Deng</span> of the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bulls</a> when trying to get an offensive rebound.</p>
<p>Suns head coach <span>Alvin Gentry</span> seems to indicate that Morris is still sore from the fall and his status will be determined on a day-to-day basis. After he's able to loosen his back up from treatment (which might include the cyro-chamber), he'll be able to get back out there and play as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Morris had a solid game against Chicago in 22 minutes, scoring eight points and hauling in ten rebounds. <span>Michael Beasley</span> had to play with both Morris and <span>Luis Scola</span> out, and he struggled mightily (4-15 from the field, four turnovers). The Suns lost to the Bulls 112-106 in overtime.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2012/11/16/3652434/phoenix-suns-injuries-markieff-morrisAvinash Kunnath