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**StarDust Bum** · 05-23-2010, 09:57 AM

Phoenix needs to put the “D” in defense

Arizona has been in the news quite a bit lately and various government agencies have been under attack. In response to this, they have become downright defensive, which is something Suns fans are looking for from their team playing at home trailing the Los Angeles Lakers 2-0.

Phoenix has willing approved 128 and 124 points to the Lakers in the first two supposed conflicts with Los Angeles in the Western Finals, which might be considered passable if this was an old-school ABA contest or an All-Star clash. The problem is that neither is true, and the Lakers have scored more than George Clooney and Brad Pitt in their younger days.
Nothing has worked on the defensive end for the Suns that even coach Alvin Gentry let his guard down after Game 2.

"I'm open for suggestions," Gentry said on his way out of the interview room late Wednesday night.

"Even from the media."

A better place to start is with his players. With all the talk of who is or is not legal in the Grand Canyon state, Gentry has to convince his players that getting up and guarding your man is perfectly legal, but it doesn’t do much good to let the player you are supposed to be guarding to around you like a bull and matador confrontation, in which the outcome is you are gored for another basket.

"Every time we tried to make an adjustment to slow them down," Gentry said, "they go somewhere else."

Phoenix has tried to double Kobe Bryant; he passes to open man, while still scoring enough points himself. The Suns put two players on Pau Gasol on the paint, yet at 7’0 holding the ball over his head looking for open teammate, he looks like an eighth grader playing keep away from a group of first graders. Gasol has found Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and others effortlessly.

Things have gotten so bad for Phoenix even Jordan Farmar (13.5 points per game) and Shannon Brown (10.0 PPG) have looked like they could start for any of lottery teams the way they have scored in this series.
“Well, what can you say?" Gentry said. "We are just having a hard time.

We can't slow them down. I thought we played well offensively, but every time we tried to make an adjustment to slow them down, they go somewhere else.

“And, you know, you do a great job on Kobe, and I thought we did. Then they go to Pau and we double-team Pau and there's Lamar, and we get it out of Lamar's hand and Jordan Farmar makes shots. And there's a reason they're the world champs. There's a good reason they're the world champs."

The Suns return home where they are 36-10, 28-16-2 ATS and have to find answers quickly. Maybe its wear Amare Stoudemire glasses that are far-sighted so they have to get closer to guard the players in purple.

What Phoenix has to do more than anything is play team defense. It’s obvious the Suns are not very sound doubling players on continual basis; instead each player has to make it his responsibility to guard his own man. If Kobe scores 50 or even 60 so be it, you guard your man and box-out on the boards.

Make the Lakers uncomfortable, they’ve played like a bunch of guys having a having a good time walking along Santa Monica beach. Throw live snakes on the floor before the game to get their attention, prove you mean business and make them understand from the start this isn’t going to be a vacation in the desert.

"You saw what the Thunder (Oklahoma City) did," Jared Dudley said. "That's our mindset."

Sportsbook.com has Phoenix as 2.5-point favorites and has to take advantage of the crowd and make shots to make L.A. unsettled. They are 1-8 ATS in road games when their opponents make 39 to 45 percent of their three-pointers. The Suns have to make the Lakers pay for their limited defensive pressure and are 24-7 ATS vs. defensive teams forcing 14 or less turnovers a game the second half of this season.

Presently there is almost no ceiling on the total that has sky-rocketed to 219.5 and Steve Nash’s pals need a lower scoring contest and they are 20-10 UNDER after allowing 100 points or more three straight games. Kobe and company have the ability to shift gears and are 7-0 UNDER on the road after covering the spread in two or more consecutive times.

TNT has what is basically a do-or-die tilt for the Suns at 8:30 Eastern and they are 15-5 ATS at Planet Orange having lost two of their last three games.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-23-2010, 09:57 AM

Chicago’s first chance at killing off Sharks

CHICAGO (AP)—Jonathan Toews has earned the name “Captain Serious,” a 22-year-old star for the Chicago Blackhawks who senses how close his team is to reaching the Stanley Cup finals while realizing just how difficult it can be to get there. A year ago the Blackhawks were knocked out of the Western Conference finals in five games by Detroit, an experience that ripened a young team. Now the Blackhawks have a 3-0 lead over San Jose and can complete a sweep Sunday for the franchise’s first appearance in the finals since 1992—when Toews was 4 years old.

“When you get to the conference finals like last year, you get that close— even though we were only about halfway to winning a Stanley Cup last year—you still feel pretty close,” said Toews, who has a point in a club-record 12 straight playoff games.

“It’s kind of a teaser. Makes you want to win that much more. You feel like you got so much to lose when you’re in a position like we are this year. Every game is so stressful; it’s tough to go to sleep at night thinking about it.” Sleep or not the Blackhawks are 13-3 with one day between games.

The series with the Sharks, the regular season champions in the West, has been fast-paced, physical and oh so close. Chicago won two on the Sharks’ home ice and then pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory Friday night on Dustin Byfuglien’s goal.

“It doesn’t feel like a 3-0 series but it is,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. Nonetheless San Jose is 2-8 in road games after failing to win three of their last four.

His team was about as relaxed as could be Saturday, playing a boisterous game with a soccer ball in the hallway of the United Center, bouncing and kicking the ball to one another while in a circle.

“We have no other choice but to be loose. We’re down three games in this series and we understand that position,” San Jose defenseman Rob Blake said. “But if we sit there and dwell and look at the big picture, it looks bleak, obviously, so we accept things.”

Blake said the Sharks don’t have to do too much differently, make some minor adjustments, get better rebound chances against stellar Chicago goalie Antti Niemi and maybe spruce up their power play. They were just 1 for 6 with the advantage on Friday, leaving them 3-8 in next contest after scoring two goals or less in three straight contests.

San Jose can also look at two other series to size up where it is. Philadelphia came from 3-0 down to beat Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals. And the Sharks led the Red Wings 3-0 in the Western semifinals, were routed 7-1 in Game 4 and then clinched the series in five games.

McLellan reminded his team of that series when he met with the players on Saturday. “We talked about the pressure we felt when we came home after getting shellacked in Detroit,” McLellan said. “Detroit played very loose in that game, Game 4. Came out, threw everything they had at us.

“We’d like to come out, throw everything we have, play loose against Chicago, then put a little pressure on them after that. We’ve got to take step one first.”

Patrick Marleau has scored four of the Sharks’ five goals in the series. Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Dany Heatley haven’t found the net in three games so far, but San Jose is 18-7 in road outings revenging two straight losses where opponent scored three or more goals.

McLellan juggled his lines Friday night but the Sharks still had trouble solving Niemi, who made 44 saves and shut down three power plays in the third period.

“He’s been very good and you don’t get this far in the playoffs without a good goaltender,” Blake said. “He’s been up to every task. He made some big saves last night. We can do some things with our second opportunities, which are tough to get with the way their defense plays.”

Chicago’s checking line led by Dave Bolland—who had a breakaway goal and then assisted Byfuglien on his game-winner—has been a key as has the play of durable defenseman Duncan Keith, who had a game-high 34 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time Friday. Keith skated for the Blackhawks just three years ago when the United Center was half empty, the fan base had become apathetic, and hockey was low on the interest scale in Chicago.

Now the place rocks loudly, and the Game 3 attendance of 22,311 was the team’s 98th consecutive capacity crowd.

“We’re in a great position. We’re one win away from a chance to play for the Cup,” Keith said.

“I think just using that as motivation and understanding our position and the opportunity we have should be enough to play the way we should and play a smart game. Hopefully we can do that on Sunday. … I don’t think we want to give these guys any life right now. They haven’t had it yet. So there’s no point on giving it to them now,” he added.

Chicago is 17-5 after allowing two goals or less in back to back contests and Sportsbook.com has them as -175 home ice favorites, with total Ov5.5. San Jose knows the situation is dismal, however one victory and they head back home and who knows. The Sharks have to take advantage of Chicago sporting 2-7 record in home games after a four-game unbeaten streak.

NBC will have this potential closeout contest starting at 3:00 Eastern, with San Jose 8-2 OVER on Sunday’s and the Hawks 5-0 UNDER.

**Tnbreakers** · 05-23-2010, 12:11 PM

Bol Bum!

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