# Game Thread: Nuggets at Suns - 3/28/05



## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

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<u>Records</u>
The 52-17 (7-3 over their last 10 games) Phoenix Suns welcome the 38-30 (9-1 over their last 10 games) Denver Nuggets. The Suns are 23-9 at home while the Nuggets are 13-20 on the road. The Suns currently hold the 1st playoff spot in the West while the Nuggets hold the 8th playoff spot in the West. The Suns are the last team to beat the Nuggets.

<u>Injuries</u>
It appears as if Kenyon Martin will not be playing in this game.

<u>Starting Lineups</u>

<table border=3 bordercolor="#0000ff" width=100% bgcolor="#99ccff"><tr align=center><td><FONT COLOR="#990000" SIZE=6>Denver</font></td><td><FONT COLOR="#990000" SIZE=6>Position</font></td><td><FONT COLOR="#990000" SIZE=6>Phoenix</font></td></tr><tr align=center><td><FONT COLOR="#ffff00" SIZE=4>Carmelo Anthony</td><td>Small Forward</td><td><FONT COLOR="#cc6600" SIZE=4>Quentin Richardson</td></tr><tr align=center><td><FONT COLOR="#ffff00" SIZE=4>Nene</td><td>Power Forward</td><td><FONT COLOR="#cc6600" SIZE=4>Shawn Marion</td></tr><tr align=center><td><FONT COLOR="#ffff00" SIZE=4>Marcus Camby</td><td>Center</td><td><FONT COLOR="#cc6600" SIZE=4>Amare Stoudemire</td></tr><tr align=center><td><FONT COLOR="#ffff00" SIZE=4>DerMarr Johnson</td><td>Shooting Guard</td><td><FONT COLOR="#cc6600" SIZE=4>Joe Johnson</td></tr><tr align=center><td><FONT COLOR="#ffff00" SIZE=4>Andre Miller</td><td>Point Guard</td><td><FONT COLOR="#cc6600" SIZE=4>Steve Nash</td></tr></table>

<u>Storylines</u>
1) How hot are the Nuggets? This road game will serve as a heat check for them.
2) Which big men will play for the Nuggets? The Nuggets need all of their 4/5 players to be available for this game.
3) Is this a playoff preview? If the season ended today, this would be a first round match up.
4) How will the ending of this game compare to the previous 2 contests this season?

Here is a link to the Nuggets game thread


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## G-Force (Jan 4, 2005)

Phoenix can certainly do not only themselves some good by winning this game, but Minnesota as well. Phoenix would certainly like to hold onto their slim Western Conference lead over SA. And the T-Wolves need someone to cool off the hot Nuggets if Minnesota is going to have a chance at beating the Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the West. I don't see it happening, but a lot can happen in the final month before the playoffs start.

G-Force


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

This should be a great game. AND I finally get to see the game on TV!! :biggrin: 

It will be interesting to see how Q-Rich does. He has really been struggling since his injury. I expect another big game from Marion and I have feeling Nash is going to have a big game as well.


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## underhill_101 (Feb 22, 2005)

my prediction:

suns 114
nuggs 109

marion 26/13/4
nash 15pts/13assts.

should be a a great game to watch

GO SUNS!!!


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

This game will be a great heat check for the Nuggets. I just wish that the Nuggets would be at full strength for this game, especially considering how well Kenyon played in the two previous games against the Suns.


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## G-Force (Jan 4, 2005)

Here is another chance for the Suns to show that they can play and win big games. The Nuggets are super hot, but they are not a strong road team, despite their recent winning ways. Phoenix needs to get off to a good start and keep their turnovers down. Denver's last loss was against the Suns, and it is time to hand the upstart Nugs another loss.

G-Force


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## jibikao (Nov 14, 2004)

We need to BLOWOUT Nuggets and show them that they are still a #8 team on the West. All the talks about Nuggets > Suns just because Nuggets are very hot right now are BS. You don't just get "hot" to win games. You need consistency to be an elite team. They are NOT elite yet. Suns has been quite consistency especially on the Road. That's what an elite team does. 

Sure, Nuggets were 'close' in the last 2 matchups but that doesn't mean S. We should blow them out and poke their Bubbles. Better teams finish the game and we did exactly like that! 

I am just so sickin' tired of reading posts about Nuggets > Suns just because Nuggets is the hottest team right now (and Suns is not??). 

People love to find excuses to trash Suns. Suns already won more games than 99% of the people have anticipated. People predicted that Suns will cool down in January (that didn't happen), in February (that didn't happen) and in April (I don't feel any cool down yet..., have you?). 

Even if we lose tonight, it still doesn't mean Nuggets is going to own us in the playoffs. For god's sake, please blow them out tonight.... and we'll hear excuses like "Oh, K-mart didn't play... Cambie didn't play...". GET A F HEALTHY TEAM PLEASE. Cambie has ALWAYS been injury proned. I will never get a player that like if I were the owner.


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

Pretty good so far considering Amare is out. Hunter is having a good game replacing him.


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

Suns up 56-55 at half. Decent first half for the Suns without Amare's low post presence. Once again Marion is having a solid game with 18 pts and 8 rebs. Richardson continues to struggle with 5 pts on 1-5 shooting. Denver is without K-Mart so there will be no excuses for losing this one in the 2nd half.


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

Suns up by 89-88 at the end of the 3rd Q. This is gut check time.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Suns win 123-114. Good win overall even though Amare and Kmart were both out. Keeps us ahead for #1 seed as well.


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

I will be very curious to see what defensive adjustments Karl makes for the 4th game. Dre and Earl weren't effective against Nash


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## tempe85 (Jan 7, 2005)

dissonance19 said:


> Suns win 123-114. Good win overall even though Amare and Kmart were both out. Keeps us ahead for #1 seed as well.


Amare missing was WAY more important than Kmart missing. You can't argue with this... Stoudemire's#2 in the league in FG% scores 26 a game and pulls down 8 boards.... Kmart... 14 and 7.


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

Overall it was a good win for the Suns. Just when you think their done they go on that 10-2 stretch in the 4th quarter. Marion played amazing once again with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Nash had a few careless turnover's but he too played very well with 23 points and 12 assists. Joe also was huge in the 4th quarter with some clutch shots. 

I think the Suns were a little lazy with their perimeter defense. Person and Buckner had way to many open looks from beyond the arc. But without Amare out this was a very solid win for the Suns.

Box Score


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## jibikao (Nov 14, 2004)

SEE!!! 

I knew we were going to win! Ok, so Denver is hot, so what? Who is going be HOTTER than the Mighty Suns? Nothing! The Suns will melt anything and everything, even Nuggets.  

No, seriously. There is never ONE second that I think we would lose. I thought we should have blown them out more times. Geeze, who gave them the idea that they would win just because the two previous games at their home court were "close"...whatever you want to call it. I just can't picture Suns losing to Nuggets unless we suffer major injuries. 

I didn't know Amare didn't play tonight.  It's always good to walk away with a W even without our key players. Good job Suns!


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

tempe85 said:


> Amare missing was WAY more important than Kmart missing. You can't argue with this... Stoudemire's#2 in the league in FG% scores 26 a game and pulls down 8 boards.... Kmart... 14 and 7.


Yes, you can argue this. Kenyon provides something known as defense. There wasn't much of that tonight from the Nuggets. Look at the previous game between the Nuggets and Suns.

Attempting to measure the impact of Kenyon with statistics is a mistake. Also your PPG stats are wrong.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

tempe85 said:


> Amare missing was WAY more important than Kmart missing. You can't argue with this... Stoudemire's#2 in the league in FG% scores 26 a game and pulls down 8 boards.... Kmart... 14 and 7.


Oh, definitely. I know that for a fact. That's why I said it was a good win. We didn't have our top scorer with us. Which means more having him out.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

cpawfan said:


> Yes, you can argue this. Kenyon provides something known as defense. There wasn't much of that tonight from the Nuggets. Look at the previous game between the Nuggets and Suns.
> 
> Attempting to measure the impact of Kenyon with statistics is a mistake. Also your PPG stats are wrong.


Stats or no stats, I think a lot of people would say Amare means more than Kmart or is > than Kmart.


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

dissonance19 said:


> Stats or no stats, I think a lot of people would say Amare means more than Kmart or is > than Kmart.


No question. Amare is more important to the Suns then K-Mart is to the Nuggets. There is no two ways around it.


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## ChristopherJ (Aug 10, 2004)

*Stoudemire is day to day*



> The degree of difficulty in Monday night's meeting with red-hot Denver increased greatly before tip-off, when the Suns learned that leading scorer Amaré Stoudemire was out with inflammation in his left ankle.
> 
> It marked the first time this season that Stoudemire missed a game, leaving guard Joe Johnson as the only player to start every game.
> 
> ...


It couldn't hurt to give Amare another game off. No need to rush him back to fast, only to see him injure it worse. Especially against a mediocre Philadelphia team.


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## DwyaneWade4MVP (Apr 1, 2004)

Nice 3pt-shooting on this win!


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## G-Force (Jan 4, 2005)

George Karl threw his ten-man rotation at us but Denver could not manage to win even one quarter. To win the game, you have to win at least one quarter. It was a one point game after three, but Phoenix pulled away in the fourth.

Marion had another huge game. Has he put rebounded this well for this long at anu other time in his NBA career? He has been dominating the boards lately. As a team, we shot very well, but then all those turnovers jump out at me.

It was a nice win - way to come through in crunch time, and without Amare to boot. Just keep winning and holding onto that #1 seed.

G-Force


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