NBA Scoreboard: The Firefox Addon

The Phoenix Suns bowed out of the 2009-10 NBA season in game six of the Western Conference Finals with a 103-111 loss to the LA Lakers. Having done everything possible to bring the lead back to three, the Suns had no answer down the stretch for Kobe Bryant. In fact, I don’t think that anybody could have stopped Kobe.

The Suns’ loss also shuts the championship window for Steve Nash. He took this team further than even the most optimistic Suns’ fan could dream this season. Credit also to Alvin Gentry for an outstanding season, for developing the bench, for leading the team into a contest with the defending champions.

Now the Lakers head back to LA for the Finals against the Boston Celtics. The reigning champions vs the previous champions, and another LA-Boston match up for the history books. May the best team win.

Signing off for season 09-10.

Ryan

Steve Kerr has five NBA Championship rings. And his dream of a sixth was kept alive when the Phoenix Suns powered past the LA Lakers for a 115-106 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. The series is now improbably tied at 2-2. Some notes:

• Kobe Bryant. He had his “there is no way that I am going to let my team lose” face on in the second quarter, draining shot after shot to keep the Suns in check. But his fourth quarter was quiet, despite 38 points on the night. Expect even more in game five.
• Suns’ bench. They’d heard the challenge after LA’s bench came up big in games one and two. In game four, they answered. Every player contributed in a series-saving performance in front of a frenzied, orange crowd. Look for Odom, Farmar and Brown to bounce back in game five.
• The Zone. Are people really talking about the Suns’ defense after the two 130 point outbursts from the Lakers in LA? Surely Jackson and the veteran Lakers will figure this one out in time for game five.

Well, here we are. Again, the Suns have over-achieved, exceeding everyone’s expectations. Game 5 has become a must win for the Lakers, and I expect them to rise to the occasion. The series isn’t there for the taking for the Suns – it is still LA’s to lose. Go Suns!

Catch game five LIVE on One HD and follow all the action with the NBA Scoreboard addon for Firefox.

The Phoenix Suns are back. Alvin Gentry’s move to a zone defense lured the Lakers into an awful three-point shooting extravaganza – both teams combining for 14/52. That left Amare Stoudemire (42pts, 11rebs) and Robin Lopez (20pts, 8/10 FG) to roll inside and from the line (18/22 FT combined), dominating the foul-plagued Laker frontline. Even Josh Powell found some minutes but to no avail. Some notes:

• Robin Lopez. This guy is playing out of his mind. According to the script, he should have run out of adrenalin after Game One. He should have struggled in Game Two and been a non-factor in Game Three. Lopez hasn’t read the script. His return from injury has been one of the storylines of the playoffs for the Suns, and he’ll need to keep playing big in Game Four on Tuesday.
• Channing Frye. Everyone else is taking about Channing, so it only needs to be said. Frye has one big game in him this series. Will it be Game Four? Five on the road? Six in a must-win at home? Seven on the road facing elimination? The big one is coming.
• Derek Fisher. Look up wily in the dictionary. adj. 1. Derek Fisher. 2. Full of tricks. The man knows how to show up on the road, to place the hard foul, to pick the fight, to calm the team. The TNT footage of Fisher taking control of the huddle is an NBA perspective that I rarely see.
• Alvin Gentry. Give the coach credit for changing up the defense. The Suns needed an answer for the Lakers. The zone and the foul trouble were the answers. Gentry had his team ready to play and made the right adjustment.

Game Four is coming up on Tuesday (Wed morning in Australia). Follow the action with NBA Scoreboard for Firefox.

The Los Angeles Lakers took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals with a comfortable 124-112 win at the Staples’ Center. And after being outscored by 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Suns are taking no momentum back to Phoenix.

The key sequence came at 7:30 remaining in the fourth. Steve Nash carelessly threw a bounce pass out of bounds with the score at 101-95. From the ensuing inbounds pass, Jordan Farmar dribbled up court, around a screen and drained a three. Phoenix never recovered. Some notes:

• Lakers bench. Farmar and Shannon Brown continue to contribute, going 4-4 from downtown. Together with Odom, the three man bench in Phil Jackson’s shortened rotation nullified an outstanding performance from Jared Dudley, himself shooting 5-5 from three.
• The Suns’ defense. There is a reason that the Lakers’ bench is successful. Phoenix’s defense in this game was embarrassing. A casual viewer might think that the Suns’ were a man short for the number of times that the Lakers found an open player for the shot. And I don’t think it is size… it’s just poor rotation and indecision.
• Amare Stoudemire. A poor performance from Amare after calling out Lamar Odom after game one. Six rebounds, five turnovers and five fouls don’t begin to tell the story. His help defense was ineffective and his pick and roll game was muted. Stoudemire must be a monster if Phoenix are to win a game.

As a Suns’ fan, it is good to measuring the team against the best. The Lakers are the defending champions and the number one team in the West. They’re playing excellent basketball and have all the answers for the Suns. Will this be a sweep? There is 10,000 pounds of pressure on Phoenix to take out game three, and they’ll need more than just a few days rest to overcome the Lakers.

Catch game three LIVE on One HD and follow all the action with the NBA Scoreboard addon for Firefox.

It is never enjoyable watching your team get pounded, and when it is at the hands of the Lakers, it seems just that little bit worse. The Suns were crushed by a 21 point third quarter from Kobe Bryant and run out of the Staples’ Center 128-107 in game one of the Western Conference Finals. Some notes:

• Grant Hill. Grant was unlucky to get into foul trouble in the third quarter and his benching opened the way for Bryant. Hill will be a factor in this series and his absence in game one goes some way to explaining the Suns’ second half collapse.
• Goran Dragic. The kid is ready to play. In the shadow of his game three outburst against the Spurs, Dragic returned to doing all the little things well against the Lakers. His consistency off the bench will keep Nash rested during the series.
• Channing Frye. Frye took too many early shots in his first possessions. I’ve been lucky to see plenty of Suns’ games this season on One HD, and this is not Channing’s game. He needs to be patient within the Suns’ offense.
• Kobe Bryant. Normally I’d say, “You can’t expect 40 points from player X every game.” With Kobe, we can. With all the hype around Lebron James, Kobe is still hungry in the playoffs and needs this championship to further cement his legacy.
• The Lakers’ bench. Don’t read too much into the numbers… the bench came up big in garbage time. The Lakers’ second unit needs to play without a lead before the Suns’ concede an advantage there.
• Alvin Gentry. What is with the glasses and the buttoned-up suit? Seriously, a classy coach who has the regular season trust of his players to dig into before game two.

Catch game two LIVE on One HD and follow all the action with the NBA Scoreboard addon for Firefox.