Western Conference News & Notes
By Teddy Covers
Conference contenders
With three of the four second round series already in the rear view mirror, we’ll take an early look at the upcoming Western Conference Finals between the Suns and the Lakers.
The goal, as always, is to provide pertinent betting information as we anxiously await the start of the conference finals early next week.
The Suns reached the Western Conference Finals in 2005, but they got pounded by San Antonio, losing the series four games to one. Phoenix returned to the Conference Finals in 2006, but Dallas proved to be the superior team, beating the Suns in six games.
The Suns last win in the conference finals came back in 1993, when Charles Barkley, Dan Marjele and Kevin Johnson led the team all the way to the NBA Finals, before they came up short against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
The Suns have won six playoff games in a row - a franchise record - finally beating longtime nemesis San Antonio with a four-game sweep in the second round. For those who have been following the Suns closely, this should be no surprise. Phoenix is 36-9 SU since January 28 and 22-4 since March 14 - the best record of any team this side of Orlando during that span.
“I’m just so proud of these guys and what they’ve done and how they’ve gotten it done. I just have a ton of respect for our team and what they represent,” Suns head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters.
Chemistry set
Gentry has been praising his team’s chemistry for months now, especially the play of point guard Steve Nash.
“Steve has taken us to a good place and it all started in training camp. He’s just a determined person. I thought he had a better year this year than the years he won the MVPs,” he said.
“We aren’t the most talented team, but we believe in each other and enjoy playing together. It’s a pleasure to play with this group, “ Nash added.
The Suns’ recipe for success in their series win over San Antonio was simple: defense and depth, two things that Phoenix has sorely lacked in their recent playoff failures.
Seven up
The Suns defense can only get better if 7-foot center Robin Lopez returns to the lineup against the Lakers. Lopez, a strong interior defender and shot blocker, has been sidelined since late March with a back injury. The Suns desperately need his presence in the paint to contain the Lakers dominant big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
Lopez is not a great offensive player, but the Suns’ role players coming off the bench have been helping the team tremendously throughout their playoff run. Channing Frye hit five huge 3-pointers to carry the Suns in Game 2.
Goran Dragic poured in 23 fourth quarter points in Game 3, single-handedly winning the game. Jared Dudley chipped in with 16 points in the series clincher. Leandro Barbosa and Louis Amundson round out the bench, which is a legitimate matchup edge over L.A.’s weak second unit.
“A lot of people doubted us in October and a lot of people doubted us in (the Spurs) series. I’m sure the next series will start with the same doubt,” Amare Stoudemire told the media.
Champs are back
The Lakers looked like they were imploding during their first round series against Oklahoma City, but they’ve come on strong of late, winning six straight playoff games heading into the Western Conference Finals.
Their sweep of the Jazz was particularly impressive. Utah never played badly and they never stopped trying. Los Angeles was simply the superior team in every game.
“They got just about everything you want,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan told the media. “They got experience. They got guys that are long and big and can play inside. Gasol can go inside and outside with his game and he’s a terrific passer. They got all the size. They got a lot of guys that can pass the ball. That’s a tremendous asset for any team, and plus those guys have been in big games.”
“They’re tough to deal with and they put us out of sync because their defense is so good. Every shot you get is tough. They make you earn it. That’s why they won the championship,” he continued.
Season series
Los Angeles won the season series against Phoenix three games to one. Both early-season meetings were Lakers blowout victories, each win coming by 19 points or more. Both late-season meetings were competitive. Los Angeles won by six at home, then Phoenix won by five at home.
The Lakers have beaten the Suns in seven out of nine meetings since L.A. acquired Pau Gasol prior to the 2008 trading deadline. But the Suns have enjoyed the postseason success, knocking the Lakers out of the playoffs in both 2006 and 2007.
“They have a great combo, they have that two-man combo in Nash and Amare and their screen-and-roll situations are phenomenal,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. “We think that we have a good combination in Pau and Kobe and we’re going to try and match that.”
Down time
Kobe Bryant scored 30-plus points in every game in L.A.’s sweep of the Jazz, while Pau Gasol recorded double-doubles in all four games. The six days off between the end of Round 2 and the beginning of Round 3 can only help L.A., with Kobe, Andrew Bynum and Sasha Vujacic all battling nagging injuries.
Mix and match
This series is likely going to be decided by two key matchups. Alvin Gentry put Jason Richardson on Kobe Bryant in the regular season and it didn’t work particularly well. Bryant was the Lakers leading scorer in all four games while Richardson shot poorly, using his energy on defense.
Don’t be surprised if Grant Hill gets the defensive assignment against Kobe for extended stretches in this series after Hill’s defense effectively neutralized Manu Ginobili in Round 2.
Derek Fisher did a solid job defending Steve Nash at the point for Phoenix during the regular season, but he’s struggled to stay in front of Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Don’t be shocked if the bigger, quicker and more physical Bryant matches up against Nash for extended stretches here in the conference finals.