Suns try to Even Series with Blazers Tuesday Night

The Phoenix Suns will need to bounce back after losing a 4th quarter lead to the Portland Trailblazers Sunday in the first game of the Divisional round playoffs. Many experts have picked Phoenix to make a serious run in the Western Conference this year due to their incredibly hot finish to the season. However, we all know that the NBA playoffs are a totally different animal than the regular season. The saying, “defense wins Championships” also applies to basketball. Phoenix has by far the worst defense of all of the teams that made the playoffs.

There is no question that the Suns can get up and down the floor offensively. They are led by All-Star Amare Stoudemire. Stoudemire’s 23 points and 9 rebounds per game led the Suns this season. He has become one of if not the best power forward in the league. Steve Nash may be slowing down slightly, but he still has plenty left in the tank. This season he is averaging 16.5 points and 11 assists per game. His assist average leads the NBA mostly due having so many weapons at this disposal. Jason Richardson, Grant Hill and Channing Frye are all averaging over double digits in scoring, and their bench doesn’t really drop off either.

The Blazers played game 1 without Brandon Roy. Roy is the teams leading scorer with a 21.5 point average. LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Miller combine for 32 points, 11 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. Perhaps the most important piece to Portland’s success late in the season has been the presence of Marcus Camby. Camby is still a dominant big man that can clog up the middle of the paint and make it hard for the opposition to score inside. He has taken his game to a new level since joining the Blazers, and may be the boost this team needed to advance to the next round.

If the Suns get off to an early lead Tuesday it may be too much for Portland to overcome. Expect the Blazers to stick to their plan of tough nosed defense if they intend to take this series 7 games.

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2. Lakers/ Suns Western Conference Championship Preview
3. Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns face off in Battle for Playoff Position
4. Western Conference Clash: Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Spurs Try to Stay Alive Against Suns in Game 4

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