After its high-octane offense was held in check in Game 1, Phoenix gets its fast break in gear and cuts down on its turnovers. The combination is too much for Portland to overcome.
Defensive Adjustments Key Suns’ Blowout Win
One could look at the 119 points the Suns scored against the Blazers in Game 2 last night and think that it was Phoenix’s high-powered offense that got them back in the series. But that would be wrong, because in last night’s game, it was the 90 points that Portland scored that proved to be the difference.
In other words, Phoenix won last night’s game with their defense. Specifically, they won it thanks to a couple key adjustments made by coach Alvin Gentry. The most important one was to put small forward Grant Hill on Blazers point guard Andre Miller, who torched the Suns for 31 points and eight assists in Game 1. With Hill’s height bothering him, Miller had just 12 points and three assists in Game 2. More importantly, Hill’s defense allowed Jason Richardson, who guarded Miller in Game 1, to focus more on his offense, and Richardson responded with 29 points, including 4-5 from three-point range.
Read Article >Phoenix Finally Gets Into Fast Lane, Races Past Blazers To Even Series
Phoenix, which recorded only four fastbreak points in Game 1, got 17 out of their high-powered offense in this contest. In addition, the Suns cut their turnovers from 12 to only seven.
This series shifts to Portland for Games 3 and 4, with the next contest to be played on Thursday at the Rose Garden.
Read Article >
