The Suns Also Rise: Amare’s 42 Helps Phoenix Down L.A., 118-109

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: the Suns were the more aggressive team and they deserved to win Game 3. Amare Stoudemire was fantastic because he played more aggressively than he did in Games 1 and 2. The Lakers weren’t aggressive against Phoenix’s zone and that cost them.

With all that said, though, the free throw disparity in this game was kind of ridiculous. Nobody is saying both teams should get called for the same number of fouls, but the fact that Phoenix shot 42 free throws compared to just 20 for the Lakers is, well, fishy. Stoudemire himself nearly shot more free throws (18) than the entire Lakers team, and while Amare was aggressive driving to the basket, he also got bailed out several times. Or, more accurately, he got foul calls the Lakers didn’t get. As SB Nation’s Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll writes:

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) – Amare Stoudemire erupted for career playoff- high-tying 42 points to go with 11 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns climbed back into the Western Conference finals with a 118-109 Game 3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns were abused down in the post in losing the first two games in LA, but Stoudemire’s valiant effort, coupled with a 37-of-42 showing from the free throw line, helped Phoenix cut its series deficit to 2-1.

Preview courtesy of Sports Network.

The Lakers won their 10th straight home playoff game and eighth straight postseason contest overall.