Poetry in Motion – A Steve Nash Story

[RMJH4]

Game 5 Phoenix Suns 97 - 62 Cleveland Cavaliers



Nash had a point to prove tonight, and showed the #1 draft pick how its done.

Phoenix Suns at Cleveland Cavaliers
Dec 23, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Phoenix (2-2)	27	22	19	29	97
Cleveland (1-2)	23	16	12	11	62

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Nash	28	8-17	2-5	3-4	1	7	1	0	0	21

Cleveland Cavaliers

Suns Starters
S. Nash
J. Dudley
G. Hill
C. Frye
M. Gortat

Cavs Starters
K. Irving
A. Parker
A. Gee
A. Jamison
S. Samuels

Game Leaders
Pts - 21 - S. Nash (Suns)
Rebs - 10 - M. Gortat (Suns)
Asts - 7 - S. Nash (Suns)
Stls - 3 - G. Hill (Suns)
Blks - 3 - M. Gortat (Suns)

Nash's Notebook

“It might be a shortened 58 game season, but its going to be a damn long one for Cavs fans. 62 points was damn awful. We ran our bench for most of the 2nd half too. Kyrie Irving (11pts, 6 assists and 3 rebs) along with the ageless Antwan Jamison (17pts, 6 rebs) were the Cavs only bright sparks in the game. Only Samardo Samuels scored in double figures too. What a totally lacklustre performance by the Cavs. I guess this is what you call tank mode!”

"On a more positive note however, we played well and got some solid practice time down. We ran some nice plays and got some easy buckets. I scored 21 pts and dished 7 dimes in 28 minutes. Bassy and Ronnie Price played a little more tonight, but unfortunately neither really impressed. Grant was impressive, scoring 17 pts, grabbing 2 rebs and dishing 3 asts out. Other notables for us were, Jared with 16 points, Shannon with 14 pts and Michael Redd with 11. The minutes for starting 2 guard are being hotly contested as of late, all the better for the team though."

"Marcus Morris 7 points and 7 rebounds. This is one tough kid. Regular numbers and regular minutes, this kid is coming up trumps. Coach had no problem putting him in as the first big man off the bench, and i would second that."

"One more road game in New Orleans before heading back to Phoenix to face the Bulls again. This is going to be one tough cramped schedule this season!"

[RMJH4]

Game 6 Phoenix Suns 79 - 75 New Orleans Hornets



Nash had very little in his way to the basket all night, no CP3 to bother him in New Orleans anymore..

Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Hornets
Dec 27, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Phoenix (3-2)	15	24	22	18	79
New Orleans (1-3)	27	27	13	8	75

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Nash	33	7-15	0-1	3-4	1	6	1	0	4	17

New Orleans Hornets

Suns Starters
S. Nash
J. Dudley
G. Hill
C. Frye
M. Gortat

Hornets Starters
J. Jack
E. Gordon
T. Ariza
C. Landry
C. Kaman

Game Leaders
Pts - 25 - E. Gordon (Hornets)
Rebs - 10 - C. Frye (Suns)
Asts - 6 - S. Nash (Suns)
Stls - 3 - G. Hill (Suns)
Blks - 2 - M. Gortat (Suns)

Nash's Notebook

“What a game of two halves! We started out slow and gained momentum in the 2nd half, and the Hornets went the polar opposite! Tough fought game, and very low scoring with some great defense played by both sides. With no CP3 anymore, Eric Gordon is the new leader in New Orleans. He was top scorer with 25 points, and really was tough to handle all game long. One of his buddies that also came over from the Clippers was Chris Kaman, who supported him with 12 points and 8 rebs. The scoring load was very evenly distributed, Jarrett Jack ran the show well with 5 assists and 9 points.”

"I led the way in scoring for us tonight with 17, I was surprised to be getting through the defense without Chris Paul hunting me down, a welcome relief to see Jarrett Jack in the rearview mirror! Grant was my main man yet again, with 16 pts, 3 rebs, 3 asts and 3 stls. Another all around performance from Jared Dudley too with 11 points, 4 rebs, 2 asts and a steal. But surprise performance of the night goes to Robin Lopez. He had 14 points and 6 boards. Played some great defense and made Marcin earn his minutes tonight, mostly at PF! "

"Marcin was quiet with 6 pts and 6 rebounds, but was very solid defensively as usual with 2 blocks. The Hornets have a very different dynamic without Chris Paul, and i'm glad we took advantage and picked up the win on the road."

"Back to Phoenix for 3 games now. The Bulls are up first, and we are hungry to avenge our defeat last week. I know Marcin wants to put Joakim Noah back in his box anyway..."

[RMJH4]

Game 7 Chicago Bulls 107 - 89 Phoenix Suns



D-Rose showed why he is reigning MVP tonight, and had a great battle with Nash

Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns
Dec 29, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Chicago (5-2)	30	26	25	26	107
Phoenix (4-2)	28	21	18	22	89

Chicago Bulls

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Nash	37	7-15	1-2	6-6	0	11	0	0	6	21

Bulls Starters
D. Rose
R. Hamilton
L. Deng
C. Boozer
J. Noah

Suns Starters
S. Nash
J. Dudley
G. Hill
C. Frye
M. Gortat

Game Leaders
Pts - 29 - D. Rose (Bulls)
Rebs - 17 - M. Gortat (Suns)
Asts - 11 - S. Nash (Suns)
Stls - 4 - L. Deng (Bulls)
Blks - 2 - M. Gortat (Suns)

Nash's Notebook

“Man this loss hurts tonight. We played our hearts out and were comprehensively beaten by the league leading Bulls. An 18 point loss at home just does not sit well. I realise we have just been on a tough 4 game road stretch, and probably took the foot off the pedal once we returned home. But the Bulls played out of their skins tonight, Rose was simply amazing, unstoppable.”

"We had a ding-dong battle all night. I had 21 points and 11 assists, but i turned the ball over 6 times, and Rose was there to capitalize on every one of them. Luol Deng was again the all around nightmare, with 22 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts, 4 stls and 1 block. Really reminded me of Grant in his prime tonight. Rip Hamilton again had over 20 points, 21 to be exact, but our 2 guard spot was a problem all night. Shannon Brown went down hard in the 2nd quarter and did not return. That left Jared and Michael Redd to pick up Rip, who gave them both the run around all night, running off screens to perfection."

"Marcin was excellent tonight though, 15pts and 17 rebounds, his best performance of the season. Really silencing Noah who only had 4pts and 6 rebs. Channing Frye was also strong with 11 pts and 6 rebs. They had a great battle with Carlos Boozer in the post, Boozer was one point off a double double though (9pts and 11 rebs)."

"Our wings were totally outmatched tonight. First time I ever seen Grant outplayed like that by Deng. Childress and Redd were similarly poor. Shannon was a big miss for his energy and persistent defense. We play the Bucks at home on New Years Day next, and we have got to come out gunning. We're back to 4-3 now. Gutted after the 3-1 road trip."

[RMJH4]

Shannon Brown out for Season



30th December 2011

Phoenix -- The Phoenix Suns are just fresh off a 3-1 East coast road trip. They returned home last night to face the Chicago Bulls, the only team they lost to on that road trip. They lost by 18, but an even bigger loss is 6th man Shannon Brown.

If they hope to build on that momentum this season, they'll have to do it without their energetic shooting guard, who just signed on a 1 year deal with the Suns this offseason.

Brown is expected to miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee, the team announced this morning.

"That's life," coach Alvin Gentry said. "You have to go and play. He's not going to be here. We can't worry about what ifs and what we should do to get him back. This is where we are. We'll certainly miss his energy, and I really feel for the guy. We'll have to re-evaluate his future here with the club."

The 6-foot-4, 211-pound Brown tore his right MCL in the second quarter of the Suns 107-89 loss vs Chicago on Thursday. Brown had an MRI last night, and the team learned of the prognosis this morning.

It's a crushing blow to the Suns and particularly Brown, who only signed a 1 year deal with the Suns. His contract may now be payed for by insurance for the Suns. Browns injury will put more of the onus on Michael Redd to be the Suns 6th Man, but he is still trying to find his game after missing most of the last three years with MCL and ACL injuries himself.

"This is a great opportunity for guys like Michael and Josh (Childress) who haven't played as much as they would have liked," Gentry said. "This is a great opportunity for a team to show their character, show what their made of, show their mental toughness because I don't think you can have success or growth without some kind of adversity."

[RMJH4]

Game 8 Milwaukee Bucks 97 - 87 Phoenix Suns



Nash throws a lob to Gortat, who finishes with 18 points tonight.

Milwakee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
Jan 1, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Milwakee (2-4)	20	28	15	34	97
Phoenix (4-3)	20	16	31	20	87

Milwakee Bucks

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Nash	30	5-9	0-1	4-4	3	7	0	0	8	14

Bucks Starters
B. Jennings
C. Delfino
S. Jackson
E. Ilyasova
A. Bogut

Suns Starters
S. Nash
J. Dudley
G. Hill
C. Frye
M. Gortat

Game Leaders
Pts - 28 - B. Jennings (Bucks)
Rebs - 10 - M. Gortat (Suns)
Asts - 7 - S. Nash (Suns)
Stls - 4 - B. Jennings (Bucks)
Blks - 2 - M. Gortat (Suns)

Nash's Notebook

“Tough loss and 2nd straight at home. Brandon Jennings was very difficult to contain, and he went off for 28 points. He stole it 4 times and really played the passing lanes very well. A big reason I ended up with 8 turnovers. Ilyasova had 17, the same as Captain Jack. Andrew Bogut had a big battle with Marcin in the post. Bogut had 11 pts and 6 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. All 12 Bucks players scored tonight, our defense just wasnt up to scratch.”

"Marcin had the slight edge in the post vs Bogut. Gortat finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. We connected on three nice alley-oops off pick and rolls. Jared Dudley had a strong game with 16 points, and went at it with Captain Jack in the 3rd quarter. The two had to be separated and received a double technical! Thats the fighting spirit! My 8 turnovers really hurt us tonight. I only had 7 assists and that just doesnt add up."

"Markieff Morris played hard in his 14 minutes tonight, scoring 14 pts and and grabbing 6 rebounds. Aside from that nobody else hit double figures. Our bench was outscored 35-14 tonight, and that really cost us in the end."

"We start the year at .500, 4-4. Starting 2012 from scratch. We face the Hornets at home next, and have a chance to go back over .500 again. We've beaten them once already this season, and we need another good performance and victory Tuesday night."

[RMJH4]

January 1st 2012





Nash, Gortat and Dudley led the Phoenix Suns to a rollercoaster 4-4 start, 8th Place in the West.

[RMJH4]

Game 9 New Orleans Hornets 106 - 94 Phoenix Suns



Nash again dominates Jarrett Jack, but it wasnt enough to grab a win.

New Orleans Hornets at Phoenix Suns
Jan 3, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New Orleans (2-4)	26	18	28	34	106
Phoenix (4-4)	18	27	22	27	94

New Orleans Hornets

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Nash	32	14-31	7-14	1-1	0	11	2	0	4	36

Hornets Starters
J. Jack
E. Gordon
T. Ariza
C. Landry
C. Kaman

Suns Starters
S. Nash
J. Dudley
G. Hill
C. Frye
M. Gortat

Game Leaders
Pts - 36 - S. Nash (Suns)
Rebs - 11 - C. Kaman (Hornets)
Asts - 11 - S. Nash (Suns)
Stls - 2 - S. Nash (Suns)
Blks - 3 - G. Hill (Suns)

Nash's Notebook

“3 Losses in a row, you have got to be kidding me. Slumping to 4-5 now. What hurts is I dont think I could have done anymore. 36 points and 11 assists. The only help I had was from Grant (14 pts, 6 rebs and 3 blks) and Channing (14 pts and 8 rebs). Jared had 12pts and 9 rebs. Everyone else scored 8 pts or under. The defense was awful. We allowed guys like Trevor Ariza (18pts, 7 rebs) and Jarrett Jack (23 pts, 7 asts) to go off on us. Eric Gordon is always gonna get buckets, but 26 just is too much.”

"Even Chris Kaman and Carl Landry scored 13 each. Their starters just crucified us. We got outplayed by one of the weaker teams in the West this year. I dont know how you can beat a team by 20, then turn around 2 wks later and lose by 12. "

"Marcin was quiet with 6 pts and 6 rebs. Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor had his number all night. Michael Redd is slowly getting back his game, but is still far too inconsistent. 8 pts but he didnt contribute much else. Shannon's injury is going to hurt us depth wise."

"Now standing at 4-5, we really have to pick up some wins quickly. We face the Jazz on the road next, before coming home to face the hapless Cavs. I can see us winning both, and it would be a nice boost after this awful home stretch."

[RMJH4]

Game 10 Phoenix Suns 97 - 102 Utah Jazz



Nash led the way tonight with another superb performance, but the Suns fell short again.

Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz
Jan 6, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Phoenix (4-5)	23	32	19	23	97
Utah (4-8)	23	25	31	23	102

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Nash	36	8-15	2-3	6-6	3	13	0	0	3	24

Utah Jazz

Suns Starters
S. Nash
J. Dudley
G. Hill
C. Frye
M. Gortat

Jazz Starters
D. Harris
CJ. Miles
J. Howard
P. Millsap
A. Jefferson

Game Leaders
Pts - 24 - S. Nash (Suns)
Rebs - 12 - P. Millsap (Jazz)
Asts - 13 - S. Nash (Suns)
Stls - 4 - D. Harris (Jazz)
Blks - 2 - M. Gortat (Suns)

Nash's Notebook

“The losing has got to stop. 4 in a row. The Jazz were 4-8 coming into this game. A worse record than ours, yet we still lost. I had a chat with Grant before the game, and tried to motivate him. His play had dropped off below his usual high standards recently. But tonight he came out and gave me some big help. 21pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts and 3 stls. An awesome all around performance. Channing Frye played well with 11 pts and 11 rebs too. Way to step up big guy. Marcin improved after his Hornets nightmare, just missing out on a double-double, with 9pts and 9 rebs. Again outside of those guys, we had little scoring or defense.”

"The Jazz had a very balanced team. Harris had 23 points, 4 rebs, 5 asts and 4 stls. He led the way and was very ably backed by his big men. Al Jefferson had 21 pts and 9 rebs, Paul Millsap had 16 pts and 12 rebs. Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter were the reserves, who really never let us dominate inside. It was tough to break through to the basket and we resorted to shooting from outside. But CJ Miles and Josh Howard are pretty decent perimeter defenders. "

"4-6. Off the back of 4 losses in a row. I've had 2 stellar performances in a row, but they have amounted to nothing. It pretty frustrating. Think its time to have a chat with some of the guys who have been shying away from the limelight. Its time to rise Phoenix."