| 11 December 2009
Watching the Suns this season has meant following a traveling show - literally.
With an impressive 15-7 record so far, our guys have had just seven home games - and they've nailed each one. But their downfall has been those road miles with the Suns going just 8 - 7 when they've been forced to travel.
The inequity of a schedule that's treated one of the hottest Western Conference teams like scrubs has stacked the deck against us - and may have cost the Suns their narrow one point loss in Dallas on Tuesday. But Friday night presents a golden opportunity for some real get-back.
You know - the stuff that just makes you feel warm all over. Kind of like a little whiskey on a cold winter night.
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Ya' just hit the bottle for a little nip and get ready for a good time Friday evening.
We're saying that because the Orlando Magic are coming to town. Well - ahem - in this case maybe limping into town is more appropriate because Thursday saw Orlando blow an 18-point second quarter lead to go down to a 120-111 defeat in Salt Lake City at the hands of the Utah Jazz. And the defeat broke Orlando's road game winning streak that had racked-up nine wins.
So the Suns are 7-0 at home and a tired Orlando team is coming to Phoenix on a down note. What do you think dear reader - are the planets aligning just a little in our favor?!?
Adding fuel to the fire - the battle against Utah did not prove to be a good night for that Force of Nature known as Dwight Howard. A potentially dominant force, Howard hit just 6-11 from the field and racked-up just 18 points. And Orlando knocked down just 34 points from the paint - well below the 48 points from close range for Utah. How'sdoes that happen when you have a center as big and dominant as Howard? 'Tis a mystery.
The Magic's long range 3-point shooting game was also off their normal pace in the second half - and they closed out the night hitting only 40% from beyond the arc. Not very impressive when you consider that they were well over 50% from 3-point range early in the first-half.
All this indicates that Orlando may be ripe for the picking Friday but - to pull it off - the Suns need to play their game. Not just a game -but Their Game.
Jason Richardson - our awful streaky shooting guard - needs to hit shots. Not just exciting air balls - mind you - but actual baskets.
It happened in the Dallas game when J-Rich knocked down 45% of his shots from 2-point range for 25 points before the buzzer sounded. But even in that game there was a downfall for him - Richardson went only 1-6 from 3-point range. Against Orlando - he will have to step that up. And every other Suns starter will have to bring it as well.
See ya'.
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