[外電] Skirmish erupts in Suns' loss
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/11/12/20081112spt-suns.html
Skirmish erupts in Suns' loss
by Paul Coro - Nov. 12, 2008 11:11 PM
The Arizona Republic
The Suns lowered a shoulder, shoved and pushed until they had to be
restrained. It's just too bad for them they didn't have that kind of
fight and aggression before Wednesday night's third quarter.
The Suns had not been tested by a winning team in five games and
looked like it as they fed a slumping Houston team some confidence and
never fought back until they were 19 points down in the third quarter.
And then did they ever fight.
The Suns set off a third-quarter, multi-player tussle, but it was too
late in a 94-82 loss at US Airways Center.
Struggling with their shooting, (33 percent through three quarters),
the Suns hit Houston once a Tracy McGrady 3-pointer had put Phoenix in
a 74-55 hole in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter.
Just moments after Steve Nash clutched his shoulder after slamming into
a McGrady screen, Suns forward Matt Barnes lowered his shoulder into a
high screen set by Houston guard Rafer Alston as McGrady made the
3-pointer. Alston came back at Barnes in the middle of the floor,
where Nash soon showed up as he raced out of the lane. McGrady shoved
Nash out of the area, prompting Shaquille O'Neal to push down McGrady
and give more-gentle pushes to Yao Ming and Alston as well. The dust-up
carried crosscourt, with Suns coach Terry Porter trying to get between
the combatants.
The fights resulted in Barnes and Alston being ejected and technical
fouls for McGrady, Nash and O'Neal. But that was about all the
resistance the Suns could muster. Other than O'Neal cracking the NBA's
career top 10 in scoring on a third-quarter follow jam, the Suns did
not have anything to feel good about.
Amare Stoudemire was rendered mediocre by Luis Scola and friends,
scoring only 11 points in 36 minutes and getting to the free-throw line
just once.
Before he was ejected, Barnes missed four layups. Nash gave up more
scoring to Alston and Aaron Brooks than he created (four assists) or
made (4-of-10 shooting). Grant Hill was left on the floor until the
end of the game and still went scoreless a second consecutive time, a
first for him in his career.
McGrady had not practiced in the previous two days because of a lingering
knee problem and was having a 37 percent shooting season until Wednesday,
when he made 11 of 16 shots and scored 27 points.
And in a giant battle, Yao's 17 points and 15 rebounds now give him a
6-5 advantage in head-to-head matchups with O'Neal.
Report
Key player
Tracy McGrady had been struggling with 37 percent shooting but scored
15 third-quarter points to bust open the game.
Key moment
It can't be the fight, because it changed nothing. It was when the
defense had one stop on the Rockets' final nine first-quarter
possessions to wipe out the Suns' lead.
Key number
37.6: The Suns' shooting percentage despite a 5-for-10 start and not
counting the 14 possessions in which they turned it over.
View from press row
Courtside viewers would like to note that the New York Knicks had two
quarters Wednesday with as many points (37) as the Suns had in the
first half. But at least we found out in the third-quarter melee that
the Suns would fight for each other.
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