We Reminisce (And Look Forward): Spurs vs. Suns
Amar'e Stoudemire (photo. King Lawrence)
The Suns vs. Spurs is one of the most underrated rivalries in sports, and it even flies under the radar as an NBA rivalry. It seems that every year now we have a Spurs vs. Suns bloodbath to look forward to, although under different circumstances each time.
The rivalry dates back further than you might think, and Eric Newman, Dime’s resident NBA historian and the man famous for Throwback Thursdays, particularly remembers Charles Barkley drilling a game winning shot in David Robinson’s face in Game 6 of the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals after toying with him.
In 2007, it was the two-seeded Suns taking on the three-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. In this series, we had the famous Steve Nash waterfall-of-a nosebleed. And who can forget Game 4 when “Cheap Shot Bob” hockey checked Nash into the scorer’s table, causing Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to miss Game 5, and probably cost the Suns the series (and their best chance of winning a championship).
Oh yeah, and Game 3 was one of the worst officiated game in NBA history and Tim Donaghy was refereeing.
In the 2008 Playoffs, the six-seeded Suns looked like they were going to steal Game 1 from the three-seeded Spurs in San Antonio. That is, of course, until Michael Finley sent the game into OT with a three, and when one wasn’t enough, Tim Duncan hit his only triple of the season in OT to tie the game. The Spurs went on to win the game, and the demoralized Suns never recovered, losing the series in five games.
And now, we’re back under completely different circumstances. No Diaw, Bell, D’Antoni, Shaq, Finley or Horry. The Spurs are looking more like a two-seed than the seven-seed; they’ve got a rising star in George Hill that has bumped Tony Parker to the bench; and a rejuvenated Manu Ginobili reminding us why he’s one of the most exciting players to watch.
The Suns are the same run-and-gun team, but now they’ve got a more formidable bench, Channing Frye and Jared Dudley drilling a high percentage of threes and spreading the floor even more, Grant Hill looking like he’s 25, and Amar’e playing with a purpose. Different players, same teams, and the rivalry promises to be equally as intense.
What are your favorite Spurs vs. Suns memories? Who do you think is going to win this year’s series?
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May 3rd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
That's What's up says:
You guys can post heartbreaking video of another Spurs win tomorrow afternoon
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Banga says:
Tim Duncan hitting the game winning three out of a timeout last year
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Kermit The Washington says:
Oh come on…everyone should know by now that Steve Nash overreacted BADLY on the “hockey check” by Horry. If you’re not going to blame Amare and Boris themselves for leaving the bench like you should, then at least you have to blame Steve Nash for acting (again, BADLY) like he got shot by Lee Harvey Oswald!
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Gnasche says:
My favorite memories are how boos seem to make Manu play better.
I think if Phoenix had Lopez healthy then it would come down to a close game 7. However, as it stands, I’ll take the Spurs in 6.
I think Stat maintains his playoff 37ppg avg against the Spurs, but the rest of the Suns won’t get their usual shots.
Whoever wins the rebounding and turnover battle will win each game. They will control the pace.
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Rizwan says:
@ 1
Spurs suck, the SUNS are taking them out. Revenge part 1 of 4!
@ 3
ACTING?! Are you crazy, that moron took him out. Did you not watch the footage? Nash was coming down at pace, and ‘Cheap Shot’ Bob blatantly makes a move to his direction and Nash had nowhere to go but down. I cant even believe you would even comment like that, Steve Nash is the last person in the league I would say would overreact.
And, while we’re on the topic, why did the Spurs players get off the bench when Najera took out Ginobili? Only the Spurs knew too well that someone ought to control them.
I definitely feel a Suns series victory this time. I bought into the curse in 2008 and even more so after that 3 but this time something is different.
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:07 pm
the cynic says:
the Horry/Nash hip check doesn’t look as bad as I remember
The Duncan three was a classic moment
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:09 pm
the cynic says:
^ i think throwing someone down by the neck is a little worse then sticking your hip out
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Rizwan says:
@ 7
the point isnt the foul, its the fact that the players got off the bench. The foul was harder, yes, but from the player’s perspective (Diaw and Amare), the Nash was foul was a hard foul as well.
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:14 pm
phxrules says:
i’m a phoenix fan but nash waits almost a full 2 seconds before falling down, and what horry did doesn’t look to me all that different than anyone sliding to the side to draw a charge.
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Gnasche says:
You can legally get off the bench. You want to get a better look to see if your player is seriously hurt or not. What you cannot do is leave the area of the bench, as if your presence in the scuffle is the only way that justice will prevail. You only make it worse, which is why it’s a suspension if you do.
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:25 pm
dagwaller says:
Robert Horry was a goon.
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Mike Mihalow says:
Nash has even admitted that he oversold the hip check.
Best moment had to be the double OT game w/ Duncan’s 3. That was the best game of the season.
BTW, its not really a rivalry until the Suns can beat the Spurs in the playoffs, which isn’t happening anytime soon.
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Kermit The Washington says:
You guys are ridiculous. It’s so bad I can’t even tell if y’all are being sarcastic. Sure, it was an intentional hip check. But Nash oversold it; you can look at it from any angle you want and it’s obvious. We’re talking about Steven Nash here, people. You can’t be surprised by this…?
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:21 pm
rangerjohn says:
at least i am not the only one who KNOWS nash is an over actor, and the “hip check” was nothing more then horry moving over to take a foul but nash over acted on it. i say its nash’s fault amare and diaw got suspended, well and themselves. if nash hadnt of tried to get the flagrant his team mates would not have flown off the handle and not been suspended, then it would have just taken one extra game then it did for the spurs to send the phx stuns fishing.
spurs in 6.
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:22 pm
That's What's up says:
Rizwan. Do the Spurs Really suck? …or is it your team that swallows what we give them, season after season?
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:41 pm
rangerjohn says:
just a last thought on the “hip check”, had the “incident” taken place at half court would it have been a big a deal? i say NO. the fact that nash took a suspicious turn in mid flop (i know spurs fan calling flop, but then wouldnt a manu fan who had seen them all KNOW what a flop looks like i mean we have practice) right into the scorers table.
then bowen gets blamed for the bloody nose some times, showing pure hatred towards the spurs the suns fans are so blind they could not even see that nash ran into tony parker in a feeble attempt to defend him. and the “he stepped on my heal” move that wasnt, and the knee to the package all of which where nothing.
bottom line the suns where/are soft, and cry at every turn about how they got screwed.
did spurs fans cry about manus nose? nope they just laughed and talk about how he came back to own the mavs. or how about the 2 flagrant fouls on eddie n? nope, spurs just say “good hard playoff foul” and proceed to own the mavs.
well its the suns turn to get owned.
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
baron says:
Goddamn right, Nash shoulda took the hit like a man!!
And it’s Amare’s fault for acting like a damn hoodlum like he’s gonna rough someone up, sit yo monkey ass down, and shut up.
All of the articles and posts about how Phoenix is different and better and they “spread the floor even more” (???) is so paper thin. You know what it is?
WASH.
RINSE.
REPEAT.
Save it, we’ve heard your useless hype before. “It’ll be different this time!” No it won’t, come back to reality now and save yourself the torment. Phoenix has had so many killer lineups that failed it’s not even funny. They still don’t do one thing well:
GET STOPS.
Tell me, who is Nash going to guard??? You cannot tell me an answer, or you are a…
LIAR.
George Hill in 6.
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:42 pm
IceD says:
The foul on Nash was hard, but he did ham it up. Did you see him jump up really quick to hold Bell back?
May 4th, 2010 at 1:47 am
A-Slam says:
okay so who wants to keep talking now that phoenix won game 1 and not sound like an idiot?
May 4th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Rizwan says:
@ A-Slam
Exactly!!!
May 4th, 2010 at 8:21 am
IamAmare says:
c’mon spurs fans, speak up! nyahahahaha
May 4th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
baron says:
Hey I’m back, congratulations on the Game 1 victory. It was a must win game for y’all. Yeah I picked Phoenix to win Game 1.
Game 2 is another MUST WIN for Phoenix, if you lose Home Court Advantage then watch out.
Steve Nash is gonna have to play out of his mind again, he is 0-for-life against the Spurs.
We’ll see if Parker gets more minutes, and someone please tell me why he was on the bench for so long in the 4th?
Don’t act like y’all weren’t nervous as a motherfucker when they came back and tied it up late, either! hahahaha this is gonna be fun to watch