Posts Tagged ‘Steve Nash’

Best Of Downtown Winners Announced

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

As part of the 17th Annual DREAMR Awards, which will be held Feb. 7 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, an online and write-in poll was conducted to determine your favorite Downtown Phoenix destinations. Here are your Best Of Downtown winners for 2010:

hero_factory_best_of Lunch Spot: Hero Factory

Breakfast Spot: First Watch

Happy Hour: Seamus McCaffrey’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Nightlife: Bar Smith

Place to Relax: Downtown Salon Phoenix

Cultural Attraction: Herberger Theater Center

HealthCoachWEB Retail Store: New York & Company

Athlete: Steve Nash

Personal Care: Health Coach Chiropractic and Physical Therapy

Congratulations to all the 2010 ”Best Of” winners!

Tags: bar smith, Best of Downtown Awards, downtown phoenix, Downtown Salon Phoenix, DREAMR, First Watch, Health Coach Chiropractic and Physical Therapy, Herberger Theater Center, Hero Factory, Hyatt Regeny Downtown, New York & Company, seamus mccaffrey's, Steve Nash
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Sports, Spotlight, Travel, Shopping & Leisure | No Comments »

7 Day Suns Planner

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

The Suns (17-8, 2nd in the Pacific Division) continue their pilgrimage through a brutal December schedule this week, with pivotal matchups against an Eastern Conference titan and a pair of up-and-coming teams led by budding superstars.

Thursday at Portland

The Suns travel up to Portland’s intimate (read: high school gym-like) Rose Garden to tangle with the Trailblazers in another showcase game on ESPN (8:30 tip). Let’s hope the World Wide Leader is a good-luck charm. Playing on ESPN last Friday, the Suns notched a signature 106-103 win over Eastern Conference heavy Orlando. The Blazers (15-11, 3rd in the Northwest Division) started the season hot before losing center Greg Oden to season-ending injury. Portland has since dropped three of five games, including losses at New York (the Suns can certainly empathize), at Cleveland, and at Milwaukee. Player to watch: Blazers All-Star guard Brandon Roy is averaging 21 points a game.

Saturday vs Washington

The Wizards (7-16, 5th in the Southeast Division) are coming off a 112-109 loss at Sacramento and are struggling so mightily that fans are being enlisted to help coach. Phoenix won 102-90 at Washington back on Nov. 8 behind 22 points from Jason Richardson and 17 assists from Steve Nash. Wiz coach Flip Saunders’ seat keeps getting hotter and hotter as Washington flops and flails despite having three All-Stars (Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas) on the roster. This is a game the Suns–who sport an unblemished 9-0 record at US Airways Center–absolutely must win. Player to watch: A’mare Stoudemire, who had 28 points and 14 rebounds in Tuesday’s 116-104 win over the much-hated Spurs.

Monday vs Cleveland

There are big games, and then there are BIG GAMES. Monday’s date with the Cavaliers (19-7, 1st in the Central Division) would fall into the latter category. Not only is it the only scheduled visit from former Suns center Shaquille O’Neal and a certain global icon named LeBron James, but it’s an opportunity for the Suns to exact a bit of revenge on the Cavs two weeks after getting throttled 107-90 in Cleveland on Dec. 2. Plus, a win would give the Suns a victory over each of the Eastern Conference’s Pantheon of elite teams (Orlando, Boston and Cleveland). Player to watch: O’Neal’s return to the desert is fun and all, but James is an electrifying once-in-a-generation player.

Wednesday vs Oklahoma City

No matter what happens against the Cavaliers, the Suns would be well advised to regain their focus quickly before lacing up against the Thunder (12-12, 4th in the Northwest Division). Led by third-year swingman Kevin Durant, who leads the team in points (27.8), rebound (7.1), steals (1.7) and appearances on SportsCenter (nightly), the Thunder also employs an electrifying second-year point guard in Russell Westbrook, who ASU fans might remember from his days with UCLA. Player to watch: Durant, who is fourth in the NBA in scoring behind Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Brandon Roy, downtown phoenix, Gilbert Arenas, Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, Jason Richardson, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Oklahoma City Thunder, phoenix suns, Portland TrailBlazeres, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, US Airways Center, Washington Wizards
Posted in Sports | 3 Comments »

Your 7-Day Suns Planner

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Last week in this space I discussed the Suns’ schedule, and how much more difficult December’s opponents are collectively than, say, October’s or November’s.

That entry didn’t mention the New York Knicks but perhaps it should have.

December got off to a rocky start for your favorite pro hoops squad as the Suns (14-5) were thoroughly humiliated by Mike D’Antoni’s Knicks 126-99 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Danilo Gallinari, David Lee and Al Harrington dominated Phoenix in the low post and the Suns–held below 100 points for the first time this season–were out-run-and-gunned by their old coach’s new (and far-less talented) team.

tyreke-evans Fortunately, there’s no time to mope about Knicks loss because a) the Suns still own one of the NBA’s best records; and b) tonight they visit their old pal Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and the 12-5 Cavaliers. Since opening the season at 0-2 the Cavaliers have ripped off 12 wins in 15 games and once again find themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The Suns were swept by Cleveland in last year’s two-game season series with Mo Williams averaging 37 points in the two Cavs victories. Steve Nash has averaged 25 points in his last three games against Cleveland. (Update: The Suns lost 107-90.)

Here’s the rest of the Suns’ week ahead:

Saturday vs Sacramento

At 8-8, the Kings are one of the league’s most pleasantly surprising teams due in large part to rookie point guard Tyreke Evans, who is averaging nearly 18 points and 5 assists a game. If you’re looking for a reason to come down to US Airways Center and see the game in person, Evans stands out on the marquee. He was Rookie of the Month for November and his oversized 6-foot-5 frame, ball-handling skills and court vision remind some of a young Magic Johnson.

Sunday at Los Angeles Lakers

Ugh. Playing Kobe and Co. at Staples Center is never a good time, as evidenced as recently as Nov. 12 when the Suns were discarded by the Lakers 121-102. This game is significant for a multitude of reasons, none more important than the head-to-head tie-breaker should the two teams end the season tied atop the Pacific Division. It’s a 7:30 p.m. start, which means you might want to head out to a sports bar so you can watch both the Suns and the Cardinals, who host the Vikings on Sunday Night Football. Here’s a list of the best places Downtown to watch a game.

Tuesday at Dallas

It’s always fun when Nash reunites with his BFF Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks but the last time the Suns were in Dallas (April 5) they were fighting for a playoff spot and got blown out on national TV 140-116. Nash loves playing his old team and has averaged 23 points and 11 assists in 26 games (including postseason) since signing with Phoenix but he won’t be the only player on the court facing his old team. Former Suns’ All-Star forward Shawn Marion has found a home with the Mavericks and is averaging 12.7 points a game, third on the team behind Nowitzki (27.2) and Jason Terry (17.8).

Go Suns!

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, downtown phoenix events, downtown phoenix sports, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, phoenix suns, Sacramento Kings, Shaquille O'Neal, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, US Airways Center
Posted in Music & Events, Sports | No Comments »

Suns Have Much To Be Thankful For

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

The Suns (11-3) take on the lowly Grizzlies (5-9) tonight at US Airways Center and since it’s Thanksgiving Eve, here’s a list of 10 things the team with the Western Conference’s best record (high five!) should be thankful for.

1 Tempered expectations: Two years ago the Suns were a Finals-or-Bust franchise ill-equipped to realize such lofty goals. A failed Shaquille O’Neal Experiment later, they were seen as, at best, a fringe playoff team. And that’s a good thing, because there’s no better receipe for overachievement than having the bar set ridiculously low.

2 Amar’e Stoudemire’s attitude adjustment: The Suns’ top asset isn’t scoring 20 points a game (19.9), but he isn’t talking about his unsettled future, either. Well played, Mr. Stoudemire. Plus, he looks amazing in those RecSpecs protective goggles, like Bo Outlaw with a smooth free throw stroke.

3 Steve Nash’s work visa: Nash, born in South Africa and raised Canadian, is playing every bit as well as he did when he was a back-to-back MVP in 2004-06. He’s not chucking so many threes and his 11.6 assists per game easily lead the league.

4 Louis Amundson’s hair: Despite only averaging 15 minutes a game, Amundson (pictured, left) is quite possibly the second-most popular Suns player behind Nash. Why? Because he leads the team in blocked shots (16), hustle points, and hair scrunchies.

5 The schedule-makers: Yes, the Suns have played the Lakers, Celtics and Magic, going 1-2 in those games, but the October-November schedule has been largely soft. December is a different story, with two games against both the Lakers and Cavaliers, plus dates with the Magic, Celtics, Maverics, Spurs and Trail Blazers.

6 Alvin Gentry: The Suns’ head coach is everything Mike D’Antoni isn’t–humble, malleable, defense literate–and the players are following his example. Plus, Gentry has somehow managed to use the 12 active players NBA rosters allow for, something D’Antoni never considered, let alone mastered.

7 Grant Hill’s close relationship with Ponce de Leon: The Suns choosing to re-sign Hill (or, rather, Hill choosing to re-up with the Suns) has proved brilliant. He’s leading the team in rebounding, has stepped up his defense (particularly in the fourth quarter), and has played in over 100 consecutive games, which is beyond staggering given his health history.

8 Channing Frye’s homecoming: The St. Mary’s and University of Arizona product has flourished since signing a two-year, mid-level exception deal with the Suns. He’s leading the team in three-pointers made and does just enough defensively to avoid being a liability.

9 The Cardinals’ relevancy: The Suns are used to being the only game in town during the winter months but not only are the Cardinals coming off a Super Bowl berth, they’re once again leading the NFC West and battling for (gasp!) a top-2 seed in the playoffs. With the sporting public’s attention split, the Suns don’t carry nine tons of pressure on their shoulders to provide Phoenix with a winner.

10 Jared Dudley’s Twitter account: Follow him at JaredDudley619. You’ll be glad you did.

Happy Thanksgiving Suns fans!

Tags: Alivin Gentry, Amare Stoudemire, Channing Frye, downtown phoenix, Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, Louis Amundson, Memphis Grizzlies, Mike D-Antoni, Steve Nash, Thanksgiving, US Airways Center
Posted in Featured, Sports | 1 Comment »

Forecasting the Suns

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

The addition of Channing Frye is just one reason the Suns are looking to return to the playoffs.

As I write this post the Phoenix Suns have just dropped their first game of the year, 122-100 at defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando. Despite last night’s lopsided road loss to a quality opponent, there are numerous reasons to believe that these Suns (4-1) are not only more entertaining than last year’s 46-win version, but far better equipped to compete for a mid-range playoff seed in the highly competitive Western Conference.

*University of Arizona product Channing Frye gives the team a low-post shot-blocker who can run the floor and shoot threes (he’s made an astonishing 15-of-22 from behind the arc to lead the team in both attempts and makes).

*Goran Dragic appears capable of providing 15-20 solid minutes a game at point guard in relief of Steve Nash. Last season, the team couldn’t afford to let Nash and his perpetually bad back rest for any extended minutes and the All-Star point guard’s fourth-quarter performance suffered.

*The Suns’ best offseason addition was one by subtraction. Dealing Shaquille O’Neal to Cleveland rid the team of some star appeal, sure, but it also allowed the Suns to return to their run-and-gun roots. With O’Neal clogging up the middle, the Suns’ offense sputtered without the benefit of improved defense, which was why President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr sent Shawn Marion to Miami in exchange for O’Neal in the first place. I miss Shaq’s goofball antics and clever sound bites, but I don’t miss his inability to guard a pick-and-roll.

*Amare Stoudemire wants to get paid. It’s no secret that the Suns’ star forward wants a contract extension, and the Suns played their cards with the precision of poker star Phil Ivey in making Stoudemire prove his worth, attitude and commitment before rewarding him.

*Alvin Gentry isn’t Mike D’Antoni, and that’s not a bad thing. Advanced as D’Antoni’s offensive schemes were, he was incurably stubborn when it came to extending his bench. Whereas D’Antoni routinely played 6-7 players the entire game, Gentry has 7 guys averaging 20-plus minutes a game with Louis Amundson playing 18, Dragic getting 15, and rookie Earl Clark’s minutes expected to grow as the season progresses. And Gentry deserves credit for extending the bench without sacrificing offense. The Suns are still averaging 111 points per game, which is second only to Denver and six points better than D’Antoni’s Knicks.

Although it’s only early November, it’s safe to say we’ll know more about the strength and character of this team once it completes this brutal East Coast road trip (which includes dates at Boston, Washington and Philadelphia) and returns to US Airways Center Nov. 11 to play New Orleans. It’s not delusional to project that the Suns will carry a 7-2 record, not to mention a pronounced swagger, into Los Angeles on Nov. 12 to take on the arch-nemesis Lakers.

By then, you can bet that Downtown Phoenix will have taken on a noticeable orange tint.

Tags: Alvin Gentry, Amare Stoudemire, Channing Frye, downtown phoenix, phoenix suns, Steve Nash, University of Arizona, US Airways Center
Posted in Featured, Sports | No Comments »