Possibly the only thing more aggravating than being eliminated from the postseason again, is to be “detained” in the arena where the latest elimination took place. My exit from the AT&T Center in San Antonio was far easier said than done after Game 5, especially when facing locked doors, chained gates and (for some reason) angry security guards at every turn.

Between the outcome of the game and the dejection in the visitors’ locker room during the postgame media scrum, I couldn’t wait to get out of that building – and with good reason.

Another all-too-short postseason exit after another 50-plus win regular season – a regular season that also happened to feature a franchise-altering trade, another pair of All-Star appearances – all en route to a fourth straight playoff berth. Of course, that’s little solace for a team that struggled out of an early Opening Round 3-0 hole, before going out in Game 5.

Back to the postgame locker room scene, there was no hostility (well, none that I experienced firsthand), even with the onslaught of camera, microphones and voice recorders at a time when nobody really feels like talking. Still, the Suns were asked every question possible about the series and the whole season. It always struck me as odd to flip that switch in mindset, from “how will you handle the opposition tonight” to “what do you think will happen this summer with this team?” – all in the span of a few hours.

I’m sure the finality of it all hadn’t quite sunk in yet… myself included. To their credit, the Suns answered all comers before filing onto the team bus for their final flight back to Phoenix.

As for what the immediate future holds for the Suns, well, that’s anybody’s guess. One thing is certain. The Suns will eventually rise again – just not today.

Or if Bell scores six more points and scores 20, the Suns will definitely win. This season, the Suns are undefeated when Bell has scored 20 or more.

Suns need to keep within themselves this last 6:43. Again, if the Suns play smart, there will be a game 6.

If Raja Bell can continue playing at this pace in the fourth quarter I really like our chances of Game 6 in Phoenix on Thursday night. Just remember Suns fans, ya gotta belieeeeeve!

Most of that run happened when Shaq went to the bench. At this point, I would hate to be in Mike D’Antoni’s shoes. Do you put Shaq in because he’s “The Big Diesel” or do you keep him on the bench because the team is rolling right now?

The great thing is that coach took Nash out and the team still kept the lead they had acquired while he was on the court.

Also, it will be interesting to see whether Hack-a-Shaq comes back to haunt the Spurs with all of the fouls their players have right now.

It’s good to see Diaw making the most of his newfound starting minutes. Prior to Game 5, as the Suns were watching some of the Hornets-Mavs game in the locker room, TNT analysts were supposedly knocking 3D, even after his big game Sunday. I say “supposedly,” because I couldn’t exactly hear the comments (I quite possibly may be going deaf from attending too many ballgames, I guess). Anyway, leave it to Gordan Giricek to fill in Boris, who was at his locker. Diaw was pretty entrenched with whatever he was listing to on his MP3 player to hear the original comments, but that certainly didn’t stop Girecek from going up to the forward and telling him what he thought of TNT’s criticism. Diaw didn’t seem too fazed. In fact, he was more upset a few minutes later, when he missed his image splashed across the TV thanks to a remote camera set up in the locker room.

This is by far the most important 2:20 so far this season as the suns need to buckle down and play hard and smart basketball to close the period.

1. That Gregg Popovich, who he considers the best coach in the league, would give in to using that strategy and
2. That Shaq hasn’t run anyone over yet to make everyone stop using it.

Now I don’t agree with “Hack-a-Shaq,” I never have, but it shows that San Antonio doesn’t care about being the good guy. They care about winning. They know that no one remembers how they won it, but that they won it. Is it better to have principles and lose or to win? It’s an interesting debate. I’m hoping that the Suns don’t have to give up one to get another.

Maybe Coach D’Antoni will start doing “Hack-a-Bowen” or “Hack-a-Oberto” to slow the game down to a crawl. Then, maybe, the league will take a look at the tactic…

Although they went into halftime down nine, the Suns haven’t come out with their heads down. They’re scrapping and playing aggressive. Boris had that nice little inside move and hook over Michael Finley. Raja canned a big three-pointer. Nash got up higher than I’ve seen him in quite a while to challenge a Bruce Bowen runner. Shaq blocked Duncan and then saved the ball from going out of bounds. And STAT fought former teammate Kurt Thomas for a loose ball.

I was a little nervous we might see a second half like we did in Game 6 a year ago when the Suns came out of the locker room and just melted down here in San Antonio. That was the most painful half of basketball I think I’ve ever suffered through. But I don’t think these guys are going to let that happen tonight.

The Suns do seem to have a bit more energy in the third quarter than they did previously. Hopefully, Steve can get some good passes to people and get some easy assists.

Nothing they can't and haven't before dug themselves out of. A nine point deficit weighs a lot heavier on the road with the season at stake, however.

The Suns will have to take the court to start the third like their playoff life hangs in the balance, which, of course, it does.

Instead of sitting baseline at the AT&T Center tonight, or in the press box halfway up Section 103, I’m watching tonight’s Game 5 from my living room couch. After Daniel Banks and I brought back two losses from San Antonio last week, I decided to change the lineup. The playoffs are all about adjustments, right?

In our place, Steve Koek and Josh Greene checked in, and carry the weight of the planet (orange) on their broad shoulders. That’s right. I’m giving them all the credit if the Suns’ pull out the road victory tonight and all the blame if the season comes to a close.

I’ve got confidence in my veterans, though. These guys have been through the wars, and stepped up big in big moments over the years. The dynamic duo was in Dallas when the Suns won Game 6 of the 2005 semis to advance to the Conference Finals, and were in LA when the Suns won Game 6 in overtime in 2006.

Although, on second thought, “Steven J” and “JAG” were on the trips that saw the Suns’ runs end in San Antonio in ‘05 and last year, too.

TIMEOUT! I need to make a couple substitutions.

The Spurs waste no time in fighting back with a beneficial trip to the line. The Suns and Spurs are playing like it's Game 7 but only the Suns are in a must-win situation...right? The Spurs are playing like a team who do not want to see Phoenix again. It's not that bad, the weather is nice and there are things to see and do...

Steve Nash just tried to draw two offensive fouls in a row and didn’t get either one of them. This is an important game for both teams so I hope the refs keep the game in control. I can see where the game could get out of control very quickly if the game is called too loosely. I’ve seen a lot of contact underneath the basket in the first two quarters and Amare and Shaq are both getting frustrated. We’ve seem some “chippiness” in other games around the NBA so I’m sure the refs are aware of what could happen as well.

Shaq must not pick up his third foul and the Suns need to take advantage of the Spurs geriatric lineup with Thomas, Barry, Duncan and Finley all on the court for San Antonio.

Good to see LB hit a corner pocket three (see, Tom Leander, I watch) and the Suns now take the lead, 36-34 almost 4 minutes into the second.

If the Suns can go on a nice run as the half approaches and come out with intensity and smarts to start the third, the Spurs will feel the heat of Planet Orange.

We've beaten this team here before, we've won four in a row before and the spurs do not want this series to go back to Arizona.

The Suns look to be pushing a bit and trying too hard to force the plays early tonight - they haven't had many changes to get comfortable on the run, but as the action heats up Nash should find his rhythm and adjust to Spurs defensive scheme.proving to be hot at home hitting 60% to keep the pressure on against the hopeful Suns.

Crawford, if you remember, was the official that had a run-in with Spurs center Tim Duncan a year ago that resulted in his suspension. If you all remember correctly, Duncan was ejected after laughing on the bench near Crawford. The two have quite the history together over the years, which culminated in a blow-out that day.

It is a good omen for the Suns, who need every little piece of good fortune to grab this game on the road. Hey, at least David Stern didn’t resurrect the services of Tim Donaghy.

Of course, that puts me right in the middle of thousands of screaming Spurs fans, but at least I have a better view of the action.

Looks like a good start for Diaw. Suns trail by three as the first begins to wind down.

Anyway, in case you can’t tell by now, this is all an elaborate setup for how well I remember Boston’s 0-3 comeback against New York back in 2004. I watched each and every game of that series and remember every sharp turn en route to that Game 7 blowout at Yankee Stadium.

Suns fans showed their support for the team by climbing Piestewa Peak on Tuesday morning.

As much as I hate to make the comparison, the Suns have a lot in common with that Red Sox team in terms of their “never-say-die” attitude against a bitter rival they’ve struggled in the past against. The series themselves share some similarities as well, with the Red Sox losing close contests in Games 1 and 2 before having their clocks cleaned completely in Game 3. Many expected Boston to just lay down in Game 4, but in front of their home fans they managed to pull out a grueling victory in 12 innings.

Not only did the Red Sox refuse to mail it in that night, but their fans also exhibited their dedication right from the opening pitch in Game 4. A good friend of mine was back in his hometown of Boston at the time and even went out and bought a Red Sox cap after the Game 3 blowout which he claimed would be the key to a series comeback. I asked, “You mean people in Boston still care?” to which he responded, “As long as this team is playing, people here are going to be into it.”

Suns fans are showing that same dedication and this morning showed it via a hike of Piestewa Peak. FOX 10’s Cory McCloskey along with members of the Suns Dancers and the Adio Sol Patrol accompanied fans making the hike, all in hopes that watching the sun rise would equate to the Suns rising over the Spurs in tonight’s Game 5 in San Antonio.

It’s great to see fans sticking with this team to the dying end, and for everyone who made the hike, I actually have a proposal. My friend from Boston wore his newly purchased hat for each and every game of the 2004 American League Championship Series from Game 4 on. So should we win tonight – which I think we will – I think it’s imperative to the series you continue your tradition of hiking Piestewa Peak the morning of each and every game forward… It’s easy for me to suggest though, I slept in this morning.

Vince and I were commenting on how fortunate we are to have our jobs and wondering how many fans back in phoenix would kill to be where we were. We vowed to think about that more and not to take our positions for granted.

As for the game, it's anyone's guess. West says both teams will be playing hard, the suns will win if they play smart and slow down at least one of the spurs big three. I asked him point-blank if we win. Long pause, wide smile. "Yeah, I think we do. I think we take it back home."

I think he's right.

Game 5, here we come!

Coach D'Antoni just got ejected for sticking up for his players. I think he just wanted to get back to his office to tidy up a bit before they head to San Antonio on Monday.

This looks like a complete reversal of Game 3. The Spurs are playing poorly, shooting only 38%, while the Suns are getting big-time production from a number of players. Raja has 24 points, 5 boards and 5 assists; Shaq has 14 points and 12 boards; Nash has 15 points and Barbosa 14.

Perhaps most impressive or valuable, though, has been Diaw’s play in the absence of G-Hill. Living up to his “3D” nickname, Diaw has 20 points, 10 ‘bounds and 8 assists, not to mention a couple of blocks.

Actually, Bell just drained another three-pointer, his 5th of the day. So maybe he is the star of the game. How great is it to see the three-balls falling again?

Ah, what the heck. Let’s give them all a game ball today!

Also, Amare is struggling to find his shots and is hitting just 28% of his attempts. But the team is there to cover his misses. Besides the phenomenal performance by Raja Bell, Boris Diaw is also scorching San Antonio with 18 points and seven rebounds. The Suns role players are refusing to lay down and have a great chance to send this thing to San Antonio for a Game Five.

The Suns are undefeated for the season when Raja Bell scores over 20 points in a game. Well, Bell poured in 21 in the first half. He shot 6-of-7 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from downtown.

Also, Boris Diaw had 10 points and Leandro Barbosa added eight in the first half. If two out the three players (Diaw, Bell, LB) score 15 or more points, the Suns are 17-2. So with the combination of Bell scoring over 20 and Diaw having scored over 15, the Suns have a double-whammy.

But please, stay on-line and tuned in to watch the rest.

The Suns have definitely picked up their intensity in this game. If they were acting like Game 3 didn’t matter at all, they have been acting like Game 4 means everything. And it does. They know as well as any of us do that if they don’t win this game, they will have a long off-season. Sure, they still have 3.5 games to win if they want to move on…but so far in this game, they’ve shown that they actually deserve to be here.

Making my way down the stairs through Section 203, down the escalator to level one, and down another flight of stairs to the basement, I passed Chuck Rathacker, my favorite security guard in the building, who had the quote of the day:

“We just need seven more halves of basketball like that.”

No kidding. Tossing out Game 3 completely, the Suns have actually put together three great first halves in this series so far. It’s been the third quarter that’s been their undoing.

But we’ve tipped off today’s third in good fashion with a quick Shaq bucket pushing our lead to 24 points.

The referees often react to Ginobili's flails, or flops, and reward him with foul calls. There is a certain genius to his game, which lies in his ability to initiate contact. On offense, Ginobili goes on the attack, using his off arm better than probably any player in the league.

He slaps away the defender with one arm, and because of his unorthodox style and long arms, he is able to get entangled with his defender and receive whistles. His style seems to mirror the soccer culture he was raised in.

In his native Argentina, soccer players often flop to get calls or exaggerate personal fouls so players can receive yellow or red cards. It is a part of the game over there. When a player is knocked down in Argentina, he rolls around on the ground looking for a call, whereas in America, kids are taught to bounce back up and show that you weren't fazed by the infraction. It's a difference in philosophy.

When I played overseas in Italy, I encountered this problem a lot with officials. The guys I guarded played the officials as well as the game. It is a different type of mentality and it puts pressure on the officials to make calls because on some level, they feel guilty for not whistling when they see a guy flailing and hitting the floor all of the time.

Besides being more aggressive with his off hand than any player in the league, he also comes around the high screen-and-rolls and pretends to get snagged up by his man on every possession. He always pitches his shoulder backwards as if the trail defender is holding him back.

So as you watch Ginobili for the rest of the series, look for his tendencies, and hopefully the officials will figure out them out as well…

The Suns aren't looking over their shoulder though, they're still trying to run past them on offense and run even faster on defense to keep the Spurs from getting easy buckets.

I'm obviously not the first to say Phoenix has to take it one game at a time, but as someone who watched each and every game of that 2004 Yankees-Red Sox series (where Boston won after trailing 3-0), I know how a series can turn. I can't make any promises on how this series will turn out, but I can predict the Suns will get better with each game played from here on out.

I know it wasn't the same deficit, but we all saw that in 2006 when they came back in that opening round Lakers series. You win a game tonight and yes, there's more pressure on us still, but there is some pressure on San Antonio to close out at home. Then all of a sudden you could be back in the desert for Game 6.

Let me stop myself though, it appears I'm already thinking too far ahead.

But Shaq said, "No."

The hack-a-Shaq strategy simply isn't working for the Spurs in this first quarter. Shaq is hitting his shots (5 of 8 ) and the Suns are scoring points nearly every trip down the court.

The Suns are running, gunning, and breathing life into their playoff hopes.

It is only natural that the Spurs take their foot a little off of the gas pedal in this game, leaving them vulnerable to the Suns’ attack. We’ll see if Steve Nash can get everyone going early, that way, if the Suns go down today, they’ll go down fighting tooth and nail.

It’s still amazing to me that the Suns find themselves in this position after the season that they’ve had and the promise that they’ve shown. I pondered the thought that if Game 1 and Game 2 had flipped in chronological order, perhaps the Suns would have felt better about themselves when they returned to Phoenix for Game 3.

Everyone expected the Suns to lose Game 1. It’s one of those games where the pressure is always on the home team to win. So if they lost Game 1 like they lost Game 2, then they would have come back to Phoenix having just lost on the Manu Ginobili drive in double-OT. The mentality would have been, ok, we’re gaining on them and we just lost by one play, and they did what they had to do on their home court.

But I think that loss in Game 1 made the Suns feel like they squandered their best opportunity to win the series, and they haven’t recovered emotionally. The mood in the locker room was a little somber, but after a riveting intro and a pumped-up home crowd, the Suns have to be feeling a little better.

Let’s see if they can pull of the back-door sweep…

Game 4 is about to tip-off and they just showed a video on the big screens that gave me chills. Picture orange tinted highlights of Nash pumping his fists, D'Antoni screaming, Bell clenching his hands and yelling, and Shaq warning "Don't Wake Me Up!"

The screen then showed these messages, one at a time:

6 COACHES

14 PLAYERS

19,000 SCREAMING FANS

TOGETHER WE ARE ONE

LET'S MAKE HISTORY

For example, they just played a clip of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team defeating Team USSR and asked the crowd: "Do you believe in miracles?"

In Game 3, D'Antoni wanted to start Leandro Barbosa so he could get back into his offensive rhythm. But due to Tony Parker's offensive explosion against Phoenix in that game, D'Antoni has decided to counter that by starting Diaw.

Diaw, more familiar with Parker's tendencies than anyone in the league, can provide the length to get out and bother Parker on the high screen-and-roll. Besides growing up with Parker and being his best man at his wedding last summer, Coach D'Antoni believes that Diaw performed more efficiently than anyone else.

Everyone knows the probability of our future, everyone knows the history of teams in our situation, and everyone knows the odds are against a miraculous comebacks. Any sane person would go into today's game with some measure of doubt, or at least guarded optimism.

Notice I said any sane person. It's in these kinds of games where we find the difference between a follower and a fanatic. Look for the fans who come decked out in their brightest orange for a chance to cheer for this team. Look for the loudest cheers from the top corners of the US Airways Center... first or fourth quarter, advancing or eliminated - the fanatics who cheer for the Phoenix Suns unconditionally. Those are the people I want to be around today.

As much as I’d like to make him out to be meaner in the situation than he actually was, Robert Horry scared a reporter right out of the lockerroom during media access. The team was again playing game film on their big screen which an unaware reporter stood directly in front of… for a very long time. Horry- seated at his locker - was the only one actually watching and rather than say anything, just stared at the oblivious reporter blankly. A bunch of us were up against the wall watching and wondering when the guy was going to catch on that he was in Horry’s way. The reporter finally made eye contact with Horry whose eyes grew in size to make his frustration apparent. The reporter looked back, saw he was standing in front of the large screen, heard the laughs of other reporters against the wall and walked right out.

Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich had some really interesting things to say in his pregame huddle. He must’ve been satisfied with our selection of questions as he gave a lot more insight than usual:

(On Suns coming out ready to play): “Just because we’re up 3-0 doesn’t mean we’re not playing a very good basketball and a team with a lot of people who want to win badly. They’ve got a lot of character so this will be a very big challenge for us… We happen to be ahead in this series but the series isn’t over.”

(On whether or not Phoenix’s style can win a title): “Nobody knows what can win a title. It works in the sense you can win doing what Phoenix has done. The fact that they haven’t won doesn’t necessarily mean that the system isn’t good enough, it could mean the other team was better or more talented or playing better at the time. But because there has to be a story, it must be the system, or the coach, or the players not bringing it. There has to be a reason and oftentimes that reason is misplaced.”

(On Grant Hill): “Grant obviously has some bumps and bruises that are keeping him from being 100% which is unfortunate for both him and his team. He was the comeback story and everybody really enjoyed having him in the league. Whether he’s on your team or not, you’ve got to love a guy who comes back after all he’s been through and plays. I’m sure he played in pain in Game 3, he’s just not the type of guy who’s going to complain about it, he’s just going to do the best he can.”

In my last game blog, I compared the Spurs to the NFL’s New England Patriots. Fitting that this morning one of the reporters would hint at that to Popovich who wouldn’t bite. She asked if there were certain coaches in professional sports he looks to for tidbits from a mental standpoint.

“Sure,” the Head Coach responded. “I enjoy seeing what other people do as far as strategically what kind of chances they might take or might not take and what their approach is in different situations. You can always learn something in that regards.”

When the reporter asked him if he would mention anybody specifically, Popovich stated, “Nobody that I would name.”

Before the reporter could even finish the name Bill Belichick, Popovich grinned and interrupted, “I wouldn’t name anybody. That’s a bucket of worms.”

First, you have the fact that no NBA team has managed a comeback when down 3-0. Second, you have the Spurs who have done the dirty work against this team before. And finally, today's game is a Sunday ABC game. The Suns have had trouble with those games this season and will have to find a way to win while the sun is up. And find a way to win against the Spurs. And find a way to stay alive when facing an an early exit. It's a tall order, but today it is their only hope.

Are the Suns going to show some pride and get at least one game out of this series? The thought of needing to win four to keep going in the season is pretty daunting. Even one win at this point seems daunting. So maybe the Suns need to just play quarter by quarter. If they win the four quarters, they’ll win the game. If they win this game then they can think about the first quarter of Game 5.

I know it’s easier to doubt than it is to believe at this point but I can’t find it in me to give up quite yet.

Go Suns!

When two out of the three of those guys score 15 points or more, the Suns are 17-2. LB has hit for 20 points already, whereas Diaw only has six and Bell has two. One of those guys are going to have to get hot and make the defense pay for when they collapse on STAT, Shaq and Nash.

Nash, who was quiet the first half, became more aggressive in the third before going out of the game for his usual fourth-quarter rest. Look for him to attack voraciously when he re-enters the contest.

It’s do or die time Suns fans…

“I don’t think I’ll ever, ever disassociate myself,” he told me. “You can’t give birth to something and watch it grow and mature, and not be deeply, passionately involved. So, whether I’m here or with the team or not, I’m watching and nothing has changed in terms of my emotions. They run the full gamut with how the team is doing, so the first two games were gut-wrenching to say the least.”

Although the Suns find themselves down 0-2 to the defending champion Spurs, Colangelo said he was still confident that they could come back and win this series.

“After 40 years, I’ve seen a lot of those games and circumstances just like this. Now it’s time to turn things around and make it a series, and go from there.”

LB was held scoreless for the first time all season in Game 2. The first quarter tonight was nothing to write home about either, but the Brazilian Blur really found his groove in the second quarter, racking up a quick 10 points in the first five minutes. And he just hit a three-pointer to close the gap to six with just under eight to play in the half.

It almost makes me wish my parents used a stick to motivate me growing up. Almost.

The injury of Grant Hill is really felt here because he guarded Tony Parker during the regular season. Parker is too quick for Nash to fight over the screen on, and Shaq has never been able to hedge out and help his point guards. When he was younger, he was better, but he preferred to retreat to the lane and block shots, while athletic guards like Derek Fisher and Dwyane Wade could fight over the screen.

Unfortunately, we don’t have that option, which leads to Parker drilling jumper after jumper. Or, if Shaq or STAT do help out, they can swing it to Duncan or Thomas, who also coolly nail the mid-range jumpers. Hill provided that knack of being able to guard smaller and quicker guys because he had the length to recover in time to contest Parker’s jumpers. Now, a step slower, he just can’t get out to him.

In addition, with LB at the 2 and Raja Bell and the 3, the Suns can’t try to zone the Spurs because Bell would be the weak-side rebounder. Hill or Diaw would be great on the weak-side, but Hill in injured and D’Antoni rarely plays Boris at the small forward because he gives up a lot on the offensive end when he does that.

We’ll see how they try to solve this…

Now she probably wouldn’t be too upset if the Suns didn’t advance past this round, as it would mean I would be home more at night and on weekends. But she does enjoy attending games this time of year.

This may be the last game I let her go to, though. For the second time in a row (April 1st was the first), she wore black and white clothes to a Suns-Spurs matchup. Now whether it was a sub-conscious decision or she just chose her favorite Old Navy outfit, I don’t know. But it doesn’t look good. I think she’s the only fan sitting in section 109 wearing black. I just hope she makes it through the game without getting beer poured on her.

Heck, with the Spurs currently leading by 12 points, she may be lucky to make it through the first quarter without some Bud Light shampoo.

The annual award doesn’t get nearly the attention that the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, or Sixth Man does, of course, but it is a pretty awesome recognition if you think about it.

Grant was singled out from the more than 400 players in the Association for demonstrating “ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.” Even more impressive is the fact that he became the first player ever to win the award twice.

”It was a bit of a shock,” Hill admitted prior to the game. “It definitely feels good, especially knowing that your colleagues, fellow players in the league voted on. It’s a great honor.

“I try to go out and be professional, and play the right way, be competitive but also respect the game and have respect for my opponent.”

Leandro Barbosa is going to start in place of Grant Hill, who is laboring with a strained groin. Coach Mike D’Antoni considered starting Boris Diaw, but if one of his bigs got tired, he wanted to be able to sub in Boris to provide some relief.

Last game LB was 0-of-7, so let’s hope the start will get him going…

Let the game begin!

Game 3 is a little over 10 minutes from tip-off as I type my first entry in our official game-night blog way up above Section 203. And when I say “way up,” I mean way, way up. We’re in a converted balcony up in the rafters that was, in a previous life, the organ loft for the Phoenix Coyotes back when they were still tenants at US Airways Center. Talk about nose-bleed seats.

But these are our nose-bleed seats and we’re darn proud of them. We discovered our own little paradise in the spring of 2007 while searching through a long-deserted storage room up here on level 6. And although it took a makeover that would make Ty Pennington proud, we were able to successfully convert it into a private press lounge we affectionately call the “Suns.com Skybox.”

So if I make any comments about the game tonight that seem a little “off,” or give credit to the wrong player for a big bucket or hard foul, forgive me. It’s not easy typing and looking through binoculars at the same time.

I’m not nervous that we’ll lose. It’s just that pre-game jitters I seem to get before all playoff games the Suns participate in. In my previous job, I always had to travel during the first few rounds of the playoffs so I would watch the games in my hotel room. A couple of years ago I happened to be in Los Angeles during the Suns/Lakers series. Unfortunately, the games were taking place in Phoenix. So I would save all of my “per diem” money and eat as little as possible during the day so I could splurge on dinner when I ordered room service. It wasn’t great for my weight but it sure was fun! Ceaser salad, hamburger, french fries, rolls, some kind of dessert and lots and lots of water. For some reason watching the Suns makes me thirsty.

When I ordered room service one time, the guy who delivered it saw me in my Suns gear (Suns shorts, shirt, hat) and immediately started giving me a hard time. I reminded him I hadn’t tipped him yet and that stopped him from talking for awhile. But he did take a break for a few minutes and watched the game with me. He was bad luck for the Suns and the Lakers started going on a run so I signed the receipt and told him he better leave. I can’t remember that game very well but I do remember I ate way too much because I wasn’t paying attention to what I was eating. I was too nervous during the game!

Last year, I was on the road for the infamous game 5 of the Suns/Spurs series. I think I’ve written about this before but just to recap: It was a frustrating game. I couldn’t help but whoop and holler when the Suns did well or groan and throw rolls at the TV when the Spurs did well. When the Suns finally lost that game, I’m sure I probably made the people in the room next to me think I was crazy as I kept banging the back of my head against the wall.

I have great memories of watching the games on the road, even if it was by myself in a place far, far away from Phoenix. But I sure am glad to be at the arena tonight cheering on the Suns! GO SUNS!!

You would swear being around those guys they were the ones down 0-2 in the series but that’s how Popovich runs his ship and with the results they’ve had over the years, it’s hard to argue. I still like the scenario where the good guys can win doing things the right way and was thrilled to see Tony Dungy do it in the Super Bowl with Indianapolis a couple of years back (it might also have something to do with me being a Colts fan). But that’s what the Suns-Spurs rivalry reminds me of is Colts-Patriots. One is media friendly and great to be around, the other… not so much. But I can honestly say I’d rather win one championship with integrity and acting like a civilized human being than three or four by conducting myself in a manner everybody in the outside world had a problem with.

That’s just me though, people are free to make their own decisions. I’m deciding now what kind of ice cream I will be grabbing at halftime but that’s still a good amount of time away.

Why did you collapse in the third quarter after such a strong first half?

Why did Parker and Ginobili go off?

Why were you struggling with your shot, Leandro?

Why did you not play down the stretch, Grant?

It's not easy or fun asking those sorts of questions, and its got to be even less fun to be asked them.

Understandably, the Suns didnt have many answers tonight. There were a lot of IDKs, or I Don't Knows. No one had an answer for the 3rd quarter scoring drought. No one knew how or why the Spurs guards were able to explode for 61 points. LB offered no excuse for his 0-7 shooting night. And Grant didn't know why he didn't play late in the game. Well, maybe he did know, as he admitted he wasn't sure if he even could have helped with his groing strain slowing him down once again.

No one had any answers, but everyone to a man said they'll be ready for Game 3 on Friday in Phoenix.

Yes, winning four out of the next five games against the defending champs will be tough. But if the Suns can hold serve on their home court they'll be back here next week all tied up.

Don't forget, all the Suns need is one win here in San Antonio. I dont know about you, but I think they'll get it. And I look forward to going into the locker room after that one.

Steve Nash's ability to operate has been thwarted by missed shots by the Suns perimeter players, allowing the spurs to suffocate the paint and focus on stopping the Steve-STAT connection.

It's difficult to find something that's going right for the Suns in this second half, but there's still 10 minutes to turn things around.

Are you calling me a liar??

The Suns enter the fourth hitting 48.4% of their shots while the Spurs are hitting 47.7%. The Suns' biggest problem wasn't missing shots...it was getting shots off. The Spurs were successful in disrupting their offense, occupying their passing lanes, and getting under their skin.

Step 1 of a comeback is to protect the ball. And Step 2 is score more points than your opponent. It's just a two-step process I guess.

And I am going to do some research on this, or maybe ask our “By the Numbers” blogger Dan Hilton to do it, but I would guess that most teams always come back on Phoenix during the third quarter.

Now I’ve never played in the NBA, but every good team I’ve ever played on was very mindful of starting quarters well. If you set the tone, the other team has to respond. Right now, the Spurs are setting the tone, and the Suns are the team that’s reacting. And without doing research, from the games I’ve seen, I’d guess the Spurs are one of the top teams in the league at starting the third period.

So what is the difference between the two teams? Mentality. Phoenix has the talent, and position by position is probably individually better. But the Spurs are really adept at locking in mentally during crucial points of the game, and collectively focusing on the goal at hand. Great teams look at the big picture of a game, but they play it in small increments (ie. First few minutes of the second half, when a key player heads to the bench).

Having guys that are winners like Shaq and Grant Hill really help the Suns become the type of team that can be successful in having that mentality. We shall see if they can put it together during this last quarter…

So far this quarter the Spurs have cornered the market on hustle, but the Suns are now the team that remains within striking distance. No excuses now, it's a comeback tonight or come back home 0-2.

I am not a Spurs fan by any stretch, but you've got to give them credit as a great defensive team and they are demonstrating that loud and clear right now.

How do we score 35 points in the opening quarter and only 2 in the last 9 minutes? This could go down as a record low quarter for us.

San Antonio's defense is aggressive and physical, forcing Nash to move with the ball and so far the Suns haven't been able to adjust - leading to a batch of frustrating turnovers here in the quarter.

Who will find the weakness in their armor? I'm hoping Grant Hill has a little "Magic" left in him tonight...

My press seat is about halfway up the lower bowl tonight, right in front of the "Baseline Bums," San Antonio's roudiest fans. I'm not sure why I didn't get my corner court seat again. Maybe because of the "People's Eyebrow" I shot at Duncan when he almost bowled me over last game?

Anyway, when Shaq was just fouled across the face by Kurt Thomas, the Bums started chanting "Hit him again! Hit him again! Harder! Harder!"

That's just cold.

The Spurs have been feeding off of momentum and their fans sense blood in the water in this third quarter - the Suns need a big three pointer to force a Pop timeout and bring a little silence to this center.

The most interesting thing I found was on the ESPN Suns/Spurs series page.

Even with the Suns up by seven and leading nearly the entire game, the ESPN Accuscore Projections are showing the Spurs have a 62% chance of winning the game. They don't say exactly why they have it going that way but I imagine has something to do with the runs the teams have been on and who is scoring for each team.

The Spurs "Big 3" have scored 51 of their 54 points. I'm curious to see if they can keep that up in the second half or whether they'll start getting tired.

If you want to discuss the game live, you can also go to PlanetOrange Live. You can talk to fans in real time.

Well, it looks like whatever plan Head Coach Mike D’Antoni had for playing STAT on Duncan has been quickly scrapped. In fact, D’Antoni is responding to the Spurs’ substitution pattern by taking Shaq out when Duncan comes out. He has Shaq on him like flies on a rib roast.

It seems to be working, and I think it will be effective just as long as Shaq stays out of foul trouble. Although, the intelligence of Shaq cannot be underestimated in that department either. Shaq is excellent even with foul trouble. Flashback to last game, when Shaq not only blocked Duncan, but forced an airball and bothered him repeatedly late in the game, despite playing with five fouls.

Shaq is so vital on defense that the Spurs elected not to call a timeout before Manu Ginobili’s game-winning shot because they didn’t want him to re-enter the game. People just don’ understand what a presence he is out there, even when he isn’t putting up the numbers he used to post in the past. You can’t teach 7-feet, smart and agile…

I have been nervous all day for this game. I can't remember if this was how I was like in previous playoffs or not. This is my first playoffs working for the Suns and I don't know if I'm more nervous for the actual game or for all of the things I need to do during the game!

I have to update a lot of the small things that happen on the site during the 2nd half and I don't want to mess anything up to the point where you guys can't get to the site. It's really hard to watch the game and work on the site at the same time because I'm not sure where to focus my eyes.

Well, since I've been typing this there are now 1:30 seconds left in the 1st quarter and the Suns are up 31-17. GO SUNS!

"This is a tourist attraction. Why not drain it and put in some pebbleteck or something? I wouldn't even want to eat next to that water!"

I didn't mind eating by the river personally -- the breeze and sounds of flowing water makes for a relaxing combination -- but the catfish that the Spurs served in the press room tasted like it came out of the river. To say the least, I was not a fan. As David Griffin and I used to say back when were interns and the press dining was bad: "Hot dog night!"

The bus just pulled up and Coach D'Antoni was the first one out of the hotel doors ready to board. I talked to him for a moment or two in the lobby and he didnt seem as tense as he did last game at this point, but he admitted to being nervous. Cant blame him. I am too and I'm not responsible for the gameplan.

When you travel with the team, your luggage is delivered to your room upon check-in and picked up for you at check-out. I'm always nervous, though, that in the hustle of collecting Shaq, STAT and Bell's suitcases, mine are going to be forgotten. And you know Raja's gotta have a lot of bags, being the fashion fan he is.

I actually wouldn't be too heart broken if i lost my bag, although my kids might be upset if I didn't bring home gifts (pink cowgirl hat and an X-Men Juggenaut figure, in case you're wondering).

I went and did a little souvenir shopping this afternoon after some shooting some video of the Alamo and Riverwalk. Outside the hotel there were a couple of die-hard Suns fans decked out head-to-toe in orange gear, bodypaint and wigs, carrying "scorch the spurs" signs and bells to ring for Raja. They told me they'd just gotten kicked out of the Alamo for "advertising" and were even threatened with tresspassing charges. Could San Antonio fans be nervous or even stressed about tonight's game?

Watching TNT last night and ESPN today, I've heard the term "must win" thrown around a lot in regards to tonight's Game 2. I'm not sure I agree, as I could easily see the Suns winning the next two games at US Airways Center, but boy would a win be reassuring.

You may have caught a quick glimpse of me late in regulation. At least I think it was regulation. It's all a bit of a blur at the moment.

At some point late in the game, I was sitting in my corner, filming the Suns reserves standing and screaming in front of the bench to my right, when suddenly i heard footsteps. Loud footsteps.

I looked up just in time to see what I think were shoes flying by me. I also caught a glimpse of some legs, knees and other unknown bodyparts as they crashed into me and my camera. Now I'm not going to exaggerate and say I got clobberred or crushed or any such adjective. It really didn't even hurt, but was surprising to say the least. Sitting back up, I found Tim Duncan's face staring straight at mine with a concerned look on it.

"You okay?"

Suns.com's Multimedia Manager, Steven J. Koek, texted me afterwards to ask if he actually saw me dismiss Duncan like Shaq had back on April 1st. You may recall that "The Diesel" got knocked to the ground and Duncan reached his hand down to try and help him up, but Shaq ignored it before accepting the hands of his teammates who ran over to help.

Now, I couldn't think quickly enough to say anything other than, "I'm good," but I did immediately recall the time Dennis Rodman kicked a courtside cameraman in the "gonads," as Amare would say. Strange how the mind works, isn't it?

But I'm not feeling so good now, an hour or two later. No, I'm not suffering from whiplash or anything, although my back does hurt from sitting hunched over on the floor all afternoon. I still feel confident, of course, that the Suns have a serious shot at going all the way this year, but boy I'd feel so much better right now if we had pulled that win out.

"That was confusing," Raja told reporters after the loss, referring to Duncan's first 3-pointer of the season, which forced the second overtime. "I've seen him hit one before on SportsCenter, but never against me before...

"It wouldn't be Suns-Spurs unless something funky happened."

The Suns are down a man, but within their grasp, they have a chance to take them down. Just as Duncan did for the Spurs in the first half, Nash is carrying this team in the final minutes.

In the third quarter I just saw him flop on two occasions that would have made any Italian soccer star proud. Somewhere Vlade Divac is rolling over in his grave.

First he drew a foul on Shaq when Shaq was trying to catch a lob. Then commentator (and former Knick great) Mark Jackson pointed out how he flopped at the top of the key and drew a foul on STAT. Jackson aptly nicknamed him “Denzel Thomas” for his Oscar-winning performance.

What was most humorous about that play was that you didn’t know if Ginobili or Thomas was going to flop first. It was like watching “The Departed.” Too many good actors fighting with each other to steal the scene, but containing themselves just enough to pull it off. Simply riveting.

Now, I don’t know if his salary would have been worth carrying around all year, but I think Dreamworks has just found the next great talent…

This time around, the Spurs are the ones seething at the whistle-blowers after they picked up a couple of offensive fouls. I won't go so far as to say they are complaining to the refs too much, but they are, shall we say, distracted. The Suns are holding on to their lead despite a strong showing from Tony and Manu in the third quarter.

One of my good friends from the Spurs stopped by to explain that the Spurs lost to Denver in the first game last year and went on to win the series... it seems he's already assuming the Spurs will lose today. The Suns are 12 minutes away from making that a reality. Fire it up!

Actually, they dont need me, theyve got a big metal box right behind the bench that's like a saunna for towels. If you look closely at the bench during timeouts, you might see steam coming out of Pike's ears. Its not because he's mad, its because they keep opening the box and pulling out heating pads for our guys to cover their legs and keep their muscles warm. Whatever it takes, right?

Between shooting video, a few still photos and writing blogs, I havent paid real close attention so far, but it looks like we've put together a strong first half of playoff basketball, even with our biggest man in foul trouble.

The Spurs ball boys just cleaned up all the Gatorade cups, gum wrappers and litter under the Suns' bench. I wonder if they could auction those off on eBay? After the All-Star Game in Houston a few years back, Josh Greene and I grabbed Shawn Marion's ankle tape after he had cut it off, and were planning to auction it on Suns.com for Suns Charities, but forgot all about it. About six weeks later I pulled my gym bag out to pack for another trip and found the stinky tape all shrivelled up in the bag!

Well, the Suns are back out and Linton Johnson has joined me on the bench. I told him that our fans on PlanetOrange.net were excited when the Suns re-signed him for the postseason.

"Man, there's no place I'd rather be," he told me, noting that he had watched last year's Suns-Spurs series closely.

Johnson impressed the Suns' coaches during his two 10-day stints in February and hopes his defensive effort will see him back next year.

"It's like a professional rennaisance," he said.

Third quarter here we come!

The most impressive halftime stat is rebounding - the Suns are making it a team effort and have a 24-18 edge over the usually board-greedy Spurs. Grant Hill has six of the Suns' 24 and hasn't missed a shot yet today. Welcome to Suns playoffs, Grant, we're certainly glad to have you.

Tim Duncan is carrying the home team on his back with 20 of their 40 points. Nobody else is in double figures. Manu Ginoibli and Tony Parker have been limited (shooting 4-of-16 combined), but the Suns know they'll find a way to make trouble before this game is over.

I don’t get to hear Jeff Van Gundy’s analysis much, but he’s a riot. Here are a few of his gems so far today:

(Brian Skinner) shouldn’t have gotten two free throws with that goatee. He should have to forfeit one of the free throws.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
1:15 pm
Daniel Banks

A Spurs run was bound to happen, and the noise in this place is starting to grow as fans sense an opportunity to climb back into this game. The Suns are weathering the storm-yell though, and are keeping their poise. (Thanks, Steve Kerr, for those keys to victory!)

They do a game here called Beach Ball Mania where they drop colored balls from the rafters and a fan has to chase them down before they hit the ground. If you win, you win grocery money. I have to say I don't think a free gallon of milk and loaf of bread is worth making a fool out of myself in front of an arena "full" of people.

Last year's Spurs playoff slogan was "Say It Loud". This year, the slogan is "Say It Louder". I said THE SLOGAN FOR SPURS PLAYOFFS IS SAY IT LOUDER! Get it?

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
1:12 pm
Steven J. Koek

It has gotten to the point where I hope the replay will show the call has been called the wrong way against the Spurs, Tim Duncan in particular. I want a fair game to be called, but I just love seeing the angst on his face that a ref would dare whistle someone with his stature for an infraction. The officials got this last one on Duncan wrong, but we’ll take it and enjoy the entertainment value. Suns up 45-31, 2:45 left in the first half.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
12:50 pm
Daniel Banks

Who had 11:48 in the second quarter in the "Coach Pop-tech" pool? The Spurs coach didn't waste any time sending the suns to the line. The good news is he'll be nicer from now on to avoid getting rejected...yeah, right.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
12:49 pm
Steven J. Koek

I recall sitting at the AT&T Center covering the Suns-Spurs series last season, sitting next to the Spurs.com crew, which of course included current Suns.com crew member Daniel Banks. What a difference a year makes.

I caught a quick glimpse of you on the Suns’ baseline taking photos during pregame warm-ups, Banksy. Good to see you’re on the right side of the arena this year.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
12:35 pm
Daniel Banks

We're finally underway in the AT&T Center - both teams shaking off some early nerves and feeling each other out. Meanwhile, I'm sitting next to the Spurs.com crew covering the game. I will make a friendly bet that whoever is leading at halftime gets a free hot dog. Come on Suns!

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
12:26 pm
Jeramie McPeek

I've blogged during games before, but never from baseline. The Spurs media relations departent gave me a camera position on the floor, in the corner right by the Suns' bench.

Although my video is a behind-the-scenes piece, and not a game highlights package, I wasn't going to complain. I should be able to get some great huddle and bench shots from here.

Uh oh. Shaqtus just picked up a quick two fouls. That doesn't bode well.

There's nothing like pregame intros on the road in the playoffs. I hope you get a good idea of what its like from my video, but being in the middle of it in person is an incredible rush. All the emotion, energy, nerves. Guys are bouncing around like pinballs, and I'm just trying to avoid becoming a bumper.

I'm sweating like crazy. I made the mistake of walking to the Alamo to shoot some scenery shots before getting on the bus this morning. It would have been nice if I was in shorts instead of a sportcoat.  Suns veteran videographer David Grappentine told me I didn't read the camerman's handbook. I should be in jeans, tennis shoes and a polo if I'm going to sit courtside. Not slacks, dress shoes and a sport coat. I'll know next time.

Amaré looks good so far, at least what I've seen. I need to watch the game instead of type.

Quickly... I want to wish my wonderful, sweet, loving and funny wife Amy a happy 32nd birthday today! I love you and wish we could go out tonight to celebrate... So now, hon, if you see me on TV sitting courtside and typing on my Blackberry, you know why.

She always says I'm addicted to this thing.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
12:22 pm
Steven J. Koek

Uh Oh

No sooner than I say foul trouble is the biggest factor on the series, Shaq picks up his second and is forced to sit. While that is not what you want in the first quarter of Game 1, his ability to avoid his third and fourth when he does come back in will be crucial.

Amaré needs to be very careful here, too. Let’s hope Skinner stretched well before the game.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
12:16 pm
Steven J. Koek

Quick foul on Amaré Stoudemire, not a good start. If STAT and Shaq can stay out of foul trouble, the Suns will win this series. I feel that is the biggest key for the Suns advancing.

A power jam by Amaré and a 3 by Raja is much more confidence-inspiring. Spurs still without a field goal.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
11:30 am
Jeramie McPeek

Is it rude to reject someone's handshake? It crossed my mind when Robert Horry, yes Robert Horry, made his way over to me standing along the baseline pregame, to shake my hand and give me a half-hug. I was nervous that Coach or Kerr, or even Nash might see me, but I have to admit it was nice that Robert remembered me. Although he is enemy No. 1 and I booed him like every other Phoenix fan when he entered the game on April 9, we bonded a bit during his brief Suns career back in 1996. He was always a really down-to-earth guy, and we used to always talk video games.

I guess I cant feel too guilty. Nash invited Robert to play in his charity game last summer, only a couple months after the infamous hip-check. Although, maybe Steve was hoping to return the favor in that offseason exhibition.

Side note: Book your flights Phoenix fans. I hear the Spurs have more than 1700 tickets left for Game 2 here on Tuesday.

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Saturday, April 19, 2008
10:00 am
Jeramie McPeek

Grant Hill left with his game face on.  This could be considered the biggest game of his career. (Daniel Banks)

Our bus has left the hotel, which means -I've got 10-15 minutes for a quick blackberry blog.

The mood is very intense right now. Coach D'Antoni and GM Kerr both gave me a polite smile as I got on, but there is a seriousness in their eyes that is both comforting and uncomfortable. I'm not sure if I should make eye contact and say hello, or look down at my feet so as not to distract them.

There was a cluster of fans outside the hotel, which you will see on my video. Most of them will be there all week. Some are real Suns fans, others just collectors hoping to pick up a valuable signature. One of them I conversed with though, who had his 22-month old boy with him, was especially excited to see Grant Hill and impressed to see him leave the hotel on the early bus. The bus that brings over the trainers and equipment.

"This is probably the biggest game of his career," the fan said. Good point.

(Quick tangent: our bus just had to stop for a truck pulling a barbecue pit across the street)

We're pulling into the AT&T Center / rodeo parking lot. Here we go again!

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