Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 24

THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC SPORISMONDAY MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2008 C5 ROUND 1, GAME 4: 1 0 5 8 6 SIDELINES SUNS VS. SPURS Game 1: Spurs 117, Suns 115 (2 OT) Game 2: Spurs 102, Suns 96 Game 3: Spurs 115, Suns 99 Game 4: Suns 105, Spurs 86, Spurs lead series 3-1. Game 5: Tuesday, at Spurs, 6:30 p.m., TNT, My 45. Game 6: Thursday, at Suns, time and national TV TBA, FSNAZ. Game 7: Saturday, at Spurs, time TBA, TNT.

If necessary. i A i rZ- i. The Suns' Raja Bell and the Spurs' Manu Ginobili scramble for a PHOTOS BY DAVID KADLUBOW5KITHE ARIZONA REPUBLIC loose ball in the third quarter of Sunday's Suns victory. NOTES TT 0 Mjiiiry teeps Mill mi On a playoff game-winning team for 1st time, forward forced to bench TTTT Phoenix showed some great reaction, they showed some pride. They played great basketball tonight, and they aren't just going to give us the series.

They played very well." Tony Parker, on the Suns' effort We had great shots; they just didn't go into night. Personally, I had two or three teardrops that usually go in. I had my shots; they just didn't go in. Timmy (Duncan) had his shots and great looks, too. They just didn't go in." Parker, on the Spurs' slow start jf Boris (Diaw) was great.

Raja (Bell) shot the ball well out of the gate and really took it upon himself to get it going. Just keys to the next game, things we have to recognize for the next game. Those guys are going to come out and be aggressive and we just have to be ready for it." Duncan, on scoring outputs by Diaw and Bell sf" fiT They played better than we did and they iJ '-uS were more aggressive right out of the gate. Just as I said last game, I think they were flat; we just played our (expletive) off, and (today) I thought that's what they did." Gregg Popovich, on the Suns' turnaround from Game 3 I think we had a bad turnover and we missed some shots. Nothing groundbreaking.

It just didn't go our way. They played well, and you have to give them credit for it." Duncan, on letting Suns push their lead back to 20-plus after Spurs cut it to 12 in the second quarter fT You lose by two, and you play all of those -w minutes or you lose by 20, and you get time to rest; I guess you can find a positive there. You don't want to lose like this, but it happens." Duncan, on the Spurs starters playing limited time in the fourth quarter It's 3-1, and we didn't i expect to sweep these uf) guys walking in here. We are excited in the situation we are in. We have to win one more game, and we get to go home and try and do it there, so there are a lot of things in our favor." Duncan, on the team's mind-set I tried to not give him separation (on pick- and-ro s) because that's when he becomes dangerous.

I try to stay close to him all of the time. Once I'm close to him, I try to use my length to bother him on his shots." Diaw, on his defensive pressure on Parker I think it does (help) a little bit, because I've seen him play a lot. I've played with him, so I kind of know sometimes when he wants to go to his floater, when he tries to go for his jump shot or when he is looking to pass. The main thing is trying to stay close to him and bother the pass or shot." Diaw, on his familiarity of Parker's playing style We came out with a lot of intention in the second half and played with a lot of energy. I think that keyed us to a victory." Amari Stoudemire, on making sure the Suns kept their lead 4f" This team has to prove every night that N.y we come to play because we have a habit of mixing in a few emotionless games, so it's important for us." Steve Nash, on the Suns showing pride Kl The Spurs' Damon Stoudamire loses control of the ball after colliding with the Suns' Leandro Barbosa at the end of the third quarter during Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.

GAME 5 MATCHUP Finally, Game 5 becomes reality. The Suns' 105-86 win against the Spurs didn't alter this first-round series against the Spurs. It just continues it. But at least their chances of becoming the first team to rally from a 3-0 deficit lives another day. Win Tuesday in San Antonio, and things might get interesting with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday in Phoenix.

5 The Suns can take comfort in knowing they were just a couple missed assignments from possibly winning in San Antonio in Game 1, a game that took two overtimes to decide. They also led by 14 in the second half of Game 2 before folding in the third quarter. Does Sunday give them enough confidence to turn this into a winning streak? The Suns have no other choice. Switching Boris Diaw to Tony Parker worked. But Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will adjust.

And the Suns will have to find a different way to win. "We're still in a deep hole," guard Raja Bell said. "We understand that. But we know we still have life and we'll go back to San Antonio and try to get (another win.) There's still life in this team. No one's folded the tent.

We're too proud for that." Doug Haller SUNS CHAT Backs to the wall "Why does it take hitting rock bottom before this team plays up to its capabilities?" Nelson Comment on live game blog Get some rest "Why can the Spurs sit their starters the entire fourth quarter, but we played somemost of ours until 2 minutes left?" sportshero Comment on live game blog What's the point? "Why is your coach getting thrown out at that point? It was garbage time and the game was long over." -SL54 Comment on live game blog D'Antoni's message "It appears to me that Coach (Mike) D'Antoni got ejected to send a message to his own team and not to the officials. The message being: 'Don't be satisfied with just winning today's sunsn7 Comment on live game blog Just not enough "I'm afraid gut-check time came a game too late. As much as I enjoyed a thrashing of the Spurs, I don't have a lot of confidence that we can win the next three games as well." DieHardPhoenixFan Comment on live game blog Four in a row "Let's get the 'backdoor azfanaz Comment on live game blog 1 1 1 It 'I i.c pionship since 1998-99, all under coach Gregg Popovich. "The thing that separates 'Pop' from other coaches is his success these last few years," reserve Brent Barry said. "He communicates the same thing every coach in this league tries to communicate to his players, and that's to play the game the right way and hold each other accountable.

But maybe it's easier to stay in that mode when it's going to lead to a championship." Although Popovich would not name anyone, he said he looks outside the sport to steal tactics and ideas from coaches. "I enjoy seeing what other people do," Popovich said. "I look at strategically the chances they take or not take or psychologically, people-wise, how they approach different situations." D'Antoni watch Popovich believes the scrutiny that has enveloped the Suns' coaching staff is misplaced. "People have too much of a tendency, just like a lot of areas in our country, if things don't happen instantly the way people want there's got to be a goat and there's got to be a hero," he said. "Both of those notions are a bit immature.

"In the years that we have won championships, we've lost the first game of the first round, and all of a sudden I'm an idiot. So I've heard of it before, so thafs why I don't think it makes much sense." And he isn't so sure D'Anto-ni's system can't bring the Suns a title some year. "Nobody knows what wins titles," he said. "(The Suns style) works in the sense that you can win and what Phoenix has done. The fact that they haven't won a title doesn't necessarily mean it's because of the system." By Paul Coro and Jason P.

Skoda The Arizona Republic Suns forward Grant Hill was with a winning playoff team for the first time in nine years but did not get to play in the game. Hill's status was questionable going into Sunday, and he dressed for the game but the decision not to play him really had been made Saturday. He is experiencing continued soreness from the lower abdominal and right groin strain that he tried to play through in the first three games. "I talked to Coach (Mike D'Antoni) and (General Manager Steve) Kerr yesterday and they told me if you're injured, you can't be out there," Hill said. "I've tried so I can look in the mirror.

Maybe I should have sat out Game 2." Hill's status remains questionable for Game 5 Tuesday in San Antonio. Hacking backfires It was not just that Sha-quille O'Neal made 6 of 10 free-throw attempts that made the Hack-a-Shaq the failed mathematical experiment that O'Neal says it is. It also put Phoenix in the bonus early, setting up two Gordan Giricek points on a non-shooting foul in the first quarter. Fouling O'Neal in the second quarter sent the Suns to the bonus again and Steve Nash and Raja Bell each made two free throws off non-shooting fouls. Before the game, D'Antoni said he had no plans to shy away from O'Neal in such situations.

"He'll make his foul shots," D'Antoni said. O'Neal is 23 of 44 (53.2 percent) at the line for the series. Pick-and-roll defense The Suns had been hurt Otl like them," Manu Ginobili said. "They are a great team with a lot of pride and they came out as we supposed they would, and we didn't react well to the three wins. "We couldn't allow ourselves a flat start like that (34-13 after the first quarter).

It's one thing if it happens at home, but a 15-point lead in this building with this crowd, if a big mistake." Pop's way Despite the Game 4 loss, the Spurs are still playing at a level that might garner the franchise its fifth NBA cham The Suns' Leandro Barbosa drives to the basket as the Spurs' Tony Parker looks on during the first half of Sunday's game at US Airways Center. Suns center Shaquille O'Neal dunks over the Spurs' Tim Duncan early in the second quarter of Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday in Phoenix. badly on defending the pick-and-roll until Sunday, when the combination of putting Boris Diaw on Tony Parker and being more aggressive on the dribbler changed the results. "We were more active," Nash said. "We weren't as confused.

Our guys fought through the picks. When the bigs are active in the paint, it makes a difference." Expected effort The Spurs have had plenty of close-out games over the years, and none is ever easy. "Especially against a team 4 4 IMAGES FROM SUNDAY'S GAME 4, BY PHOTOGRAPHERS EMMANUEL LOZANO AND DAVID KADLU BOWS Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, walking off the court in the fourth quarter after being ejected from the game, addressing the ejection after the game: "I don't know where the sense of humor has gone, There's no use com- Mm menting on it. It's kind of silly." S-JxiPJ.