Previous week’s games:
10/28/09 SUNS 109, Clippers 107
Upcoming games:
10/30/09 vs Golden State Warriors
11/01/09 vs Minnesota Timberwolves
11/03/09 @ Miami Heat
11/04/09 @ Orlando Magic
Why was Steve Nash signed to a contract extension this past summer? He’s clearly too old and has lost a step. In the Suns’ season opener in LA against the Clippers on Wednesday night, he only scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Suns to a victory. Oh, and he did it on five-for-five shooting in the final period. Absolutely ridiculous. Let’s quickly ship him to Portland for Steve Blake and draft picks.
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m being sarcastic. Nash was nothing short of brilliant in the closing quarter Wednesday night. The first three quarters were mediocre at best, but Nash and the boys stepped up when it counted to start the season off with a nice win in an exciting game.
A few notes from the season opener:
The Suns out-rebounded somebody! Sure, it was only by one, but it’s still a pretty big deal, considering this same team was horrible in the preseason and was matched up against a much bigger Clippers team and was playing without injured center Robin Lopez.
Perhaps the biggest surprise: The Suns are now sporting a bench that can play! The second unit for Phoenix showed great hustle and energy on the glass while playing tough D. They also managed to score 21 points, which was quite the feat with Leandro Barbosa inserted into the starting lineup to fill in for the suspended Jason Richardson.
The Suns must run more. They only had two fastbreak points, and that just won’t cut it. I’m sure this is something that will be remedied in the games to come, and it probably had something to do with the Clippers shooting a ridiculous 55% from the field.
On to the home opener.
Tomorrow (Friday, 10/30) the Suns have their home opener for the 2009-10 season as they host the Golden State Warriors. It should be a very entertaining, high-scoring game, so I hope to see a packed US Airways Center. For those of you attending the game, remember that METRO offers free light rail rides to anyone with a Suns ticket, which is how I’ll be traveling.
If you’re looking for a place to eat before tip-off, you can stop by Majerle’s, where I’ll be eating my pregame meal. If you’re not in the mood for a hamburger and French fries, there are plenty of other options open to you nearby, such as Matador, which serves Mexican food, or Cibo, a great pizzeria.
After the game, be sure to head on over to The Turf to participate in Night Rail (and hopefully celebrate a Suns victory!). Night Rail is sure to get you in touch with a lot of cool people that know exactly what’s going on and where to go for a good time while in Downtown Phoenix.
Other places to consider are Bar Smith, which is always hopping after a game lets out, or Hanny’s, if you’re looking to get drinks in a more intimate setting that still provides music courtesy of an in-house DJ.
Sidenote: Earlier this week the Suns announced a partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. As part of the three-year agreement, preseason and postseason physicals for the Suns and Mercury players will be performed by St. Joseph’s physicians. St. Joseph’s will also provide an array of medical and wellness services, including a referral process for primary care and specialty physicians.
