Big Ticket Stamps Phoenix Suns w/ a Loss, Ends Streak @ 17
This was suppose to be a winnable game for the Phoenix Suns, but Kevin Garnett had a differing opinion. Minnesota's “Big Ticket” delivered a monster game against the Suns, leading the Timberwolves to an unexpected 121-112 victory. In an typically un-Garnett fashion, KG almost single-handedly beat the Suns, finishing with 44 points and 11 rebounds. His dominance in the 4th quarter was quite unexpected, but good to see nonetheless (for a lifetime KG fan). Garnett almost scored at will against a weak Suns frontcourt, hitting turnaround after turnaround - he scored 15 points in the 4th quarter alone, almost willing his team to the victory.
"People who say he can't carry the load, take a look at this game film," new Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said.
Raja Bell finished w/ 26 pts for the Suns and Steve Nash added 20 and 18 assists, but it wasn't enough to get the win; Shawn Marion contributed a respectable 24 pts & 10 boards. The Suns were seeking their 18th straight win and a perfect record in January, but were denied by the ferocious Timberwolves (ok, maybe hungry). Despite the Suns best efforts late in the game, missed shots and KG's dominance were too much to overcome.
"Better to lose that way than to lose when we beat ourselves," Steve Nash said. "Kevin (Garnett) was sensational. We just didn't make shots at the end at the clip Kevin was making them."
The loss aside, the Suns are still the best & hottest team in the NBA right now. I almost wonder if the loss will help them focus more on the championship run vs. the winning streak and constant talk about how a fast-break team can't continue winning (especially in the playoffs). Nash has been bothered nonstop by the media lately, and has seemed pretty upset w/ the commentary quite frequently. Too much emphasis was put on the Suns winning streak and not enough talking about their defense (highest avg margin of victory in the NBA) and their chances of winning the title.
Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw barely showed up for the game... combined, they tallied a total of 22 pts and a whopping 4 rebounds; one less than Minnesota guard Randy Foye was able to get. Amare only took 5 shots from the field - yes, only 5. He wasn't in foul trouble and he wasn't turning the ball over too much, so I'm not sure why he held back against one of the guys he's compared to most frequently (high school to NBA drafted players). Amare usually has great performances against the guys that he's trying to show that he's better than.
The Suns will attempt to start a new winning streak Thursday on national TV against the San Antonio Spurs.