2006-07 Phoenix Suns season - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Depth chart

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Reserve	Inactive
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Amar'e Stoudemire	Pat Burke Pat Burke Patrick John Burke is a former Irish professional basketball player, who last played with the Polish club Asseco Prokom Sopot...		Sean Marks Sean Marks Sean Andrew Marks is a New Zealand-American professional basketball player. He is the first native New Zealander to play in the NBA.-Basketball career:...
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...	Shawn Marion Shawn Marion Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...	Kurt Thomas Kurt Thomas (basketball) Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas...
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	Boris Diaw Boris Diaw Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod, better known as Boris Diaw , is a French professional basketball player for JSA Bordeaux in France. He has also played in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Bobcats...	James Jones James Jones (basketball player) James Andrew Jones is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Miami Heat.The 6'8" , 215 lb small forward who attended American Senior High in Miami was picked 49th by the Indiana Pacers in the 2003 NBA Draft out of the University of Miami...	Eric Piatkowski Eric Piatkowski Eric Todd Piatkowski is a former American professional basketball player. He most recently played for the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns. He is the son of former ABA player Walt Piatkowski.-High school career:...	Jumaine Jones Jumaine Jones Jumaine Lanard Jones is an American professional basketball forward. An NBA player from 1999 to 2007 drafted from the University of Georgia, he has played in the small forward and power forward positions...
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	Raja Bell Raja Bell Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...	Leandro Barbosa Leandro Barbosa Leandro Mateus Barbosa is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with Flamengo Basketball in Brazil. He is also under contract with the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends...	Jalen Rose Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...
PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	Steve Nash Steve Nash Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...	Marcus Banks Marcus Banks Arthur Lemarcus Banks III, commonly known as Marcus Banks , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA....

15-game winning streak

On December 19, the Suns made franchise history by winning their fifteenth straight game with a 115–98 win over the Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1220suns1220.html; ironically, the Raptors are a franchise headed by Bryan Colangelo

Bryan Colangelo

Bryan Colangelo is the President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He is the son of Phoenix sports mogul, Jerry Colangelo. He attended Cornell University. He was the 2005 and 2007 recipient of the NBA Executive of the Year Award.-Phoenix:Bryan began his NBA front-office career...

, former Suns president and son of Jerry Colangelo

Jerry Colangelo

Jerry Colangelo , is an American businessman and sports executive.He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major...

, longtime Suns owner and current Suns CEO (under new owner Robert Sarver

Robert Sarver

Robert Sarver is the current majority owner of the Phoenix Suns. He bought the NBA franchise from Jerry Colangelo in the spring of 2004....

). The younger Colangelo left the Suns' organization to accept the Raptors' president–GM position in late February 2006.

Steve Nash had 15 assists to go with 10 points, while Stoudemire scored a game-high 28 points and brought in 10 rebounds (in 28 minutes of playing time). The Suns' previous record was the 14-game win streak of the 1992–93 team, which made the NBA Finals but lost to the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

.

The streak ended on December 22 against the Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...

in overtime, by a score of 144–139, with Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....

scoring a game-high 54 points.

17-game winning streak

On January 28, 2007, the Suns made franchise history yet again by winning their seventeenth straight game with a 115–100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...

, in a game played at Quicken Loans Arena

Quicken Loans Arena

Quicken Loans Arena , is a multi-purpose arena, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States....

in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

. Steve Nash

Steve Nash

Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...

contributed 23 points and 15 assists. Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion

Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...

had 23 points, Amar'e Stoudemire had 22 and Leandro Barbosa

Leandro Barbosa

Leandro Mateus Barbosa is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with Flamengo Basketball in Brazil. He is also under contract with the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends...

scored 19.

The franchise's previous record of fifteen was set earlier in the season on December 19 (as noted above). The win against the Cavs also marked the 20th victory in 21 games this season to date against Eastern Conference teams.

Up to this point, the Suns' last loss was December 28 against the Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...

. A victory at Minneapolis

Target Center

The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....

on Monday, January 29 against the Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...

would have extended the streak to 18 games and again establish a franchise-best winning streak; however, the Suns fell to the T-Wolves by a score of 121–112. Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...

scored 44 points and had 11 rebounds for Minnesota, while Shawn Marion had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Leandro Barbosa had 17 for Phoenix in a losing cause; Raja Bell

Raja Bell

Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...

scored 26 points while Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns, but he scored only three points and had just one assist in the final period as Garnett's scoring was too much for the Suns to overcome.

"Better to lose that way than to lose when we beat ourselves," Nash said. "Kevin was sensational. We just didn't make shots at the end at the clip Kevin was making them." http://sports.myway.com/news/01292007/v4047.html

Up to that time, the only other teams in NBA history with 17-game win streaks were the 1946–47 Washington Capitols

Washington Capitols

The Washington Capitols were a charter Basketball Association of America team based in Washington, D.C. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbach....

, the 1959–60 Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

and the 1995–96 San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....

. (The Suns' rival, the 2006–07 Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

would later go on their own 17-game winning streak).

The all-time best winning streak in the NBA is 33 games, set by the 1971–72 L.A. Lakers. Steve Nash noted in an interview with the Associated Press

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

:

http://sports.myway.com/news/01282007/v9262.html

As noted by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, the Suns franchise has had nine double-digit win streaks in its history to date, with four of them alone under coach Mike D'Antoni since 2004–05. The Suns are the 12th franchise in NBA history to have multiple winning streaks of at least 10 games before the month of February, but they are also the only team to have two 15-game winning streaks before the All-Star break. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0120suns0120.html http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0125sunsgamer0125.html

Steve Nash injury

Due to inflammation of his right shoulder (first experienced February 1), Nash did not play in the second half of a February 5 road game against the Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

, a 113–108 Suns victory, at the insistence of Mike D'Antoni. Nash left the game with 9 points, 3 rebounds and a team-high 7 assists in the first half. It was also announced that he would miss the following night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...

(guard–forward Eric Piatkowski

Eric Piatkowski

Eric Todd Piatkowski is a former American professional basketball player. He most recently played for the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns. He is the son of former ABA player Walt Piatkowski.-High school career:...

started in his place) http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0206nashout-CR.html. Both Nash and D'Antoni criticized the rest of the team for uninspired play during the first half, in a game that All-Star Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson

Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...

and Marcus Camby

Marcus Camby

Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...

did not participate in.

Phoenix suffered their worst loss of the season on February 14. The Suns fell to the Sonics

Seattle SuperSonics

The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...

at KeyArena

KeyArena

KeyArena at Seattle Center , is a multipurpose arena, in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition...

, by a score of 114–90. Marcus Banks

Marcus Banks

Arthur Lemarcus Banks III, commonly known as Marcus Banks , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA....

scored a season-high 21 points in a losing cause. In addition to Nash's injury, Boris Diaw

Boris Diaw

Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod, better known as Boris Diaw , is a French professional basketball player for JSA Bordeaux in France. He has also played in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Bobcats...

missed a second straight game due to back spasms; F Kurt Thomas

Kurt Thomas (basketball)

Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas...

has been out since January 15 with a sore right elbow.

All-Star blowout: Suns do their part

Nash eventually was forced to withdraw from the 2007 NBA All-Star Game

2007 NBA All-Star Game

The 2007 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 18, 2007 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was the 56th annual All-Star Game. It was the first time the All-Star Game was played in a city without an NBA franchise and...

(played February 18 in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

). In the All-Star game, the Suns were represented by Amar'e Stoudemire (29 points) and Shawn Marion (18 points) in the 153–132 West squad victory over the East.

Stoudemire, by now seemingly fully recovered from the knee surgery, ended up scoring the most points ever by a Phoenix Suns player in an All-Star Game (29), more than the 21 points scored by Tom Chambers in 1990 and Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...

in 1980.

Nash was replaced on the West All-Star squad by Seattle SuperSonics

Seattle SuperSonics

guard Ray Allen

Ray Allen

Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...

; Nash was in attendance as a spectator.

Despite the setbacks, as of the end of play on the 14th, the Suns enjoyed a 10-game first-place lead in the Pacific Division over the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

, and after the Suns struggled going 1–3 without Nash, he returned to action against the Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...

in a game played at Staples Center

Staples Center

Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...

on February 20; Nash scored 13 points and had 12 assists in a decisive 115–90 victory, a game made famous with Amar'e Stoudemire airballing a free throw with the Suns up by 21 points drawing laughter and groans from the crowd. Shawn Marion scored 31 points. The following night, Nash continued his comeback with a double-double in a 118–108 home win against the Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Road to the postseason

A key test for the Suns, as they began to prepare for postseason play, was a road game against their bitter conference rivals, the Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

, in a game played at American Airlines Center

American Airlines Center

The American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.It is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Dallas Stars of the NHL....

on March 14. The game was billed as a showdown of the two teams with the current best won-lost records in the NBA; one of the key factors in which team gets home-court advantage in the playoffs; and a possible preview of the Western Conference championship series. The Mavericks wore their green alternate uniform and the Suns their white home uniforms despite the game been played in Dallas.

The crowd of 20,525 was a season high for Dallas. The game was marked by controversial officiating and stellar offense by both teams (by their own standards the Suns' offense had been less than stellar, in general, in the period after the All-Star break).

Nash made a three-point shot to send the game into overtime. The game went into a second overtime period tied at 120–120. During the second OT period, Amar'e Stoudemire took over. He scored six of the nine points the Suns scored in the OT period (13 of the Suns' 18 in both OTs) and did a good job rebounding alongside Shawn Marion. Stoudemire (41 points) and Nash combined for 73 total points in the game versus 33 points for Jerry Stackhouse

Jerry Stackhouse

Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He most recently played for the Miami Heat. He is now an NBA TV analyst but remains as an eligible free agent....

(his best point total as a Dallas Maverick). Conversation thus began on a possible third MVP

NBA Most Valuable Player Award

The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...

award for Nash (which would place him in the same company as NBA legends Bill Russell

Bill Russell

William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...

, Larry Bird

Larry Bird

Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...

and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...

), and a possible competition between him and his close friend, Mavericks' star forward Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...

, for the honor (Nowitzki would go on to win the MVP award on May 11)).

The thriller ended 129–127, with the Suns edging the Mavericks to make the season series 2–1 favoring Dallas (it was the Mavs' first home loss in 24 games). The win moved the Suns to within 2½ games of Dallas in the chase for the best record in the NBA. (They played again on April 1 in front of a sellout crowd and national ABC Sports audience at US Airways Center

US Airways Center

US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...

, Phoenix, to end their season series match-up; the Suns won that game decisively by a score of 126–104. Barbosa led all scorers with 29 points; Stoudemire had 24 points; Nash had 23 points and 11 assists.)

Third straight Pacific Division title

In a home game played on March 20, the Suns defeated the Timberwolves 108–90 to clinch their third consecutive Pacific Division championship (and sixth overall for the franchise). Raja Bell hit six three-point shots in the winning cause, his most since January 26, and scored 22 points.

Phoenix ended its regular season on April 17 with a 103–99 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers

. The final regular-season record was 61–21, one win fewer than the franchise-best playoff teams of 1993 and 2005.

Opening Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

Game 1

On Sunday, April 22, the Suns opened postseason play with a 95-87 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of the playoffs (in a game played on the Suns' home court at US Airways Center

US Airways Center

). Leandro Barbosa scored 26 points (19 of those in the second half); Amar'e Stoudemire, in his first playoff game since 2005, scored 23 points; Steve Nash scored 20 points and had 10 assists; Shawn Marion had 16 points. The Suns fell behind by halftime and the third quarter, but rallied in the fourth quarter as the Lakers' stamina gave out down the stretch. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...

scored 39 points, but only 11 of those came in the second half.

Game 2

Game 2 was played Tuesday, April 24 at US Airways Center

US Airways Center

in Phoenix. The Suns engineered a decisive 126-98 win over the Lakers. Leandro Barbosa (who was awarded the NBA Sixth Man Award on April 23) scored 26 points and hit four three-point shots; Amar'e Stoudemire scored 20 points; Shawn Marion had 18 points. Steve Nash had his third career postseason double-double with 16 points and 14 assists. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

was held to only 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting (and only scored two points in the entire second half). The Suns went on a 27-9 scoring run to take a 55-34 lead with 4:50 to go in the first half, and that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game. The Suns shot 54.3 percent (50-of-92) from the field. All of the Suns players who played during the game scored at least once, including fan favorite Pat Burke

Pat Burke

Patrick John Burke is a former Irish professional basketball player, who last played with the Polish club Asseco Prokom Sopot...

and Eric Piatkowski, both of whom rarely see playing time during games.

The Suns had their first 2-0 lead in an NBA playoff series since sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...

in the first round of the 2005 playoffs.

Game 3

The Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...

by a score of 95-89 in front of their initially displeased home fans at Staples Center

Staples Center

, getting the series a little closer by a margin of 2-1. The Suns scored the first 11 points unanswered, and built a 17-point lead in the first quarter, leading to boos from the Laker fans, but the Suns' offense did not hold up (Stoudemire and Raja Bell

Raja Bell

were hampered by foul trouble down the stretch). The Suns lethargic play was no match for the Lakers' desperate aggressiveness, especially from big men Kwame Brown

Kwame Brown

Kwame James Brown is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The , center was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school...

and Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom

Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...

. Bryant tallied 45 points. Brown scored 18 points. Amar'e Stoudemire led the Suns with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Steve Nash scored 10 points and had 13 assists, while Leandro Barbosa had 20 points off the bench. The Suns wore their Orange uniforms, the Lakers yellow.

Game 4

The Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

responded to their opponents with aggressiveness and energy of game 3, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

on their home turf by a score of 113-100. Point guard Steve Nash

Steve Nash

recorded a Suns post-season record 23 assists, falling one assist short of tying Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...

and John Stockton

John Stockton

John Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...

for the NBA post-season record of 24. The Suns wore their Orange uniforms for the final time of the season, the Lakers wore their white.

Game 5

The Suns achieve a 4-1 series victory at home (by a score of 119-110), despite late fourth period back-to-back three-pointers by Bryant that brought the Lakers close enough to turn the tables. Nash had 17 points and 10 assists; Stoudemire had 27 points and 16 rebounds; Marion added 26 points and 10 rebounds. It was the 10th win by the Suns in the past 11 games against the Lakers.

Second Round vs. San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....

Game 1 was played on May 6 at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix. The Spurs won 111-106. Late in the 4th quarter, Steve Nash

Steve Nash

collided head to head with Tony Parker

Tony Parker

William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....

, who had possession of the ball. Nash sustained a deep cut on his nose that bled profusely for the remainder of the game. His nose was bandaged and tended to by the team trainer, but Nash was in and out of the game as the wound continued to bleed through the bandages. It was the first time this postseason that Nash did not record a double-double. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan

Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...

and Tony Parker led the Spurs with 32 and 33 points, respectively. Nash led the Suns with 31 points, while Amar'e Stoudemire scored 20 and pulled down 18 boards.

Game 2 was played May 8 at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix. The Suns blew out the Spurs 101-81 to even series at one game apiece. Mike D'Antoni's decision for Kurt Thomas to guard Tim Duncan helped Amar'e Stoudemire to focus on offense, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the second half. Tim Duncan scored 29 points while Tony Parker and Bruce Bowen both had 13 points each.

Game 3 was played on May 12 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Suns 108-101 as Tim Duncan rallied 33 points and 19 boards. Manu Ginóbili

Manu Ginobili

Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...

ended up with a black and bruised eye when he was poked in the eye by Shawn Marion in Game 3. The Spurs led series 2-1.

Game 4 was played on May 14 in San Antonio. The Suns trailed by as much as 11 points throughout the 3rd quarter. Finally, the Suns took a lead near the end of the 4th quarter when Steve Nash fed Stoudemire back to back inside to make the game 100-97. Then, Robert Horry

Robert Horry

Robert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics...

collided with Nash and sent the smaller framed Nash flying to the scorer's table midcourt. Raja Bell

Raja Bell

tried to come to Nash's aid, and was stopped by his teammates and referees. Horry was given a flagrant foul and was ejected. Bell also was given a technical foul for trying to get at Horry after the collision. The Suns won 104-98, evening the series at 2-2. Nash finished the game with 24 points and 15 assists.

On May 15, the NBA announced that Horry would be suspended two games for flagrantly fouling Nash and striking Bell's shoulder. Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw

Boris Diaw

were suspended one game each for leaving their bench during an altercation in violation of league rules. http://www.nba.com/news/spurssunssuspension_070515.html http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2007/news/story?id=2871615
Coach D'Antoni was not happy with Stoudemire and Diaw's suspension, as they were critically important members of the Suns' squad:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0516suns-ON.html

Game 5 was played May 16 at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix. After leading by as many as 16 points in the second quarter and ahead 79-71 with 5:18 to play, the Suns collapsed and lost the game by a score of 88-85. Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...

hit a three-point shot with 36.4 seconds to go. The Suns, without Stoudemire and Diaw because of the aforementioned one-game suspension, were led by Shawn Marion, who scored 24 points and 17 rebounds, but only four of those points were scored in the second half. Kurt Thomas, playing in place of Stoudemire, had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Steve Nash finished with 19 points and 12 assists. Manu Ginóbili

Manu Ginobili

scored 15 of his 26 points in the final quarter to lead the Spurs to the late rally as the Spurs proved to be too much for the Suns.

Game 6 was played May 18 in San Antonio, Texas. With 2 fresh players coming back, in Boris Diaw

Boris Diaw

and Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix was very anxious about this game. Phoenix started the game off going shot for shot with the Spurs. After trailing at halftime 53-51, Phoenix believed that they were going to force a game 7 back in Phoenix, but a big 3rd quarter by San Antonio put the Spurs up by as many as 20. In the 4th quarter, the Suns almost rallied back by starting to hit big shots. But in the end, it was not enough as San Antonio eliminated the team in the NBA with the second best record (61-21).

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Depth chart

15-game winning streak

17-game winning streak

Steve Nash injury

All-Star blowout: Suns do their part

Road to the postseason

Third straight Pacific Division title

Opening Round vs. Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

Second Round vs. San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....

Opening Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

Second Round vs. San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....