Raptors outhustle the Suns in pre-season win
After being a play-off team for five of the past six NBA seasons, the Phoenix Suns are used to a better record than this. Upon falling 121-100 to the Toronto Raptors (3-3) yesterday in
Toronto, the Suns’ pre-season record dropped even further to a disappointing 1-5.
The Raptors were led by 23 points, eight rebounds, and four assists by Linas Kleiza while Jarrett Jack scored 17 points with Sonny Weems chipping in with 16.
“He’s a smart basketball player from a smart basketball nation and he just knows the game,” Toronto coach Jay Triano said of Lithuanian Kleiza. “You can see the way he passes the ball,
he’s not a selfish scorer. He can score by shooting it, facing up, mid-range.”
Canadian Steve Nash played an efficient 26 minutes, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Two new additions to the Suns’ roster, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick,
chipped in with 12 and 14 points, respectively.
A busy off-season for the Suns has resulted in a revamped roster this year. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in last year’s Western Conference Finals, Phoenix added Childress, Warrick,
and Hedo Turkoglu over the summer. They also lost All-Star power forward Amar’e Stoudemire to the New York Knicks. The biggest challenge for them seems to be getting everybody on the same page.
“We’ve got a lot of new guys and trying to fit them in is going to take time,” Nash said. “We like to play a certain way and I think it’s an adjustment for the new guys. We have to find
that cohesion because that’s what makes us successful, understanding our spots and our spacing.”
Their strong bench play last year was one of the main reasons for their success. But this year is a little different.
“Our bench was a huge strength for us last year,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “Right now we don’t have a combination of guys who are playing very good. We have to work out a situation
where our bench is playing better or we’re going have to shorten the rotation until we feel comfortable.”
Toronto was down 11 points after the first quarter but fought back, outscoring the Suns 31-22 in the second to enter half-time down 55-53. And the home team took control in the third quarter,
outscoring the Suns 39-24 to take a 13-point lead into the final frame, a lead which they wouldn’t relinquish.
Not an elite rebounding team, the Raptors beat up the Suns on the boards, finishing with a 57-38 advantage in total rebounds. In addition to his 17 points, Amir Johnson grabbed 11 rebounds
while Reggie Evans pulled down 12.
Hedo Turkoglu, in his first return to Toronto after one forgettable season with the Raptors last year, was treated to boos from the crowd every time he touched the ball.
“I didn’t get much love when I was here, too,” Turkoglu said. “It’s normal, now I’m not here, to get the boos.”
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