“Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!”
That is all the Suns were thinking about on Mothers Day. The Suns were about to defeat there long time nemesis in a four game sweep and that’s what they got at the end, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 107-101.
On Monday the Los Angeles Lakers Defeated the Utah Jazz In a 4 game blowout. With the sweep in Utah, we are left with a Lakers-Suns series in the conference finals and a rivalry with deep history and charged up fans.
The rivalry and this upcoming series is recounted by English Teacher/Coronado Explorer Advisor/Suns Fan Mr. Gerchick.
“I’ll always remember, as we swept the Magic Johnson-led Lakers in the 1989 Western Conference Semifinals. I was 10 years old and the entire crowd waved the playoff towels to make a sea of white in Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, shouting ‘Beat L.A. Beat L.A.’ Kevin Johnson, Tom Chambers, Dan Majerle, and the Cotton Fitzsimmons crew was high-scoring but I think this year’s team can prevail. If our versatility can overcome L.A.’s star power, we’ll win the series. Everyone needs to play well but I think Robin Lopez and Channing Frye are X-factors. If Lopez can be a defensive intimidator and if Frye can draw one of their bigs outside by hitting his 3′s, the floor is spread for Nash, Stoudemire, and Richardson, the most lethal current offensive combination in basketball.”
From a Suns fan perspective the Suns have the better edge of winning this series.Phoenix has a deep bench consisting of Louis Amundson, Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic and others. In one week of rest Head Coach Alvin Gentry is hoping Center Robin Lopez can recover and he’s now listed as probable to play. Other Suns fans like ‘Bladerunner’ put their take on this series “Lakers take a reality check! Suns in 7″ , (LRC) teacher ‘Mr.Ferrando “Suns are better defensivly,shooting better but Lakers in 6″.
Steve Nash certainly is taking advantage of the week off to recover from an eye injury from Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs,Kobe Bryant also resting an injured index finger.
The Lakers Andrew Bynum is also in a recovering state, throughout the series with Utah he played hurt and ineffectively.The Suns hope their defense and offense steps it up a notch against the Lakers. Suns-Lakers rivalry has a long history since the days of Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson and Raja Bell and Kobe Bryant.
This series is looking to be a fierce and intense fight for the opportunity to reach the NBA Finals. For the Arizona Republic’s up-to-the-minute coverage on the Suns-Lakers Western Conference Finals, click here.