Subject: NBA Central Division

• Heart Smart

  Suns’ next opponent improved by addition and subtraction

  December 18, 2008

• BASKETBALL, THE NEXT BIG THING

  November 11, 1992

• THE FIGHT BUSINESS

  March 31, 1993

• ERROR JORDAN

  June 16, 1993

• TEMPEST AT THE POINT

  June 16, 1993

• WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR

  June 23, 1993

• STOP EVERYTHING! CHARLES FELL DOWN.

  October 13, 1993

• TAKING NOTE OF THE SUNS

  November 24, 1993

• THE SUNS' EXTERMINATING ANGEL

  February 9, 1994

• GO WEST, YOUNG PAY-PER-VIEWERLIVING BACK EAST HAS ITS DRAWBACKS, BUT PAYING TO WATCH YOUR NBA TEAM ON TV ISN'T ONE OF THEM

  May 4, 1995

• Feel Eddie's Pain

  September 19, 1996

• Thirty Nuggets

  January 7, 1999

• Hello, Cleveland!

  A pseudo-Michael Stipe shares what's on his MP3 player

  January 3, 2008

• Q-Tip's Do-Over Kills Momentum at Marquee

  By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious.”

  November 18, 2008

• Pray for a Miracle: Lakers at Suns Tonight

  We were listening to a sports-radio roundtable recently, and the panelists were picking their faves to win the NBA title. Boston again. Good bet. San Antonio. Yeah, but only if Manu Ginobli gets healthy and back to full speed. New Orleans. With Chris Paul in charge, check. Here’s where it gets weird. Two pundits picked Cleveland -- Cleveland! Even with King James at the helm, ain't gonna happen. But not one picked the Los Angeles Lakers. To us, they're the ultimate slam dunk.

  November 20, 2008

• Buck Shot: Suns Attempt to Sweep the Cheeseheads from Milwaukee Tonight

  Andrew Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks come to town We're always trying to find trends with our hometown sports teams. For example, our genius minds figured out that the ASU Sun Devils football team sucked all season long. Same with the Phoenix Mercury and the Coyotes, thus far. So imagine our glee when we thought we figured out the winning formula for a team that's typically good 'round these parts, the Phoenix Suns. During an early season East Coast road trip, the Suns won whenever Shaquille O

  December 9, 2008

• Glad You're Sitting Down: Shaq Almost Scores His Age, Proving He Can Still Do It -- Against Milwaukee

  It was his first 30-point game since March 9, 2007 when he was with the Miami Heat. In fact, 36-year-old Shaquille O'Neal scored 35 points against the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night to lead the Suns to a 125-110 victory, the team's largest point total of the year. We'd say this was a return to the good old days of the last few years, if we didn't know better. Thing is, the Suns always play well against Milwaukee (9-14). Especially at home, where they've beaten

  December 10, 2008

• Rocky Mountain High: Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns Saturday Night

  Ah, chemistry.  In the NBA, acquiring talent and getting your talent to properly combust are the real tricks of the trade. But what looks good on the drawing board -- like, say, the Denver Nuggets' pairing of body-modified human pinball machines Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson (see image below) -- more often makes you wanna rip your hair out by the roots. That's what happened in the Mile High City after the high-scoring Tattoo Twinkies stopped scoring so high and got smoked in the first

  December 19, 2008

• All the Young Dudes: Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers Tonight

  Though they've been hauling the boat anchor in the Eastern Conference's Central Division all year, the Indiana Pacers -- including third-year superstar-in-the-making Danny Granger (pictured above) -- aren't your prototypical NBA doormat. Another year (two, max) and Indiana Coach Jim O'Brien should have these young guns challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons for Central Division supremacy (especially if the Cavs' LeBron James jumps ship to the Knicks in 2010, as he's u

  January 7, 2009

• Who's to Blame this Time? Phoenix Suns Get Beat at the Buzzer for Second Time in Two Weeks

  Ths Suns lost 113-110 at the buzzer to the Indiana Pacers, the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. But who's fault was it? When Phoenix lost by a point on Christmas Day to the hated San Antonio Spurs, one of the best teams in the Western Conference, it was newly acquired guard Jason Richardson's. Still dazed and confused on his new team, he'd dumbly left his man to help under the goal, and the wide-open guy nailed a three-pointer from the corner. Heartbrea

  January 8, 2009

• Western Conference Rival Mavs Return Tonight for Another Shot at Suns

  What's the one thing the Phoenix Suns learned during their spirit-crushing Christmas Day defeat by the San Antonio Spurs? That they still have heaps of trouble with the Western Conference's elite. (They also have problems with getting clipped at the buzzer. See Wednesday night's gut-wrenching defeat against the Pacers.) Another team that engages a big "o crap" is the Dallas Mavericks. For whatever reason, the Mavs frequently hand it to the Suns' behind. It seems that every time the teams play

  January 9, 2009

• Rocky Mountain High: Suns Face the Surging Nuggets in Denver Tonight

  If there's one team that's benefited the most this season from a trade, it's the Denver Nuggets. On November 3, 2008, nine-time NBA All-Star guard Allen Iverson was dealt to the Detroit Pistons for guard Chauncey Billups (pictured), forward Antonio McDyess, and center Cheikh Samb. (McDyess never suited up in a powder-blue Denver uniform, deciding instead to return to the Pistons.) The impact Billups has made on the team -- and Iverson's emotional baggage that went bye-bye since he'd worn out

  January 15, 2009

• Total Eclipse of the Suns: Nash & Co. Play Second Fiddle to Cardinals for a Change

  Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh At 1 Sunday afternoon in Glendale, the Arizona Cardinals play the biggest game in franchise history. At 10:30 that morning in chilly Canada, the Phoenix Suns, uh, don't. The Suns' opponent is the Toronto Raptors, who're battling Mike D'Antoni's Knicks for the basement in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. About the most diplomatic thing you can say about the match-up is that it doesn't conflict with Cardinals kickoff. It will cut into our quality ti

  January 16, 2009

• Think Times Are Hard for the Suns? Try Loving the Washington Wizards, Phoenix's Opponent Tonight.

  In 2004-05, the Washington Wizards boasted the NBA's most fearsome backcourt. Led by ex-UA Wildcat standout Gilbert Arenas, Antwan Jamison, and Larry Hughes, Washington earned a modest forty-five victories in the regular season, but turned heads during the NBA Playoffs with its first-round conquest of the Chicago Bulls (before being swept by the Miami Heat). That was so four years ago, dude.

  January 26, 2009

• Doh!: Resistible Force (Phoenix Suns) Meets Movable Object (Chicago Bulls) on Saturday Night

  NBA No. 1 Derrick Rose makes his US Airways debut. From the January 26, 2009, morning paper: "Leading by as many as 16 in the first quarter and shooting 57.6 percent through three quarters, the team collapsed down the stretch by shooting 8-for-29." Sound familiar? The quote isn't about one of the Phoenix Suns' recent screw-ups. It hails from the Chicago Tribune, and refers to the Bulls' nausea-inducing overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves the previous night. Derrick Rose, the Bulls'

  January 30, 2009

• What Does it Mean? Phoenix Suns Lose and Win Against Terrible Teams

  You know what it means that the Suns blew out the Sacramento Kings 129-81 at US Airways Center Monday night? Nothing. The Kings are 11-39, officially the third-worst team in the NBA at 11-39 (the L.A. Clippers and the Washington Wizards are tied for worst at 10-38). Running them out of the gym means zilch. What tells us much more about this year's Suns under Coach Terry Porter is the team's 122-111 Saturday night loss to the Chicago Bulls. Former Suns player and executive Vinny De

  February 3, 2009

• The Pistons and The Palace Await the Struggling Suns on Sunday, After Tonight's Rematch With Golden State

  Home of the Pistons: The Palace at Auburn Hills For Phoenix Suns fans, there have been some stomachache-inducing moments this season. The disheartening blowouts in Boston and Charlotte. The heartbreaker on Christmas Day against San Antonio. However, the team's official fall into bottomless pit of apathy occurred at the conclusion of the first quarter during Wednesday night's game in Oakland. Scoreboard: Golden State Warriors 43, Phoenix Suns 30. Seriously, guys? Forty-three points yielded in

  February 6, 2009

• Will the Suns Turn the So-So Sixers Into a Beast From the East Tonight?

  Andre Iguodala ain't Dr. J, but he gets by. The Philadelphia 76ers are mediocre, with a dollop of turmoil. Former head coach Maurice Cheeks, one of the franchise's all-time greats, got the bum's rush back in December. Their marquee name, Elton Brand, is out for the rest of the season with a bad wing. Their top active player is shooting guard Andre Iguodala, who shoots sub-50 percent from two-point range, under 30 percent from three. The rest of their lineup is fleshed out by the unintimi

  February 9, 2009

• As an Amar'e Stoudemire Trade Seems Imminent, the Phoenix Suns Mount Two Impressive Weekend Wins

  Amar'e Stoudemire's practically got his bags packed. And the rest of the Phoenix Suns -- save for  vererans Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, and Grant Hill -- had seemingly put up the white flag. Then... The Suns started looking like a playoff team again in the past two games against the Golden State Warriors and the Detroit Pistons.  It wasn't pretty in the first of two games with the 16-35 Warriors. The Suns were blown out in Oakland. But they came back Friday night

  February 9, 2009

• How Much Garbage Time Can We Stand? Phoenix Suns Get Blown Out by Philly

  We knew to expect the worst when Suns broadcasters harped from the beginning of the game that the team got into Philadelphia at past 2 a.m. Monday after their victory over the  Pistons in Detroit Sunday night You know, the old back-to-back road games bugaboo. And when they mentioned that the 76ers were "well rested" after five home games in a row and two days' rest, the stage was set... For the Suns to suck -- that is, put out zilch energy in Monday eveni

  February 10, 2009

• As Good As It Gets: Phoenix Suns Face King James and his Cleveland Cavaliers Tonight

  Coming to a big screen near you: LeBron James (center in white) and the Cleveland Cavaliers At first, this blog was going to chronicle the sudden resurgence of the Phoenix Suns, who instilled a little hope with a modest two-game winning streak (hey, they gotta start somewhere) that included an impressive performance against the Detroit Pistons in The Palace. But then Phoenix choked hardcore in Philly Monday night, looking like the, well, very average team that they seem to have officially beco

  February 11, 2009

• Math Test: Phoenix Suns Face Must-Win Game Against Dallas Mavericks Tonight

  www.nba.com Dirk Nowitzki: Could another choke job be forthcoming? By the time a must-win game for the Phoenix Suns rolls around, we're usually breaking out the sunscreen and decorating the Maypole. This year, desperation's come early. In the race for the Western Conference playoffs, the Suns sit in ninth place in an eight-team sprint following their disastrous 0-4 road swing through Orlando, Miami, Houston, and San Antonio. The team in eighth, the Dallas Mavericks, leads the Suns by fo

  March 10, 2009

• Supermen of La Mancha: Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, Mo Williams Visit Phoenix Suns Tonight

  www.nba.com Mo Williams: Finally, a worthy sidekick for LeBron. Following the Phoenix Suns' figurative demise in their do-or-die game versus the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, the dudes in orange have about as much chance of making the playoffs as did Don Quixote of slaying a windmill. But that doesn't mean the end of championship-caliber NBA hoops at US Airways Center quite yet, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and their superman of La Mancha, LeBron James, visit the PHX tonight. You'd b

  March 12, 2009

• Mo Better

  March 12, 2009

• Phoenix Suns vs. Chicago Bulls @ U.S. Airways Center

  January 29, 2009

• Granger Danger

  January 1, 2009

• Center of Gravity

  December 4, 2008

• Personnel Foul

  November 13, 2008

• Hitsville USA

  May 15, 2008

• Steve Kerr's been beating the odds his whole life

  April 24, 2008

• Kerr's legendary moments

  April 24, 2008

• East or Famine

  January 10, 2008

• A Bunch of Bull

  Chi-town high risers visit PHX with tails between their legs

  November 15, 2007

• His Airness Writ Large

  To the Max satisfies if you're missing Michael Jordan

  June 1, 2000

• Flashes

  December 12, 1996

• End Game: Phoenix Suns Face an Offseason of Discontent

  www.nba.com Many will go. Grant Hill will return. We hope. A mere week into the new season, the Arizona Diamondbacks' top pitcher is on the disabled list with a sore wing and the D-Backs couldn't hit a slow-pitch grapefruit with a two-by-four. You think they've got problems? This year's star-crossed campaign for Your Phoenix Suns mercifully comes to an end sometime after 9:30 tonight when the clock runs out on their 82nd game, versus the Golden State Warriors, and a season that began wit

  April 15, 2009

• Hot Links: Shaq Packs, Doc Prescribes, and Cows Burp

  ASU basketball player James Harden worked out for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Harden, the PAC-10 Player of the Year, is expected to be among the top five picks in tonight's NBA draft...the Phoenix Suns traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers the day before the draft. In exchange for Shaq, the Suns will get Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, the 46th pick in the draft, and $500,000...Fire crews in Prescott battled a blaze allegedly caused by a truck driver accidentally p

  June 25, 2009

• The Big Cactus Becomes the Big Abandoned Steel Mill. Good for Cleveland, but It Leaves Us with Zilch

  www.nba.com O'Neal and King James reunited on the same team, this time for what the Cavs hope is a championship season.So what's Shaq gonna be called now that he's no longer the Big Cactus? Maybe the Big Abandoned Steel Mill or the Big Mistake By the Lake. Actually, O'Neal's trade looks good -- for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers! But what WTF did the Phoenix Suns get out of this? We'll tell you what: The deal saves owner Robert Sarver at least $10 million. What did Phoen

  June 25, 2009

• Sheriff Shaq? Former Suns Big Man Applies To Be Deputized in Cleveland

  www.dimemag.com​Shaquille O'Neal, the "Big Shaquisition" as he is now being called by Cavs fans, is hoping to become a deputized police officer in Ohio as he was in Florida, Virginia, and of course, Arizona.After being traded from the Suns to the Cavs back in June, Shaq has applied to become a special deputy in Cleveland, a position that would allow him to carry a gun and make arrests.

  October 29, 2009

• Motown Modown

  November 19, 2009