Eclipsed by the "suns"

Previous weekly reviews: 31.10 - 6.11. | 7.11 - 13.11. | 14.11 - 20.11 | 11/21 - 11/27 | 28.11 - 4.12

HERO OF THE WEEK

Can a “baby” playmaker become the most useful regular season player twice in a row? “It's unlikely,” experts said in a voice a year ago, hearing enthusiasm for Steve Nash. Could It Become MVP Third Season In A Row? "Well ... uh ..." Now the doubt about the Canadian leadership has become much less.

Yes, Steve is not the only star in the Phoenix. Yes, his team is not like the future owner of the main trophy - her game is too romantic and bright. So while no one is talking about the playoffs! Let's admit that the light style of Nash led by the "solar" is quite suitable in order to dominate the long championship. Moreover, the “Sons” dispatcher not only passes (this week he handed out an average of 14.4 assists per game), but he is also able to draw matches with his own hands. It was Nash who equalized at the end of the regular time of the meeting with “New Jersey”, in which he scored as many as 42 points.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

If you're complaining about a complicated schedule, learn from Phoenix . This week, the club from Arizona managed to hold five matches, of which the last four were away, and one with two overtime! And won all five!

The fight with the “New Jersey”, no doubt, will be included in the category of classic. The victory with a score of 161: 157 after two additional five minutes was not easy: “Suns” more than once balanced on the verge of defeat.



After such an exhausting battle in which Mike D'Antoni actually used eight players, a decline in form could be expected. But he did not come. “Boston” did not have the skill to deal with Nash and Co., and then the “solar” and completely defeated the eastern “polar explorers” - an outsider, “Charlotte” and the leader of “Orlando”.

LEGIONARY OF THE WEEK

With Steve Nash alive, no alternatives are accepted last week. So that the Canadians would not get bored, we would send him to the company of teammates - as always, Brazilian Leandro Barboso, who was effectively leaving the bench, who was shooting from behind the arc of his defensive partner, Virgin Islands native Raju Bella and Frenchman Boris Djo, who became the author of the decisive ball in the second overtime of the meeting with New Jersey.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

12/9/2006. Dallas - Denver. Carmelo ANTHONY and Dirk NOVITSKI: the struggle for leadership in the Western Conference is serious.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I am healthy. Even the doctors never managed to leave me out of the game. Always and in any condition I tried to go to the site ... Apparently, the time has come for a change. I am grateful to the teammates and the city of Philadelphia, where I was always supported, in good and bad times," Allen Iverson in a farewell message to the 76s fans.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK

For 10 years, Allen Iverson threw the Philadelphia fans out of the heat into the cold, bewitching with stunning throws, pleasing with victories and titles, shaking with scandals and conflicts. Now it’s hard to understand who left whom without a championship - Iverson “76th” or “76th” Iverson. One way or another, both of them have to start a new life: The answer is officially put up for transfer .

On Friday, “Philadelphia” announced that in a match with “Washington” Allen Iverson will not participate - according to the official version, due to injuries. The fight had not yet begun, when the statement of the defender of the 76s, transmitted through his agent Leon Rose, appeared in the press - a quote from him is given a little higher. For once, no one began to argue with Allen's demand. The Sixers owner Ed Snyder just smirked: if he wants an exchange, we’ll do it! It seems that Snider wanted to provoke this situation, most likely, so that the fans would not later announce his departure as an idol, whose fate was inextricably linked with the fate of the “76s”.

The club is indeed in a deep crisis. After the final of the playoffs of 2001, the team went downhill, the recent invitation by Chris Webber did not justify itself, and in this championship the Philadelphians have so far won a miserable five matches. You can’t help with small trades, because you had to decide on perestroika.

Club general manager Billy King proudly assures that almost the entire league is chasing Iverson. To celebrate and to the noise, King wants to shove someone and Webber. It’s just that this option seems almost unbelievable - the 42 million dollars that Sea-Webb is supposed to get over the next couple of years tie a forward contract to the Philly office with a massive steel chain. Exchange two players at once, worth about 80 million “green” at a time - if this succeeds, consider this a fantasy.

Who are the main applicants for the response services? These are Minnesota, Boston, Clippers, Chicago and Charlotte. They say that “Philadelphia” is in a hurry, apparently intending to save the chances of continuing the fight in the playoffs. Although it’s not entirely clear how the rebuilt team will beat in the bud. Wise people advise Snyder and King not to rush and wait for more profitable offers. It is even possible that Iverson will have to languish on the bench, like Ron Artest a year ago. Although what Allen was so cruelly guilty of is not entirely clear.

CONFUSES OF THE WEEK

Lamar Odom - out of competition. This is a must see.



“Lamar made almost the most unusual of all that I have ever seen in basketball,” assured Phil Jackson. “The last time I saw this in a game of schoolchildren.”

Chasing the week

In two games in a row, a real chatter was arranged by Boston . First, the Celtics won back 20 points behind the Phoenix, but in the end they were left with nothing, and yesterday, winning 68:38 in the third quarter, they allowed New York to reduce the difference to three points! Fortunately for the “Celts”, in this match everything ended well. Such tests temper character.

FIGURES OF THE WEEK

By sending the Denver and Golden State results two weeks ago (140: 129) to this section , we did not expect that someone would be able to surpass such solid overall performance indicators this season. But no. The meeting of “New Jersey” with “Phoenix” on Thursday filled up an impressive number. The result - 157: 161 , 2 overtime, 34 leadership changes, 21 repetitions of an equal score. 318 points scored and 17 "treshki" sold by "Sons" (both of them are the records of the season). 224 shots, 57 fouls and only 29 losses. 42 points and 13 assists of Steve Nash against 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists of Jason Kidd. For Kidd, this is the 78th triple double in his career, equalizing him in 3rd place in terms of number with Wilt Chamberlain (on Monday, Jason also made 79th, going out in clean bronze). By the way, Chamberlain was the last to succeed at least 38 + 14 + 14 - in the performance of Wilt they, of course, looked more impressive - 53 + 32 + 14.

Yes, if anyone does not know about the most productive game in history: in February 1983, “Detroit” won “Denver” in three overtime with a score of 186: 184.

Not tired of the numbers? Then a few more, which cannot be overlooked. Don Nelson achieved the 1200th victory in his career (only Golden Lennie Wilkens is ahead of the Golden State coach), and Utah presented a slightly more modest, but more beautiful present, the 1000th victory, to Jerry Sloan. On Thursday, Larry Bird celebrated his anniversary: ​​the legend of “Boston” turned 50.

MOMENT OF THE WEEK

In a meeting with “Miami” Jay.Ar. Smith once again proved that he was not in vain invited to the place of the closest associate Carmelo Anthony. The young attacking defender scored 37 points, arranging a bombardment of the opponents' ring from afar, and finally pleased the crazy beauty of all-mentioned - from Pas Melo, of course. By the way, the guys have already demonstrated something similar this season.



WAITING FOR THE WEEK

Naturally, the situation around Iverson will remain in the spotlight - will it be resolved in the next seven days? In the coming weekend, if you believe the representatives of “Memphis”, we will wait for the return to the parquet MVP of the world championship in Gasol. It seems that the Spaniard was enough for a rather short period of training after the broken leg was cured to return to its optimal shape.

In the game program, we note two matches of Wednesday: “hot” “Phoenix” will visit in Miami, while “hot” only by name, and “Lakers” will drop into Dallas. On Saturday, it will be curious to watch the meeting of the favorites of the “East”: “Cleveland” will visit the “Orlando”.

The whole league is looking forward to the New Year. Not only to give / receive gifts, but also in anticipation of the return of an old leather ball. Microfibre Spalding's product was too harsh for anyone who was asked a question about it. "This ball sucks. The dictator just came and threw it to us without asking anyone or testing. Some guy from Spalding came up with this microfiber thing - that's all. Although these dudes never played basketball themselves," - as always categorically said goodbye to the experimental model Rashid Wallace.

Nikolai TSYNKEVICH