HoopWatch

Game Six is set in a few hours at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and the Phoenix Suns need to pull-off the impossible, as they will try to extend their series against the Spurs in seven games.

They will be getting some more offensive fire power this time with Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw back after the Game Five suspension. The big question is: will Steve Nash, Kurt Thomas and the rest of the Suns, who played heavy minutes in the fifth game, have enough energy left in their tank to contend with the highly-physical Spurs.

Coach Mike D’Antoni used just a six-man rotation and they almost pulled-off an upset. Nash, Thomas, James Jones, foul-troubled Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell and Shawn Marion were the only ones utilized. Irish Pat Burke was used in a three-minute stretch in the first half. Both Nash and Thomas, who are in their mid-30’s, played for 45 minutes each. Something they haven’t done all season long.

Stoudemire and Diaw need to atone for their “sins,” and should make it their personal mission to shoulder the bulk of the offensive load, and avoid elimination. What was impressive in their Game Five loss was how the Suns, a high-octane-run-and-gun team, relied on their defense to slow down the Spurs attack. If not for the timely threes hit by Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley and Bruce Bowen, the Suns would have been up 3-2.

I still like the chances of my Suns, and I urge them to continue doubling on Tim Duncan. Though, they have to polish their defensive rotation to cover every shooter and avoid those lucky outside shots by Bowen. In replays, four Phoenix players were on Duncan at the paint, when that huge Bowen three was made, which eventually became the game’s turning point.

I still see a Phoenix victory in seven. They have so much adversity coming their way in this series, and they pumped-up to eliminate the bullish Spurs. Call it poetic justice if you will.