By Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
Posted: April 27, 2010
Since the Suns have five games under their belts against the Blazers, we decided to ask them what they thought the keys to winning Game 6 in Portland would be. Here's what they had to say:
SUNS POINT GUARD STEVE NASH:
“I feel like shot-making has been really important and our defense has been solid. We've had a couple lapses on some offensive rebounds, but I think making shots has been the difference. When we play at a higher tempo it gives a chance to do other things."
"In the game where we didn't play at a high tempo, in Game 4, we still had a lot of good looks. So there's ways to win games but we're best when the ball is moving and we have a good rhythm to our play."
SUNS FORWARD LOUIS AMUNDSON:
"I think it's controlling the tempo. In all the games that they've won, it's been a low-scoring affair. Those games have been real physical, grind-it-out games."
"So if we limit our turnovers and control the tempo as much as possible I think we can put ourselves in a better position to win. With this team, we have so many possessions that if you hit shots, you can build a big lead pretty quickly. We talked about trying to speed up the tempo and play at a little faster pace than we did in Game 4."
SUNS FORWARD JARED DUDLEY:
"I think everybody knows that it's tempo. Obviously, you want to get the game up and down. Also, I think being aggressive on defense."
"When we're trapping and we're getting long rebounds, we can get out (and run). I think that if we keep (Marcus) Camby and Juwan (Howard) off the glass and we do that with aggressive defense, we get out there and run because it's a mind-set with us."
SUNS HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY:
“It comes down to a battle of wills. It's very important for us to go up there with the intent of winning the game. I told our guys that I'd be very, very, very disappointed if we come back to the locker room talking about them playing harder than we are."
"That's not even an option that we can have. We have to play hard. If we don't play well, we don't play well. Sometimes that happens. But we can't ever come back into the locker room and say that the other team played harder.”
SUNS CENTER CHANNING FRYE:
"Aggressiveness. Tempo and just going to get that ball on the offensive glass. I think early on when they got hot (in Game 4), we just continued to set the pace of the game."
"We have to play for it all. For us, it's just a matter of taking what we did last game and continue to get better at it."
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