In what can only be nicknamed "2006 Retro Night", Steve Nash dribbled circles around the Portland Trail Blazers try-out squad, leading the Phoenix Suns to an easy 18-point victory. Heck, there was even a Sebastian Telfair appearance.
The loss officially eliminated the Blazers from the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
Without Raymond Felton, Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers looked as you'd expect as the "lost season" winds down.
The surprisingly-balanced Blazers spread out the points pretty evenly. Let's list out the key players:
- JJ Hickson: 22 points, 8 rebounds
- Luke Babbitt: Career-high 18 points on 4-9 three-pointers
- Wesley Matthews: 19 points, 2 steals
- Jamal Crawford: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
- Nolan Smith: 14 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, no turnovers
Phoenix looked like a team that wanted to win in the first quarter. Breaks, layups, inside dunks galore. Nash and Gortat quickly took control. Hickson helped keep it close, but that meant an 11 point deficit. In the second, Babbitt scored 5 points in 40 seconds. With Nash sitting, the Blazers closed to within 3 points. Nash came back in, and the lead was double-digits again, 13 at halftime.
Phoenix quickly defused a Blazer run early in the third, with the lead reaching 15 near the halfway point. Nash kept the Suns in control, and they led by 17 after three. The Phoenix lead passed 20 within the first minute of the fourth quarter. 8 minutes later, it was a similar lead. This is one of those games where there isn't much to say. Good luck, Dave.
Here's the box score, and Dave will have the recap later. Wednesday night is 2012's Rose Garden finale for the Blazers, who host Utah. -- Tim