Sure, the Suns lost Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals after a Ron Artest putback of a Kobe Bryant airball. A crushing defeat to say the least, especially after coming back from 18 points down only to lose like that. You would expect the Suns team to be deflated as they head back to Phoenix for Game 6.
Well, you’d be wrong…especially if Steve Nash has anything to say about it.
Nash flashed his gigantic balls of steel after Game 5 and all but guaranteed a Suns win in Game 6…a la Joe Namath, minus the garish fur coat.
“I just said we’re going home and win Game 6 and come back in Game 7,” Nash said after practice yesterday. “Take it how you want to take it.”
Ron Artest didn’t take Nash’s guarantee too kindly…
“That’s like no respect for us. There’s no respect. That’s how it’s been for a long time this season. I’m sure we’ll talk about it,” Artest said before the Lakers left Los Angeles yesterday. “Coaches have no respect for the Lakers at all. They have no respect for me. The players don’t respect – a lot of the guys don’t respect. . . . I’m sure Kobe heard that (what Nash said), and I’m sure he’ll do his part tomorrow.”
So far the home team has won every game, which bodes well for Phoenix. Still, Nash’s comments, while not so much cocky as confident (he is Canadian after all), may come back to bite him in the ass, especially if the Black Mamba takes over the game like only he can.
My take–go with the Suns in this one, but that’s only because I have a very large mancrush on Steve “The Most Ridiculous Man in the World” Nash.
