North Station Sports

(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns (21-12) pasted the Boston Celtics (23-8) to send the C’s home with tail between legs to end their three game West coast swing.

Amare Stoudemire was all over Kendrick Perkins from the tip without Kevin Garnett around to give help defense.  He had 18 PTS, 6 REBS and a block in the first quarter alone before having to sit with fouls.  Stoudemire finished with 26 PTS and 7 REBS on 11-14 shooting. Boston didn’t help themselves by shooting 29% from the field the opening quarter and letting the Suns drain 67%.

With Garnett and Pierce out, Doc Rivers was desperate to find a combination of players that could hang with the speed and athleticism that Phoenix had running out there.  Eddie House led all Boston scores with 19 PTS going 5-7 from distance but they didn’t have anything to counter the flood of threes that Channing Frye was burying. He went 6-10 from beyond the arc finishing with a double double of 26 PTS and 10 REBS.  Frye should just change from C to SG because I don’t think he is ever in the paint.

Steve Nash had a subpar night for him with 11 PTS and 8 ASTS but with Amare doing it all in the beginning and Frye at the end he didn’t need to be at his best.  Rondo played 31 minutes on a sore hamstring and was clearly not the scoring threat he was in the previous three games only putting up 13 PTS and 8 ASTS.

The fast play was simply too much for Boston to handle (again) and had no way to assert themselves of the defensive end and slow the pace down.  They actually had fewer turnovers than the Suns but Phoenix score more points off the turnovers they did rip.  I don’t know what Doc’s plan was going into this game but whatever it was didn’t work.

Rivers emptied the bench with six minutes left in the beat down so at least we got to see Giddens finish a nice alley opp off of a Shelden Williams missed jam.  Other than that, there was nothing of note as Phoenix starters watch most of the second half unfold from the bench.

The Celtics have two days to regroup and take on Toronto at home on Saturday.  Maybe the New Year will bring the return of the starting rotation and winning way.