THE EASY BUCKETS LIST

Smith argued that the Suns cannot win this series because they allow too many easy baskets, which is all true. The Suns were up by as many as 14 points in the first quarter of Game 2--Who said they were the best first half team in basketball?-- but in the 3rd quarter San Antonio outscored them 27-11. After nine minutes of the second half the Suns had just one bucket.

Here's the deal: Watch that 3rd quarter. How many uncontested shots did the Suns take? If any Sun was within four feet of the rim, there were at least two Spurs ready to battle him. Meanwhile, Tony Parker was driving and scoring, or driving and dishing. Not only are those higher percentage buckets, but they're also demoralizing. 

A few more points (or more than the Suns scored in the 3rd quarter): 

1) It was Barkley who aptly stated, "A series doesn't begin until someone loses a game at home." He's right. If the Suns can rebound (figuratively...and, come to think of it, literally) at U.S. Airways Arena for Games 3 and 4, then we have a series again. But they'll need a healthy Grant Hill, more 3-point production and much stingier defense.

2) Doug Collins suggested it and I agree: Why don't the Suns play zone? In the second half the Spurs were killing Phoenix on the up-top pick-and-roll play. Also, Steve Nash is a huge defensive liability when both Manu and Parker are in the game. If you're going to play man in that situation, you might as well put Nash on Oberto. He's only going to shoot from the inside, and at that stage Nash can get help.

3) Remember that scene in "The American President" in which Annette Bening tells Michael Douglas that he has bigger problems than losing her as a girlfriend? That he's also "lost my vote?" That's how I feel about the Suns. Okay, it's somewhat forgivable if you don't win the Finals as long as you remain the FunSuns of "Seven Seconds or Less" fame. But when I have to watch Boris Diaw or Shaq holding the ball in the low post and backing down his defender as if it's 1994 and Charles Oakley is playing, that just ain't right. The Suns made just four three-pointers last night, which is not going to get it done.

4) Manu Ginobili: Great player, but how does he manage to fool everyone--the refs and Collins and Kevin Harlan included--at this stage of his career? On the last inbounds play that mattered, Michael Finley attempted to inbound the ball to the Sixth Man of the Year. Nash got in his way and Ginobili sprawled to the ground as if he'd been shot. The refs called nothing (to be fair, Nash flopped as well), Ginobili got the ball, and Raja Bell ran over to foul him. Bell definitely fouled him, but Ginobili's overdramatic flail of the arms nearly sold the referees on it being a flagrant one. Luckily, Dick Bavetta is on to him.

And earlier in the fourth quarter, Manu was driving to the hoop and Barbosa was able to deflect the ball off his knee. It clearly went out of bounds off his knee, but Manu's such a master thespian that he kicked out his left leg and made it look as if a Sun had touched it. Originally, the slicked-back hair ref (this year's Tim Donaghy?) awarded the ball to the Spurs before he was overruled.

Honestly, someone needs to do a montage of Manu's greatest flops. He's an outstanding talent, to be sure, but also the most disingenuous player in the league on the court.

Flopping was discussed on "PTI", or was it "ATH", or was it "First Take", yesterday. It's sad that I saw parts of all three. One argument was that there needs to be a penalty for flopping. Which is correct. They used a bad example to illustrate their point: Andrei Kirilenko's flop when shoved by Luis Scola at a critical moment of Game 2 of the Jazz-Rockets. Sure, Kirilenko overexaggerated the contact, but Scola did foul him. You cannot extend your arm to set a pick (though my dad did this to me for years when we used to play).

Still, the point is that flopping, which is considered de rigeur in soccer, is becoming more commonplace in the NBA now that so many players from soccer-mad countries are here. Euros and South Americans have added so much to the NBA game, but this is their one major detraction. And if you're going to try to fool the ref into giving you a call, then you should receive a technical or at the very least a foul if he catches you doing so. There's no place for bad acting...except on "Saved By The Bell."

A SWEET GUY...A LOVELY GUY

On Tuesday's "Mike & Mike", Greenie had a funny riff. He cited Alex Rodriguez referring to an alleged steroid dealer as "a sweet guy...he's a lovely guy." Greenberg repeated the refrain over and over, making the excellent point that as bizarre as it is to hear A-Rod say that about an alleged drug dealer, it's just as bizarre to hear any grown man say that about another grown man. Which is true.

And then Greenie--and this is why he gets his own game show--asked the perfect question to Golic: "Can you think of anyone in sports about whom you'd say, 'He's a sweet guy...a lovely guy."

At first the question stumped Golic, but then he came up with two names: Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Munoz and former Green Bay Packer, former SEC footbball coach and current ESPN analyst Bill Curry. I don't know Munoz, but I have met Curry a number of times and Golic could not be more correct: Bill Curry is a sweet guy, a lovely guy.

Of course, I am inspired to compose my own list of "sweet guys, lovely guys" that I know in sports. This is a very exclusive club, because it's something more than being a "great guy". Barkley, for example, may be a great guy, but is he a sweet guy, a lovely guy? I don't think so. One reason that so few sports people meet this parameter is because to excel in sports you must be hyper-competitive, which rarely jibes with the "sweet guy, lovely guy" description. Nevertheless, here is my list of Five Sweet Guys, Lovely Guys that I have been lucky enough to meet or even befriend in sports.

1) Darren Bennett, former Pro Bowl punter, San Diego and Minnesota:

This should not count, because Darren is Australian and they're just naturally sweeter and lovelier. But when I barely knew him, I had to interview him and my only free time was Friday. That's usually an off-limits day in the NFL, and Darren asked if I could wait until Monday. I told him that there was a family function I was trying to get home for on Monday (see, I am NOT a sweet guy, a lovely guy). He thought a moment and then invited me out to dinner with his wife and some friends on Friday night in Pacific Beach. Darren Bennett is as good as people come.

2) Charles Davis, broadcaster, Fox and the NFL Network; former Tennessee Volunteer

I love love love Charles Davis. Man-crush? Maybe. You can talk to Charles Davis about college football or the Hardy Boys or how come women always seem to get hit by cars in Manhattan-based chick flicks, and he'll never be at a loss for an insight. Just a warm and wonderful guy.

3) Paul Kirk , former Director of Media Relations, Denver Broncos

Nobody--nobody--in media relations is a nicer guy than Paul Kirk. Sad and strange: as I was preparing to write this I Googled Paul because I haven't spoken to him in about six months. And I came upon a post saying that the Broncos released Kirk and seven other employees on March 20th for budgetary reasons. This is so sad and unnecessary. Some dude on the roster probably spends on Waverunners or bling what Paul makes annually, and he's been there nearly 15 years, and they let him go.

If anyone from a pro franchise or D-I school is reading this, you should hire Paul immediately (maybe someone already has). He's as genuine as they come.

4) Gabe Jennings, Olympic middle distance runner

I did a profile on Jennings before his senior year at Stanford. Gabe is quite the benevolent iconoclast, but he's a sweet guy, a lovely guy. He invited me to do a sweat box with his entire family, which is the only time I've ever been stark naked with a subject while reporting a story. I said, "while" reporting a story. The funny part is that I also saw Gabe naked later on while he was getting a massage. Gabe's not all that big on clothing. He is a free spirit and just a decent soul.

5) (Tie) Rebecca Lobo/Svetlana Abrosimova, U Conn women's hoops

Just because you're a sweet guy, a lovely guy, doesn't mean you have to be a guy. These two former All-Americans are as thoughtful--and smart-- as any athletes you'll ever meet. Seven years ago I spent an entire season with the Huskies for a book and at one point did something to alienate the coaches and a few players (and, no, it had nothing to do with flatulence on the team bus). I was wondering how to handle it when Svetlana, still just 20 years old, sat down next to me and told me that she was worried about me. She gave me great advice: "Just get everyone together, say you're sorry, and that's that," she said.

I should mention that this happened just a week or so after Sveta had suffered a season-ending injury during her senior year. How many big-time athletes would have been aware of anyone else's problems at a time like that? Sveta is a remarkable person.

As for Lobo, well, any woman who can cohabitate with Steve Rushin is already approaching sainthood.