Steve Nash

McCallum takes peek into personal lives of Nash and Suns in new book

In the sombre Phoenix locker-room after the Suns' tumultuous season had come to the end with a Game 6 loss to Dallas in the Western Conference final, Canadian point guard Steve Nash, for once, had few words for his teammates.

The two-time MVP from Victoria was fighting back tears.

``It looked for a moment like (Nash) was going to say something, but then you saw the blink of the eyes, the purse of the lips, and, finally, the shake of the head,'' writes Jack McCallum. ``He was crying, and if he had a platitude to offer, he couldn't get it out.''

The emotional moment became the beginning of McCallum's book ``:07 Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns.''

McCallum, who has covered the NBA for Sports Illustrated for the past 20 years, was granted unprecedented access to Nash and the Suns for his new book that spans the 2005-06 season, from sitting in on coaches meetings, to attending practices, and going on the road with the team.

The end result is an entertaining and enlightening look at one of the league's most entertaining teams, and its leader Nash.

The idea for the book was hatched from an SI article McCallum had written on spending the pre-season with the Suns as an ``assistant coach.''

The book begins with the final game of the season and progresses backwards, but it wasn't until the Nash moment that McCallum knew what structure the book would take on.

``I sat down and the first thing I wrote was the scene with Steve after they lost the Dallas game and (head coach Mike) D'Antoni asked him if he wanted to say anything and he was crying, he was choked up,'' McCallum said in a phone interview from his home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. ``So I wrote that the first thing and then thought you know, that kind of stuck with me.''

There were numerous Nash moments that stuck with McCallum. There was the stretch during the conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Clippers when Nash wasn't playing well. The Canadian guard, plagued by a back injury and struggling with his shot, had flown in Rick Celebrini, his friend and trainer from Vancouver.

``I got there early at practice and (Nash) was there with his shirt off, which I never saw before, down there at the other end working with Celebrini,'' said McCallum. ``It struck me that it was like it was some gym in Vancouver in August, when nobody was around, that he was trying to return to that point. Here it was in June almost, I think, and he was trying to recapture what he had done in the summer.''

The Suns signed Nash before the 2004-05 season to lead its run-and-gun offence. (McCallum's book title refers to the Suns' hurry-up offence, their belief that the best shots are in the first seven seconds of the shot clock.) The acquisition of Nash immediately paid off, as the Suns went an NBA best 62-20 in 2004-05.

While Nash leads the Suns' offence on the floor, it's clear from McCallum's book that he's also the undisputed leader off it _ almost as much of an assistant coach as he is a player. McCallum describes the 32-year-old as being ``like a second-grade teacher, that voice in everybody's ear to get out there and get ready.''

To get his teammates out on the floor before games, Nash would yell ``Nineteen on the clickety!'' The ``clickety'' was Nash's word for the clock that ticks off the time until tip-off.

``He would always scream it out, and say, `All right, lets get out there,''' said McCallum. ``I think it was a source of frustration to him that guys just don't prepare like him. Everybody has their own way of doing things, but I think Steve thought that some concentration once in a while had been lost at the beginning of games, and right after halftime because guys kind of didn't get focused right away.''

Throughout the book, McCallum takes a peek into the personal lives of the Suns players and coaches.

He refers to Shawn Marion's sometimes lackadaisical approach, the athletic forward's insecurities, and how Marion's game went into the tank after he learned Nash was about to win his second straight MVP trophy.

McCallum sheds some light on Amare Stoudemire's knee injury. Stoudemire had just signed a US$73-million contract extension before undergoing surgery during training camp that would cost him the season. Suns owner Robert Sarver had been completely unaware Stoudemire had even been experiencing knee pain.

In one humorous account, McCallum writes about Stoudemire arriving at the arena in an Al Capone T-shirt. After Stoudemire admits he knows nothing about Capone ``except he was a bad guy,'' McCallum gives Stoudemire a quick primer on the mobster. Stoudemire replies: ``Damn. There was a time drinking was illegal?''

McCallum also fills in the gaps in GM Bryan Colangelo's mid-season move to Toronto. By McCallum's account, it was clear that Sarver simply wanted Colangelo out.

The author believes the Raptors were big winners in the Colangelo deal.

``Bryan has a kind of gravitas, he's one of the guys in the league, he's one of the half dozen general managers that they'll always take his calls, they'll always listen to him,'' McCallum said. ``All I know from around the rest of the league is Bryan conveys a kind of instant respect upon a franchise that they may not have had quite before.''

McCallum admits his book was the product of good fortune _ he could have had no idea Phoenix would make for such a compelling story in 2005-06. He chose Phoenix simply because he believed it was the only team that might say yes, and because the Suns ``had Steve and a bunch of other friendly guys.''

But with the author along for the ride, the Suns overcame the loss of Stoudemire to capture their second straight division title, make the conference final, and Nash collected his second MVP trophy.

``The fact that they had this ridiculously compelling season was just so lucky,'' said McCallum. ``When they beat the Lakers in Game 7 (of the opening round of the playoffs), I said, `OK, this book can be OK now, even if they go on to lose to the Clippers.' That series against the Lakers was about as compelling of basketball as you can have.''

Nash's 18 points helps Suns earn twelfth straight win, beating Heat 99 89

Miami Heat coach Pat Riley has nothing but high praise for Canadian Steve Nash, the NBA's two-time reigning MVP.

``He may be the best player in the league,'' Riley said.

Riley's opinion was backed up Wednesday night, when Nash hit a three-pointer with 2:20 left to stop a huge Miami run and help lift the Phoenix Suns to their 12th straight victory, 99-89.

The win turned out to be a struggle for Phoenix, which wasted most of a 25-point fourth-quarter lead.

``We took care of it,'' Nash said. ``We lost all our momentum in the fourth quarter. That happens _ but we won the game.''

Shawn Marion had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Nash had 18 points and 11 assists and Boris Diaw scored 13 points for the Suns, who have the second-longest winning streak in franchise history and finished a road trip 5-0 for the first time since April 1998.

``We should have opened the game and closed it,'' Marion said. ``This is their home court. They're not an NBA team if they just sit down.''

Alonzo Mourning had 19 points and Udonis Haslem added 14 for Miami, which played without Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade and fell to 9-12.

Phoenix led 88-63 with 9:52 left, before the Heat scored 17 straight points and went on to outscore the Suns 22-2 over a 6{-minute stretch to draw within five. But Nash's shot from the top of the key ended that burst, and sent the Heat to their seventh loss in 11 home games this season.

``Nash makes the whole thing work,'' Riley said. ``We got something going in the fourth quarter and made it exciting, and he makes the three to really break our back. ... That team is a very good team. They belong at the top.''

The Heat's rally came primarily with only one starter, Jason Kapono, on the floor. Kapono had 11 points during the run, including a three-pointer with 2:40 left that got Miami within 90-85. But Nash answered that one 20 seconds later with his three, and the Suns would hang on from there.

``The league MVP,'' Heat forward James Posey said. ``He had a big three there.''

Amare Stoudemire had 12 points, while Leandro Barbosa and James Jones each scored 10 for Phoenix.

Kapono finished with 13 points, while Robert Hite _ one of the key Heat players in their big run _ scored 11 and Dorell Wright added 10.

``You've got to give a good effort against them because it's like a track meet out there,'' Hite said. ``We gave it a great effort at the end. A couple more shots go down, a couple more chances, and it's a different story.''

The undermanned Heat were without their two biggest stars _ Wade had wisdom teeth removed Tuesday, and O'Neal missed his 17th game as he continues to recover from surgery to repair torn knee cartilage.

For most of the game, it looked like even they wouldn't be enough to help the Heat against an onslaught like Phoenix's.

The Suns connected on 10 shots from three-point range and trailed only once _ 2-0 after Heat guard Jason Williams opened the game with two free throws.

``We played pretty well, had a good lead, thought the game was over and kind of shut it down,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. ``You have to give them credit. They didn't quit. They played good and hard. That's a trademark of a Pat Riley team.''

The Suns took a 16-point lead into halftime and stretched it to 84-63 entering the final quarter. Phoenix then had the first four points of the fourth, before the Heat began their comeback try.

``We weren't going to give up like that,'' Posey said. ``We tried to give ourselves a chance. Just got in too deep of a hole.''

Notes: Phoenix's franchise record for consecutive wins is 14, set in December 1992. ... Miami F Antoine Walker, who was 0-for-3 in 10 first-half minutes, did not play in the second half. ... The Suns shot 53 per cent in the first quarter, which is the worst they've shot in the opening 12 minutes during this 12-game winning streak. ... Wade was not flying with the Heat to Washington on Wednesday night and isn't expected to play when Miami visits the Wizards on Friday. He could play Saturday when Miami hosts Memphis.

Steve Nash clocks career high 42 points as Suns fry Nets 161 157 in double overtime

Two overtimes, 318 points, 34 lead changes, 21 ties and a dramatic showdown between two of the best point guards in the game.

The Phoenix Suns beat the New Jersey 161-157 on Thursday night in a game that was as good as it gets in the NBA.

``I think we can go home and turn on Classic NBA,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. ``It will be on there already. That's the best game I have ever seen.''

Steve Nash scored nine of his career-high 42 points in the second overtime and Boris Diaw hit a go-ahead shot in the lane with 14 seconds left to lead the Suns to their eighth straight victory in the shootout that matched the NBA's fourth-highest points total.

The classic also saw Nets point guard Jason Kidd tie Wilt Chamberlain for third place with 78 career triple-doubles. Kidd finished with 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, but the point guard dribbled the ball off his foot with 10 seconds left, costing the Nets a chance to tie.

``It was a crazy game,'' said Nash, who also had 13 assists in almost 48 minutes. ``They decided to run with us tonight. Both teams deserved to win. We were lucky to come out on top.''

Actually, the Suns dodged two bullets. Nash had to hit a remarkable three-pointer at the end of regulation to force the overtime and then Kidd had a shot at the end of the first overtime go halfway down and fall out.

``For the NBA it was one of those games they would like to see more often,'' Kidd said. ``You know, guys were playing hard. It was a clean game, a lot of points, but it came down the last couple of minutes of each quarter, and it probably will be a classic.''

Shawn Marion added 33 points, Raja Bell had 24 and Amare Stoudemire 23 for the Suns, who made an NBA season-high 17 three-pointers, including Nash's big one that tied the game at 133.

Vince Carter had 31 points before fouling out with 4.8 seconds left in regulation with the Nets ahead by three points. He committed the foul thinking he only had four and that the foul would prevent Phoenix from attempting a game tying three-pointer.

Richard Jefferson scored 25 points for the Nets. Marcus Williams added 18 for New Jersey, which set a team-record for points in a game.

The wide-open game featured 224 shots, 27 three-pointers, 57 fouls and a remarkably low 29 total turnovers.

The last tie came at 157 with 33.6 seconds to play when Kidd capped a 6-0 run with a three-point play. Nash helped put Phoenix in front with his 13th and final assist, a little pass to Diaw for a short shot in lane for a 159-157 lead.

After a timeout, Kidd dribbled the ball into the forecourt and tried to cut to his right at the top of the circle. The ball bounced off his foot and Leandro Barbosa picked it up with 9.9 seconds to play.

After a 20-second timeout, Diaw almost threw the inbounds pass away. Nash recovered and was fouled, hitting both free throws with four seconds to go for a 161-157 lead.

Kidd missed a three-pointer with about three seconds to go and the Nets dejectedly walked off the court despite breaking their previous record for points in a game, 148 against Golden State in 1992.

Kidd had a chance to win the game at the end of the first overtime but his off-balance fadeaway jumper from the elbow went halfway down and popped out, sending the game to the second overtime. The popout also spoiled a Nets' celebration that saw Carter run off the bench and then hold his head in disbelief.

The Nets were seemingly on the verge of victory in regulation when Kidd hit two free throws with 4.4 seconds to play to give New Jersey a 133-130 lead.

After Phoenix called its final timeout, Nash came off a foul-line screen by Kurt Thomas, caught an inbounds pass from Diaw, squared his shoulder and nailed a tying three-pointer.

The fourth quarter alone was wild. There were 17 lead changes and eight ties.

When Kidd's triple double was announced at the Continental Airlines Arena at the end of a time out midway through the fourth quarter, the crowd cheered and Nash walked up to Kidd and patted his former teammate on the head.

Notes: Detroit and Denver played the highest-scoring game in NBA history in February 1983, with the Pistons beating the Nuggets 186-184 in three overtimes. ... Nets coach Lawrence Frank was unhappy with a couple of calls and got hit with a technical foul in the third quarter. ... Nash and Nets C Mikki Moore were called for technicals after a little fourth-quarter flareup. ... Nets G Eddie House had 18 points in his third game of the season. He missed the first 15 games because of knee surgery. ... Nets are 0-6 at home when they trail entering the fourth quarter. ... Denver had the previous high this season with 140 points against Golden State on Nov. 24.