The Phoenix Suns had made extensive preparations for Su Xi's arrival; they were unwilling to lose to him and the Knicks on any front.
They didn't want to lose to Su Xi because he had snatched what should have been Steve Nash's guaranteed regular season MVP trophy last season.
As for the Knicks, they were now considered another run-and-gun team, and a very successful one at that. This had led basketball commentators, with Larry Brown at the forefront, to argue that the run-and-gun style lacked technical skill and was nothing more than chaotic running and shooting.
Weren't the Knicks a prime example of that?
Their strategy was just a chaotic free-for-all; even they themselves probably couldn't replicate it if asked.
This was an insult to D'Antoni. He had no desire to be mentioned in the same breath as the Knicks, as if they were some "run-and-gun duo." But damn it, the Knicks' record was even better than his, the authentic original.
