Steve Nash / Elton Brand

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Betus.com NBA Wagering : Nash fizzles, Brand sizzles

Steve Nash is the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. But he might not be the MVP of the playoff series between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Nash poured in 31 points with 12 assists in Game 1 of this Western Conference semifinal, which Phoenix won 130-123 as a 5-point home favorite. But Game 2 was a different story. The Clippers held Nash to 14 points and eight helpers in Wednesday’s easy 122-97 victory, hitting the pay window as a 4-point puppy and taking a 1-1 series split back with them to Staples Center.

As fantastic as Nash has been this season, there are those who say his average-at-best defense makes him less of an MVP-worthy player than the main man on the Clippers. Elton Brand was also fantastic in Game 1, pouring in a game-high 40 points and adding nine rebounds and four blocks. But Brand also made his mark on Game 2 with 27 points, 10 boards and three steals. Without Amare Stoudemire or Kurt Thomas around to slow down his progress, Brand may be an unstoppable force in this series.

The difference between Nash and Brand from an MVP mentality, other than Brand having to play in the shadow of his more famous co-tenants at Staples Center, is that Nash’s assists are more obviously beneficial to his teammates than Brand’s rebounding. That wasn’t the case Wednesday. Six of Brand’s 10 rebounds were at the Phoenix end; the Clippers grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in total, leading to 31 second-chance points.

Brand’s teammates made the most of their second chances in Game 2. After scoring just three points in Game 1, Cuttino Mobley racked up 23 points with eight rebounds Wednesday night. Chris Kaman also had a much better game, picking up 14 points and a whopping 16 boards. The Brand-Kaman combo gives L.A. the interior presence many believe will carry the Clippers into the third round.

If Phoenix is going to prevail in this series, it will almost certainly come from the perimeter. However, the Suns were unable to shoot the lights out the way they did in Monday’s victory. Phoenix connected on nine of 24 attempts from long range in Game 2; not bad, but not even close to the 12-for-27 onslaught the Clippers were subjected to in the series opener. Meanwhile, Shawn Marion followed up his 20-point, 15-rebound performance in Game 1 with just 13 points and six boards.

The spotlight will almost certainly fall on Nash when the teams renew hostilities in Los Angeles. Game 3 goes on Friday, with Game 4 on Sunday; Nash won’t have the benefit of extra rest that the participants in the Spurs-Mavericks and Cavaliers-Pistons series are getting, thanks to the NBA’s penchant for loading up on higher-profile weekend television broadcasts. Nash did, however, sit out the final 5:43 of Wednesday’s affair.

Nash would have been pleased to get away from Quinton Ross for an extra couple of days. Ross is starting in place of Corey Maggette at the small forward position specifically for his defensive prowess. The Clippers shifted Ross onto Nash in Game 2 with positive results – although he played in just 19 minutes, he stifled the MVP while also scoring a rare 11 points of his own. Don’t expect the same offensive outburst from Ross this weekend, but don’t be surprised if he gets into Nash’s grill even more.

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