He was so instrumental in the regular season, providing solid backup minutes for Steve Nash at the point.  Now the playoffs have begun and Leandro Barbosa is seeing a lot of the series from the pine, watching Joe Johnson take over his job at backup point.

"We needed scoring off the bench. . .My thought was to give (Jackson) more room to operate," D?Antoni said. "He needs minutes to do that."

Barbosa seems to be taking everything in stride however, "It?s the playoffs. Anything can happen. I?m very happy because the team won.?

Phoenix put themselves into position to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs on Friday by defeating the Grizzlies by a final score of 110-90.

Amare Stoudemire scored 30 points, while Shawn Marion had 14 points and 13 rebounds to pace the Suns.

All five of the Grizzlies' starters were in double-figures, but none of them scored more than 14 points.

MVP candidate Steve Nash had 13 points and 8 assists.

The Memphis Grizzlies gave the Suns their best effort, but it wasn't enough, as Phoenix retained home court advantage, winning 108-103.

Amare Stoudemire scored 34 points, including 18 free-throws.  Shawn Marion bounced back with his bad wrist, scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.  Steve Nash had 15 assists to go with 12 points.

Pau Gasol had a monster game, scoring 28 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.

The USA Basketball Executive Committee has named Phoenix Suns Chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo to the newly-created position of Managing Director of the USA Basketball Senior Men's National Team program for the 2005-2008 quadrennium, USA Basketball President Val Ackerman announced today at a press conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

Colangelo will assume responsibility for the selection of the USA senior men's team coaching staffs and players through 2008 and will oversee the teams' competitive preparations, including training and exhibition games.

During the 2005-2008 quadrennium, USA Basketball men's senior national teams are expected to compete in the 2006 FIBA World Championship (Aug. 19-Sept. 3 in Saitama, Japan), if necessary the 2007 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD), and if the USA qualifies the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China (Aug. 8-24).

"I take on this responsibility with a great deal of commitment and passion.  My intent is to restore USA Basketball's role in international basketball and the status we once enjoyed," said Colangelo.  "With the increased international competition that exists, this will be a major challenge for us as we prepare for 2008 and the Olympics."

Shawn Marion suffered a wrist injury during Sunday's game, but is expected to play in Game 2.

"Right now, it's feeling better, so that's a good thing," Marion said Tuesday.

"I'll probably play anyway," Marion said. "I don't like to sit out. If I can walk, I'm going to play. That's the way I feel about it."

Marion had 26 points and 13 rebounds in the Suns' 114-103 victory over Memphis in the opener of the best-of-seven series Sunday night.

In a recent polling of 20 beat writers who cover the NBA, Phoenix point guard Steve Nash narrowly edged out Miami?s Shaquille O?Neal for the MVP title.  Shaq was followed by Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and Allen Iverson in that order.

The Suns got a major scare on Sunday when Shawn Marion was fouled by Shane Battier on a breakaway stuff attempt.

Marion fell to the floor in pain, grabbing his right arm.
But he stayed in the game and made 1-of-2 free throws on the flagrant foul call, capping a 12-2 run that gave Phoenix a 73-59 lead with 8:29 to go in the third quarter.

The injury was diagnosed as a sprained right wrist, and Marion wore a brace after the game. He said he hoped to be ready for Game 2 on Wednesday night. Marion said the foul was hard but clean.

Battier said he would have been fouled, too, if he had the ball in the same situation.

"I guarantee you, if I had a breakaway layup like that, I would wind up in the first row," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt Shawn. I respect him."

The Phoenix Suns weathered the Grizzlies' attacks from Mike Miller, Jason Williams and Pau Gasol to take a 1-0 lead 114-103.

Shawn Marion had 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Quentin Richardson shot 4-11 from 3-point land on a night they only got 9 points from Amare Stoudemire.

MVP candidate Steve Nash scored 11 points and had 13 assists.

Phoenix controlled the game from the start, outscoring the Grizzlies 39-28 in the 1st quarter.

Steven Hunter picked up the slack from Stoudemire, scoring 16 points.

This wasn?t supposed to happen, right? The Suns sitting atop the best of the west, winning 50 after losing 50. And it?s all thanks to many reasons. The players starting to play under new coach Mike D?Antoni?s fast-paced offense; Steve Nash being given the freedom to create on the perimeter; Amare being able to make highlight reel after highlight reel while establishing himself as a rising superstar, etc, etc.
And thanks to their starting lineup, Phoenix has imposed an all-out fast break offense that caught the league off guard. While the playoffs approach, only one of the Suns? starting five is playing for a contract that could determine whether he will return as a Phoenix Sun next season: Joe Johnson.

Watch Joe Johnson and the Phoenix Suns as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies in a best of seven series starting tomorrow.

Despite shooting an astonishing 58 percent from the three-point arc in the final 28 games of the season, the Phoenix Suns? Joe Johnson (.478) finished second to the Minnesota Timberwolves? Fred Hoiberg (.483).  

Hoiberg may have been saved by the fact that he sat 4 of the last 6 games, a period where Joe Johnson really came on strong hitting 22 or 34 three-pointers.

Johnson made more threes (177) than Hoiberg attempted (145) this season.