The Logic Of Dragic: Putting Goran Dragic's Ambush Into Perspective

Who would've thought?

Entering Game Three of the Phoenix Suns-San Antonio Spurs Western Conference semifinal, the Suns held an improbable 2-0 lead over their playoff nemesis.

Suns fans have been completely and utterly tortured by the Spurs in the 2000s, losing four playoff series against them in perplexing fashion.

It seemed every time these two teams got together, some devil appeared and cursed the Suns, and some twisted fate would send them home with the same results.

A heartbreaking series loss.

There was the face injury heard around the world (and felt collectively by Suns fans) to Joe Johnson, Robert Horry summoning his inner Tie Domi and checking Steve Nash into the boards, and subsequent suspensions to Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw.

Oh, and Tim Duncan draining a three to sink the Suns. I could keep going, but for the sake of the present I choose to digress.

And then there's 2010.

Phoenix came out with a vengeance at home against the Spurs, acting like that dude Liam Neeson in Taken. The Spurs were those slave traders in France and the Suns were Neeson.

You know how that panned out.

With a barrage of great shooting and airtight defense, the Suns wouldn't allow the Spurs the upper hand winning the first two games by a total of 17 points.

Phoenix outplayed the Spurs across the board, and the look on the Spurs faces was like when a kid who always gets the girl is turned down by the next big thing.

Tim Duncan had his, "This absolutely cannot be happening," look on his face and Manu Ginobili was left wondering if somehow his nose-tampon was the cause of all of this.

Maybe he was the reincarnation of Joe Johnson, circa 2005. Maybe it is the Suns turn.

Game Three set up like Super Bowl XLII between the N.Y. Giants and New England Patriots. Something was different about the feel of it.

The Spurs were the giant with the proverbial championship pedigree, but the upstart no-fear reckless Suns were threatening to embarrass them, and they knew it.

After already being down 2-0, the fans expected them to win. Heck, even Suns fans thought the game was a mere prerequisite to Game Four and a 2-1 series edge.

After the tip, San Antonio dominated game play, coming out exactly as expected at home with their backs against the wall.

Phoenix looked lost in the swirling tornado of black, white, and gray, and the Spurs built a double-digit lead almost immediately.

Yep, time to pack it in and hope for a better start in Game Four.

That was what the aura of the game felt like, and Suns fans flirted with the idea of turning the channel to one of those reruns of "Law and Order: SVU" staring at Mariska Hargitay to forget about the beating their team was enduring.

There would be no Mariska tonight.

Phoenix closed the gap to just six at halftime, and after being down by as much as 18 that was amazing within itself.

The stage was set for an improbable comeback in the second half. Nobody knew that Goran Dragic would do his best Billy Corgan impression exclaiming, "Believe in me."

After a great third quarter in which the Suns, behind Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Jason Richardson closed the gap to just one entering the fourth, Dragic would take off his cape.

What we were about to witness would be as Hill described after the game, "I think it's safe to say that may have been the best fourth-quarter performance I have ever seen in a playoff game."

By whom? Nash? Stoudemire? Richardson?

Goran Dragic.

San Antonio came out hoping to close the gap on a 2-1 series with a potential tying game on Sunday at home, and what better time to do it than with the Suns second unit starting the fourth.

Starting with 11 minutes to go in the fourth, Dragic went on a magical offensive explosion that no Spur had an answer for.

Not even the mighty Gregg Popovich could figure out how to stop him, as the Suns went small and forced the Spurs to switch the pick-and-rolls.

What resulted was all of the Suns deadly shooters in the corners and a big man like Dejuan Blair or Tim Duncan trying to stay with Dragic and Leandro Barbosa.

Time and time again, Dragic drove the ball to the basket with reckless abandon, making twisting layups or getting fouled.

When the Spurs tried to go under the screens or a big man attempted to play Dragic too far on the switch, he would pull up a jump shot and knock it down.

Over and over again. Then some more.

With every breathtaking shot, the home crowd at the AT&T Center grew more quiet and mystified, and the lead built to Sears Tower proportions.

At one point Dragic scored on five out of six possessions, including an amazing, mind-blowing four-point play from the corner that looked more like Kobe Bryant than a second-string PG.

Michael Jordan would've been in awe of this performance.

At one point Suns coach Alvin Gentry nearly collapsed at the scoring table out of exuberance for what this young man was doing.

Dragic's run was so all-encompassing that Stoudemire didn't remove his warm-up's in the fourth quarter, and Nash didn't come in until three minutes were left in the game, which was all but over.

When the dust settled, Dragic had scored 26 points, 23 in the fourth quarter alone, on 9-of-11 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 from downtown.

Ginobili may have put it best after the dismantling.

"Everything we tried, it was a bucket and it was demoralizing," said Ginobili. "We're going to have to have a perfect game."

Demoralizing may be an understatement after that performance.

Dragic was just averaging 5.6 PPG in the playoffs and 7.9 during the season, and this type of explosion is usually reserved for the LeBron's, Kobe's and Dwyane's of the world.

Not on Friday night.

Dragic was king, and the Spurs were the witnesses of him taking his throne. Unfortunately, it was at their expense.

If this is the precursor to a Suns victory in this series, which no team in NBA history has ever came back from a 3-0 deficit, what a way to smack the Spurs where it hurts.

Give Steve Kerr and Gentry credit for making the Suns commit to defense while still playing reckless and efficient at the same time on offense.

This may be the call to the bullpen for Spurs veterans Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess, and Manu Ginobili. Maybe not.

At this point what matters is the scorching heat of the Sun, and it's Game Three star.

Spurs fans may soon find the heat unbearable, and the true definition of global warming.

Right now, its name is Goran Dragic.