The NBA playoffs should be about to get easier for Steve Nash.
With the return of Joe Johnson to the Phoenix Suns in time for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night, Nash no longer has to guard San Antionio's Tony Parker. Guarding the French star is now Johnson's duty.
When the Suns have the ball, Nash will no longer be the second scoring option after center Amare Stoudemire. That'll be Johnson's job, too, as will running the offense so Nash can have some rare time off to catch his breath.
"I've had a lot of minutes in a lot of games and a ton of responsibility lately," the league MVP said Friday. "I think it will keep me a little bit fresher, but I don't know if that will have an impact on the game."
It can't hurt.
Although Nash has cleared any doubts about his MVP status with the way he's played in Johnson's absence, Phoenix still trails this series 0-2 with the next two games on the road. No team has ever come back to win the conference finals or Finals when facing those circumstances.
If the Suns lose Game 3, the odds really would be against them. No NBA team has ever rallied from a three-game deficit to win a series, in any round.
So, uh, welcome back, Joe.
"I don't feel any pressure," Johnson said. "I'm just going to go out and play. Whatever the results may be, that's that."
Johnson has been out since a face-first fall from the rim May 11 against Dallas. The Suns went on to lose that game and are 3-3 without their third-leading scorer.
Coach Mike D'Antoni said Johnson will start and will play as long as he's effective. The only limitation is a protective mask Johnson must wear.
"I'm not worried about my face," he said. "I'm just going to come out and play like I always have. Nothing's going to change because I've got a mask on."
The change for Nash is that he can focus less on scoring and more on passing.
Although Jim Jackson did a nice job filling in as a starter, it was Nash who picked up the slack, averaging 34.3 points the last six games. To do it, Nash took at least 21 shots in every game, starting with the one when Johnson was hurt, after never having taken more than 20 all season.
Nash also played at least 42 minutes every game. While the Suns insist adrenaline and longer TV timeouts compensate for rest, something has caused Phoenix to wilt in the fourth quarter of Games 1 and 2.
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