Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Top Stretches: Remembering Steve Nash At His Best

By Scott Chasen

Nov 8, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash sits on the bench during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at New Orleans Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 96-85. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash sits on the bench during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at New Orleans Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 96-85. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next
May 6, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant speaks after receiving the 2013-2014 MVP trophy at Thunder Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant speaks after receiving the 2013-2014 MVP trophy at Thunder Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /

#5: The MVP Stretch: January-February 2005

Obviously, a big part of Nash’s legacy is the fact that he won back-to-back MVP awards, in 2004-05 and 2005-06. During that first MVP season, Nash had stretches where he was dominant in different ways, starting with the first month of the season, where he recorded 16+ assists four times in a six game-stretch.

Moving forward to December, Nash started the month with his second-straight and third-straight games with 20+ points, before recording 11 games in a row with 10+ assists. However, Nash wasn’t exactly posting unbelievable numbers, until the New Year at least.

Nash started 2005 off on the right foot, recording at least 10 points or 10 assists in each of his first eight games, while recording five double-doubles, but a thigh injury would thwart his building momentum. Nash would be forced to sit out three games, all of which the Suns would lose.

However, upon returning, Nash picked right up where he’d left off, averaging 18.3 points, 9.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds in his first three games, but that was just the beginning.

Following those three games, Nash would record 10 double-doubles in his next 11 outings, while shooting 50% or better from three seven times, and hitting the 17-assist mark three times. Over the entire stretch, Captain Canada would average 19.7 points and 13.9 assists per game, inside of which was a three-game stretch where Nash averaged 28.0 points and 15.0 assists per game.

All in all, Nash would be back for 14 games before missing another contest due to injury, and with him playing, the Suns were able to follow up a six-game losing streak with a solid 10-4 stretch, which included a 5-game win streak and a 3-game win streak.

Phoenix would finish out the regular season at 62-20, which gave them the best record of any NBA team since the 1999-00 season, and Nash would go on to win his first of two MVP awards. Nash would also have some fun at All Star Weekend that year, which was located in Denver. Nash would help out teammate Amar’e Stoudemire in the Slam Dunk Contest, and then he would win the NBA Skills Competition, doing so by nearly 15 seconds in the finals, as he blew away Denver’s Earl Boykins.

Next: #4: Sweeping The Spurs

Home/Suns News