Ellis, Barbosa turn on jets

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Mar 14, 2008 | by Geoff Lepper

PHOENIX -- Some folks say Warriors guard Monta Ellis is the quickest player in the NBA. Some choose Suns guard Leandro Barbosa.

The question will remain unanswered unless the NBA adds something new to its package of All-Star Game skills competitions. Can we interest anyone in the Vitamin Water End-To-End Dash?

"You can't say (who's faster) until we race alongside each other," Ellis said. "We need to go head-to-head, just running."

Teammates such as Warriors forward Al Harrington were looking forward to watching the battle, especially the notion of Ellis going up against the Suns again after he dropped a combined 68 points in Golden State's two wins over Phoenix earlier this season.

"They play a lot alike, and they score the same way," Harrington said. "It's always fun. Monta really gets up for these games, and I'm sure Barbosa does. It's always fun to watch them two go at it."

Unfortunately for those who like their basketball at a frenetic pace, there wasn't much in the way of head-to-head matchups Thursday. The Suns stayed in their 2-3 zone whenever Shaquille O'Neal was on the floor, for example, while the Warriors often tasked Ellis with guarding bigger players such as Raja Bell.

"I don't think either of them can guard the other," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said.

That's not always true, as proven in one sequence early in the second quarter. First, Ellis sliced past Barbosa from the left wing and looked home free for a layup. But Barbosa recovered and imposed himself along Ellis' route to the rim, forcing a changed shot that fell short.

The victory only lasted a few seconds, however. After Barbosa collected the rebound and took off for the other end, Ellis raced to catch him at halfcourt and poke the ball away for a Phoenix turnover.

"It's still just as hard, because you never know whichever way they're going to go," Ellis said. "It doesn't matter if you've got the speed to do it or not."

OFF THE GLASS: Center Andris Biedrins, three weeks removed from his appendectomy, said he's at "99.5 percent," health-wise. "I've already got three games in (since the surgery) and now every game is easier and easier," Biedrins said. ... If the Warriors hold their lead as the NBA's highest-scoring team, they'll be the first team to do so without the benefit of Steve Nash since the Sacramento Kings in 2000-01. Nash's Suns have led the league for the past three seasons, and the three years before that, it was Nash and the Dallas Mavericks atop the charts.