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A bloodied Canadian star wins playoff series

No, not in the NHL—the NBA’s Steve Nash

At this time of year Canadian sports fans are accustomed to watching star players take a beating to win playoff games. But that’s typically on the ice, not the hardwood. But Steve Nash, the astonishingly enduring 36-year-old point guard from Victoria, B.C., yesterday had to wipe away blood to lead the Phoenix Suns to a four-game sweep of the San Antonio Spurs. Nash’s key stats for the game that put the Suns into the conference finals: 20 points, 8 assists and 6 stitches. After taking an elbow to the face in the third quarter, he returned in the fourth with one eye so swollen he said he could not see out of it. In a key sequence, though, Nash connected on a 3-pointer, a 3-point play and a layup, as the Suns took an 87-82 lead with 6 minutes 36 seconds left. It was a gritty, skillful performance by the NBA’s 2005 and 2006 MVP.

New York Times

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