<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In big games, basketball teams always follow their leader, and here's the good news: Steve Nash is far less worried about Game 7 than you are. "Without pressure, there is little reward," Nash said. "I love pressure. I love big games. Do or die . . . that's when it's the most fun." As the Suns and the Clippers arrive at their moment of truth, the level of revelry tonight at US Airways Center will be largely dependent on Nash's health, which isn't great but could be worse. In fact, after Sunday's practice, Nash said he has a congenital back condition called spondylolisthesis (which involves slipping vertebrae) and has had a stress fracture in his spine for the past eight years. Here's hoping the team doctors knew about this, or they may be getting a phone call from owner Robert Sarver, who committed $66 million to Nash in summer 2004. "After a lot of games, sometimes the muscles shut down and the body goes into protection mode, and then you're not functioning as an athlete anymore," Nash said. "You just try to get some of the muscles firing and get them sequencing again. It's a little technical, but I have to do the best I can in that area. "I have to work extremely hard during summers and during the season just to be out there. Some days are better than others, physically, especially this time of year, and you just hope to be the best you can." If Nash is much improved tonight, credit the NBA with a big-time assist. With three days off between Games 6 and 7, the Suns received more than a lucky bounce in scheduling. It's an obscene amount of down time, and for reference, note that the Pistons and the Cavaliers played two games while the Suns were off power napping. Nash used the time to import his special trainer, Rick Celebrini, an unorthodox physiotherapist.They did special exercises that Celebrini has developed just for Nash's benefit, and the Suns' star claims the tuneup did wonders. "I definitely feel like I feel better," Nash said. "I've been working a lot, trying to get some of my ailments right, and I feel like we've made some improvements." The details are technical, complicated and something Nash didn't want to expound on. "You got a half-hour? I don't," Nash said.</div> Source
