Bucks @ Suns Saturday Finals game thread 7-17-2021 Game - Game 5

[Russ Smith]

Cmon y’all there no way in that’s being called or actually seen in real speed. As soon as Jrue breaks in and Book turns everyone anticipated that happening. I was hoping for a jump ball.

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People are claiming this proves not a foul and is the definitive angle. to me you can't actually see clearly on this angle either.

 

[1Sun]

And yet he didn't take over like he has been the past few rounds.

IMO he should have demanded the ball when Booker brought it up. He needs to be creating the offense in that moment instead of Booker playing hero ball. Get book off of a screen, create speed and energy.

Just my 2 cents.

Again, this was Paul recognizing his physical limitations. He was basically playing with one arm the entire game. If you were there, it was quite noticeable how for the vast majority of the time it was just hanging limp by his side, almost attached to his hip.

 

[Russ Smith]

you have to hope Ayton and Bridges take a leap next season to offset the other teams. Also, some of these injuries on other teams were MAJOR injuries that I think will effect them next season. Murray/Kawhi won’t be full strength until the season after next coming of late season ACL years.

and who knows what Klay looks like after back to back after a devastating ACL/Achilles combo.

but I expect the Lakers to have one more major run in them next year. AD probably dedicates himself to getting in great shape.

I.T’ll be tougher next year in the West for sure, but I think we still have another year window with this club to make a major push, especially if we can hit another homerun in FA like we did with Crowder.

I actually quite like Bridges but he has one glaring hole on offense, just like Harrison Barnes has almost zero game off the bounce. Good shooter, long, athletic, good defense, but when teams close out on him he has no counter. he tried once in the 4th quarter but badly missed a pullup. For him to take that next step he has to improve his handle so he can get to the rim, or develop a 1-2 dribble escape and then reset and shoot move, escape dribble.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I actually quite like Bridges but he has one glaring hole on offense, just like Harrison Barnes has almost zero game off the bounce. Good shooter, long, athletic, good defense, but when teams close out on him he has no counter. he tried once in the 4th quarter but badly missed a pullup. For him to take that next step he has to improve his handle so he can get to the rim, or develop a 1-2 dribble escape and then reset and shoot move, escape dribble.

Both Ouchie and I lamented that pull-up. was a big miss that he has to hit.

 

[bwgood77]

The alarming sign that Ayton is back in his shell: He wasn't finishing his screens and was actually stepping back on them in an effort to avoid contact. If you want to point the finger at any player mentally, point it at Ayton.

Yes, Booker had the error in the end, but he also pretty much single-handedly kept the team in the game until then.

And if you don't realize the obvious physical issues with Paul, I don't know what to say. He literally couldn't lift his shooting arm, which was causing all sorts of problems on both ends of the court. It was literally hanging Dead at his side most of the game...to the point where I was wondering if he reaggravated his shoulder injury as well as the ligament tear flaring up. If you want to point the finger at anyone for Paul's play, point it at Monty for playing him so much when he isn't even at 25%.

The biggest mystery from tonight's game other than Monty's failure to call time-out down 1 with the ball and 30 seconds to go, at least to me, is why Bridges and Craig, despite being by far the best defenders in the first quarter, hardly saw any playing time afterward.

Monty's rotations have been strange, to say the least.

Great run overall this postseason, but Monty and James Jones (not bringing in any big other than Saric and Kaminsky) appear to have left a championship on the table with some pretty basic blunders.

The thing about Paul is, even though I know he does have torn ligaments in his hand, if his arm or hand is bothering him as much as you say, how do you explain his 60% shooting and 100% from 3? He was like 9-15 overall with 3 3s. And he shot very well in every other game except game 4. The turnovers have been bad except this one, despite some not great passes, but I think a lot of that is the pressure from Holiday.

 

[GatorAZ]

The thing about Paul is, even though I know he does have torn ligaments in his hand, if his arm or hand is bothering him as much as you say, how do you explain his 60% shooting and 100% from 3? He was like 9-15 overall with 3 3s. And he shot very well in every other game except game 4. The turnovers have been bad except this one, despite some not great passes, but I think a lot of that is the pressure from Holiday.

I was just listening to O’Connor and he said it looks like Paul’s left hand. I’ve heard something about tape on his hamstring. The curse of KJ is real if that’s true.

 

[bwgood77]

That's definitely an exaggeration but he's not 100% physically and seems disinterested mentally.

It almost seems like Paul doesn't want to win unless its him leading us to that victory. That's how game 4 and now game 5 looked to me.

He was the main catalyst for the comeback at the end going 4-4 down the stretch with two huge 3s. Bridges hit a big 3 too (and one earlier in the quarter) and Book was like 3-5 down the stretch but we wouldn't have been in it at the end without Paul. Didn't seem disinterested to me.

 

[95pro]

Random thought. Do you think Pop gave some pointers to Bud? Seems like he completely did a 180 on his adjustments.

Monty should have taken nates.

 

[Hoop Head]

He was the main catalyst for the comeback at the end going 4-4 down the stretch with two huge 3s. Bridges hit a big 3 too (and one earlier in the quarter) and Book was like 3-5 down the stretch but we wouldn't have been in it at the end without Paul. Didn't seem disinterested to me.

Ill admit I felt pretty dejected towards the end of the game and didn't notice Paul doing that much. I do recall a big 3 he hit but not the rest. I'm not saying it didn't happen, just that I didn't notice it. Ill watch closer in game 6. I

I have a habit of zeroing in on one guy and not paying much attention to the rest of the team and I was focused on Booker bringing us back, which he tried like hell to do, so Im not giving Paul the credit he deserves in leading us back.

 

[Hoop Head]

Random thought. Do you think Pop gave some pointers to Bud? Seems like he completely did a 180 on his adjustments.

Monty should have taken nates.

Pop is good friends with both Monty and Bud. He's got his hands full with Team USA also. I doubt he's paid much attention to this series, definitely not enough to give key adjustments to anyone.

 

[Folster]

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This one stings. They took the Valley Oop away from us.

 

[1Sun]

This one stings. They took the Valley Oop away from us.

And that Middleton three-pointer late in the fourth quarter sure felt a lot like the Mario Elie three-pointer in 1995...

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

And that Middleton three-pointer late in the fourth quarter sure felt a lot like the Mario Elie three-pointer in 1995...

It was a blatant offensive foul. Actually the second game in a row that Middleton has committed an offensive foul against Bridges to hit a huge bucket at the end of the game.

 

[bwgood77]

Ill admit I felt pretty dejected towards the end of the game and didn't notice Paul doing that much. I do recall a big 3 he hit but not the rest. I'm not saying it didn't happen, just that I didn't notice it. Ill watch closer in game 6. I

I have a habit of zeroing in on one guy and not paying much attention to the rest of the team and I was focused on Booker bringing us back, which he tried like hell to do, so Im not giving Paul the credit he deserves in leading us back.

When down 3 with like a minute left he did a nice drive around the side for an easy layup to cut the lead to 1. That was huge, but the 2 3s really dented their lead prior to that along with another 2 and no misses.

 

[Bufalay]

Both Ouchie and I lamented that pull-up. was a big miss that he has to hit.

Did you lament the three that he hit off the dribble in the fourth?

 

[Covert Rain]

Did you lament the three that he hit off the dribble in the fourth?

I don't get the nitpicking of specific plays. I don't. Offense wasn't the problem with this loss. It simply wasn't. The cumulative impact of that one quarter is why the Suns lost. Monty said it himself. It takes so much energy to comeback from even one bad quarter. The Suns big three and the offense was enough to win any NBA playoff game. That's why the Suns were the first to shoot the way from the 2 point and 3 point territory and lose.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Did you lament the three that he hit off the dribble in the fourth?

Why would we lament that?

 

[Bufalay]

Why would we lament that?

I thought you were lamenting that he took the shot. Based on your question I guess you guys were lamenting the result.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I thought you were lamenting that he took the shot. Based on your question I guess you guys were lamenting the result.

yeah. Lamenting his miss of a short bunny. He’s got to make that!

 

[Proximo]

Would you rather be a fringe playoff team for the next 3 years? Even if the Suns got the best guy on the market, a 35 year old Lowry, I don't think it makes them better. Suns will likely be over the cap even if they don't sign him...not this summer but next. And he can still opt in and take his $44 million as well.

no I don’t want Lowry.

I might go for Lonzo though

 

[Cheesebeef]

no I don’t want Lowry.

I might go for Lonzo though

Oy. Jesus! That team doesn’t make the playoffs.

 

[Raze]

Here's some tough (unofficial) stats to swallow:

Number of games Giannis shot more free throws than the entire Suns team: 4 out of 6.
Number of games Giannis shot more free throws than the entire opposing team in his previous 15 playoff games: 0 out of 15.

Number of times DA got 5+ fouls against the Bucks: 2 out of 6 (Game 3 and 6, both Scott Foster games).
Number of times DA got 5+ fouls in the previous 16 playoff games: 0 out of 16.