Playoffs: Clippers @ Suns Sunday game thread 4-16-2023 - Game 1

[Hoop Head]

Not sure who mentioned ESPN predicts Clippers but their prediction article has the Suns unanimously picked, 16-0. For all that matters though they said Heat over Hawks in the play in 17-0 and were wrong but a series is a lot different than 1 game.

NBA playoffs 2023: Experts' picks for the play-in and every first-round series

How will every playoff team fare in Round 1? Our experts make their selections.

www.espn.com

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns-Clippers game will be televised on TNT at 5PM Arizona Time on Sunday.

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[Cheesebeef]

The Suns-Clippers game will be televised on TNT at 5PM Arizona Time on Sunday.

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Let me guess… Lakers Grizz is the ABC 1230 game?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Let me guess… Lakers Grizz is the ABC 1230 game?

Just looked and yup… that’s the national TV game.

 

[Dback Jon]

Just looked and yup… that’s the national TV game.

Which is why the NBA got the win for the Lakers last night

 

[DJ Tabooh]

So you both think the Warriors will beat the Kings. Care to expound on that? I'm not familiar enough with the Kings to know how they would perform; but this is the same Warriors group that beat the Celtics in the Finals. Like the Suns, the Warriors are better than their playoff position.

(I would say the Denver Nougats are probably worse than their position indicates, and are #1 mainly because most of their competitors were taken down by injuries.)

This is Sacramento’s first playoff appearance in 16 years. They just ended the longest playoff drought in the NBA. Do I expect them in their first playoffs to beat the defending champs….no.

Sac can score but they leave a lot to be desired defensively. I think it’ll be competitive for sure but I see the Warriors winning in 6.

Denver has been the best team in the west for 2/3 of the season. Honestly, if the Suns get by the Clippers, I think that could easily be a 7 game series. Their ancillary pieces (Murray, MPJ, Gordon) have to play well for sure but they’re gonna be tough to beat.

 

[Mainstreet]

Which is why the NBA got the win for the Lakers last night

The Timberwolves choosing to suspend Gobert for the Lakers game seems a bit suspect IMO.

Maybe the NBA was going to do it if they didn't? Teams work all season to make the playoffs.

 

[ajcardfan]

So you both think the Warriors will beat the Kings. Care to expound on that? I'm not familiar enough with the Kings to know how they would perform; but this is the same Warriors group that beat the Celtics in the Finals. Like the Suns, the Warriors are better than their playoff position.

(I would say the Denver Nougats are probably worse than their position indicates, and are #1 mainly because most of their competitors were taken down by injuries.)

I have to say I really don't know the Kings all that well. There is certainly no playoff history to look at. And, of course the Warriors have a great playoff history.

But, who really knows? Maybe the Kings will play like beasts and knock out Golden State.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Which is why the NBA got the win for the Lakers last night

The NBA didn’t make the Wolves go 6 minutes without scoring to end the 4th quarter last night. The Wolves just choked harder than the Lakers.

 

[Proximo]

Not sure who mentioned ESPN predicts Clippers but their prediction article has the Suns unanimously picked, 16-0. For all that matters though they said Heat over Hawks in the play in 17-0 and were wrong but a series is a lot different than 1 game.

NBA playoffs 2023: Experts' picks for the play-in and every first-round series

How will every playoff team fare in Round 1? Our experts make their selections.

www.espn.com

There is a lot of Suns in 7 predictions there. I sure hope it doesn't come to that. If it does, I don't like our title chances

 

[Mainstreet]

Towns went scoreless in the 4th quarter and overtime. His foul problems seemed to take away from the Wolves game in the 2nd half.

The team seemed to lose confidence when Towns went out with his 5th foul as IIRC and they never regained it.

 

[95pro]

Towns went scoreless in the 4th quarter and overtime. His foul problems seemed to take away from the Wolves game in the 2nd half.

The team seemed to lose confidence when Towns went out with his 5th foul as IIRC and they never regained it.

He was definitely afraid of fouling out and rightfully so. The lakers got his 5th on a bogus flop by AD. Then they tried flopping for a charge on him a couple of times.

 

[Ronin]

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[ASUCHRIS]

The NBA didn’t make the Wolves go 6 minutes without scoring to end the 4th quarter last night. The Wolves just choked harder than the Lakers.

No doubt. The Wolves screwed themselves by their antics on Sunday, and turned the ball over 11 times and made 5 shots over the final 17 min. Refs were obviously in playoff form, but the Wolves could have pulled it out if Ant could have done anything.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Mainstreet]

He was definitely afraid of fouling out and rightfully so. The lakers got his 5th on a bogus flop by AD. Then they tried flopping for a charge on him a couple of times.

A couple of times it looked like AD fell like a statute.

 

[95pro]

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NBATV...smh, get out or black out

 

[Mainstreet]

I have to say I really don't know the Kings all that well. There is certainly no playoff history to look at. And, of course the Warriors have a great playoff history.

But, who really knows? Maybe the Kings will play like beasts and knock out Golden State.

The Kings have a good starting five. I'm not sure if their defense is up to the task.

 

[Ronin]

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[Cheesebeef]

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Of course the Lakers get multiple extra days in their series.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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