Playoffs: Clippers @ Suns Tuesday game thread 4-18-2023 - Game 2

[Mainstreet]

The Suns play the Clippers in game 2 in the first round of the playoffs.

Clippers go up 1-0 in the series with the win at Phoenix on Sunday.

The Suns need to regroup before playing in LA.

When: Tuesday, April 18th

Television: TNT, Bally Sports Arizona

Radio: KMVP 98.7 / S: KSUN

Time: 7 pm Arizona Time

 

[JosiahLee]

Well here we are in a must-win position after one game.

 

[Pokinmik]

Monty better admit he’s an idiot and go back to Okogie starting and Craig w the bench. Not the singular reason we lost but it definitely set the panic tone and caused the 16 point deficit. Basically compounded some issues and jacked everything up.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ish Wainright is shooting 37% from the field, Landry Shamet 37.7%, Josh Okogie 39.1% and Cam Payne 41.5%

Any questions?

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

Can't wait to see what ridiculous bench lineups Monty dreams up next

 

[Yuma]

I think there's going to be a lot of interesting conversations by the coaches, players, etc. I expect a completely different team. The Clippers punched the Suns in the mouth. Let's see how they respond. You want a loss early in the playoffs rather than the Finals. We got it over fast.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Outside of Game 4 of the first round 2 years ago, Monty’s teams here have always been front runners in the playoffs. And even there, that entire series swung when AD got hurt.

They usually react pretty pathetically once punched in the mouth. Mostly because once a team figures us out, Monty has zero ability to adjust. I expect that trend to continue and wouldn’t be surprised if we come out super tight and get blown out in Game 2.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Start Okogie!

Lean on bench more to give our guys fresh legs in the 4th. Play Craig; Landsle, Biz and Warren

Waaaaaaay too many minutes for starters tonight.

No energy to chase rebounds or to gaurd the 3.

 

[Yuma]

Gotta keep Westbrook off those offensive boards. Someone has to buy a body on him when the shot goes up.

 

[Chaplin]

Monty has never been a playoff coach and nothing he's done in the past 3 years has changed that perception.

 

[Proximo]

I still like our chances in this series.

we are the better team.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

Outside of Game 4 of the first round 2 years ago, Monty’s teams here have always been front runners in the playoffs. And even there, that entire series swung when AD got hurt.

They usually react pretty pathetically once punched in the mouth. Mostly because once a team figures us out, Monty has zero ability to adjust. I expect that trend to continue and fear we us come out super tight and get blown out in Game 2.

If we get blown out in game 2, the series is over. We’d have to win twice in LA. Not happening. Suns just have to play with a sense of urgency. In spite of how bad we played, we were in position to have a chance to win the game late. Just didn’t execute. We will win game 2. Guaranteed

 

[Finito]

Suns go 8-0 with Okogie and KD hmmm let’s change the line up.

Landry Shamet cant play 24 minutes and your best defending/rebounding guard Okogie can’t play 7.

bottom line our bench has to answer the call. We got scorers TJ Warren and Ross. Our starters won the battle but our bench got destroyed

 

[Proximo]

Suns go 8-0 with Okogie and KD hmmm let’s change the line up.

Landry Shamet cant play 24 minutes and your best defending/rebounding guard Okogie can’t play 7.

bottom line our bench has to answer the call. We got scorers TJ Warren and Ross. Our starters won the battle but our bench got destroyed

Come on really. I am pro Okogie, but Craig played probably his best game as a Sun.

That certainly was not the reason we lost.

 

[Chaplin]

Come on really. I am pro Okogie, but Craig played probably his best game as a Sun.

That certainly was not the reason we lost.

I don't think you understand the point. You don't think players don't get used to playing a certain way? Torrey was great, but it would have been better if we had gotten his points from the bench and had Okogie on Leonard for more than 5 minutes.

 

[Mainstreet]

My concern prior to the game, if you start Craig, it weakens the bench. It proved true.

Generally the Suns bench is Payne, Craig, Biz-Landale, Ross or Shamet.

Without Payne and Craig on the bench, it's slim pickings.

However, the bigger problem is the Suns starters can't play 48 minutes with no help from the bench.

The Clippers will keep winning the bench war because they have better players there.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Should probably correct thread title. I don't think they played back to back games yesterday.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Come on really. I am pro Okogie, but Craig played probably his best game as a Sun.

That certainly was not the reason we lost.

Can you say that Craig played his best game defensively?


I didn't watch the game live, but these guys ripped on his defensive performance, and say the Suns on the bench were loosing it at Craig for not playing Kawhi tightly enough.

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[Raindog]

Monty has never been a playoff coach and nothing he's done in the past 3 years has changed that perception.

The Suns can still win the series, of course, but it's probably going to be nerve wracking every game. But even if they do, going far the rest of the playoffs is going to be a near impossible feat. I'm not sure even with KD and Booker playing out of their minds can make up for Monty's idiocy, Ayton's Snoop Dogg routine, and Chris Paul being a shell of his former self.

 

[95pro]

Can you say that Craig played his best game defensively?


I didn't watch the game live, but these guys ripped on his defensive performance, and say the Suns on the bench were loosing it at Craig for not playing Kawhi tightly enough.

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Tough defend him when he gets those superstar calls. He got a few in the first half which were way to easy to question.

Also, we didn't even try Okogie or Ish on him. He's so strong and can back any one of down. He can also shoot the 3 as well. He's pretty much Toronto Kahwi but without the athleticsm. I think we put different defenders on him to give him different looks, but he's deadly in the midrange with his back to the goal.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Come on really. I am pro Okogie, but Craig played probably his best game as a Sun.

That certainly was not the reason we lost.

I mean we came outta the gates like poop. It wasn’t Craig’s minutes that were the problem, it was fixing what wasn’t broken abd then REALLY fixing it with substituting shamet for okogies minutes. Fire Monty.

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

Monty just has to go. Screwing with lineups that were just starting to gel, giving Shamet all of the minutes off the bench, putting Ish Wainwright into a freaking playoff game?? Just beyond stupid.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Ugh tod sucks fun feeling of az poff fan stress is back.....

Really hope suns show bit more energy in gm 2...

I like cp3 but n yr suns truly need to find a replacment.....

To sad to say u know tod

 

[Proximo]

Can you say that Craig played his best game defensively?


I didn't watch the game live, but these guys ripped on his defensive performance, and say the Suns on the bench were loosing it at Craig for not playing Kawhi tightly enough.

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I had no problem with the way he played D on Kawhi.

He did as well defending him as anybody else that tried. He is really hard to defend.

 

[Proximo]

Monty just has to go. Screwing with lineups that were just starting to gel, giving Shamet all of the minutes off the bench, putting Ish Wainwright into a freaking playoff game?? Just beyond stupid.

Ish was put in strictly to defend Kawhi, because in the last regular season game he did a pretty decent job. But I think what a lot of people did not fully comprehend is playoff Clippers are a heck of a lot different than that team we played in the last game.