Suns @ Cavaliers Tuesday game thread 5-4-2021

[Suns_fan69]

CP3 with 16 assists on 0 turnovers. Just ridiculous.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

CP3 with 16 assists on 0 turnovers. Just ridiculous.

Wonder what the single game record for that is.

Edit: Looked it up and the record is 20 and it happened a total of 4 times (CP3 did it in 2016 and the last time before that was in 1984).

 

[Mainstreet]

I wanted to post a couple more videos of the Cam Johnson dunk because watching Frank Kaminsky running behind the the basket is hilarious.

It's almost as good as the dunk. We have to name this dance!

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[Suns_fan69]

And for those that missed it, Mikal's defensive presence in OT:

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[CardsSunsDbacks]

And for those that missed it, Mikal's defensive presence in OT:

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Great 4 or so minutes there for Mikal. Love watching Mikal become more comfortable on offense. He is averaging 17 PPG in the last 9 games and has been scoring in a multitude of ways.

 

[Mainstreet]

Chris Paul describes Mikal Bridges with a smile on his face.

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[Cheesebeef]

Ayton’s face on that Cam poster dunk:

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

NO Frank cannot post anyone up. He is an average NBA player at best

He’s pretty consistent in sealing his defender, getting position and catching passes. He struggles with finishing. Ayton struggles with the first three skills.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He’s pretty consistent in sealing his defender, getting position and catching passes. He struggles with finishing. Ayton struggles with the first three skills.

Bingo. Give Frank a mismatch, especially a smaller guy and he can at least get position. Doesn’t mean he’ll finish but he knows how to use his body to advantage when switches happen.

Ayton still struggles to seal a guy, whether they’re big or small. And his confidence still comes and goes even when he does get the ball down on the block, where he actually has an advantage on almost every one he faces.

that DOESNT mean Frank is a better player. It’s just mindboggling to me that Ayton doesn’t have that skill set considering his size and athleticism advantages over Frank.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

CP3 with 16 assists on 0 turnovers. Just ridiculous.

I’m sorry, but

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Ayton’s face on that Cam poster dunk:

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Yeah that’s awesome

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It was such a startling juxtaposition to watch the team kinda sleepwalk through four quarters and then transform into VOLTRON in overtime. I mean, the blitz of the first few minutes was almost shocking in how almost violent it was. It was like a bully knocking a little kid down and taking his halloween candy.

 

[Muggz]

It was such a startling juxtaposition to watch the team kinda sleepwalk through four quarters and then transform into VOLTRON in overtime. I mean, the blitz of the first few minutes was almost shocking in how almost violent it was. It was like a bully knocking a little kid down and taking his halloween candy.

They are so confident now that they know how to finish games I think sometimes they forget to apply it. At this point its all experience and we need all we can get.

 

[Covert Rain]

That reverse dunk. Oh my. CP3 16 and 0. Seriously....he made deal with the devil.

 

[Hoop Head]

They are so confident now that they know how to finish games I think sometimes they forget to apply it. At this point its all experience and we need all we can get.

That's probably the best way I've seen it described. Had this game been in January then they probably would have choked it away but they know what they need to do now and suffer from looking past opponents like the Cavs. They don't put forth maximum effort until they have to when facing lottery teams.

 

[Phrazbit]

Booker would rather miss the game-winning shot than have a teammate make it. It's a serious attitude problem.

#MambaMentality

Seriously though, I agree. His idolization of Kobe really haunts him here in the clutch. Kobe's "clutch" game was not one to emulate. Statistically... he stunk. You look at Kobe in playoff buzzer beater moments and you can find more clips of his teammates tipping in his airball than one can find him winning a game.

The moment doesn't scare Booker... and that is a good thing, but I wish it extended itself to him knowing that a 21 foot, off balance, doubled teamed, jumper is not as good of a shot as a teammate having an uncontested corner 3.

 

[Ronin]

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[ArizonaSportsFan]

#MambaMentality

Seriously though, I agree. His idolization of Kobe really haunts him here in the clutch. Kobe's "clutch" game was not one to emulate. Statistically... he stunk. You look at Kobe in playoff buzzer beater moments and you can find more clips of his teammates tipping in his airball than one can find him winning a game.

The moment doesn't scare Booker... and that is a good thing, but I wish it extended itself to him knowing that a 21 foot, off balance, doubled teamed, jumper is not as good of a shot as a teammate having an uncontested corner 3.

He (or someone) has to dribble the clock out. Everyone on the court (and stands, and at home) knows it. He passed it to CP3 with 10 seconds or so left and CP3 passed it right back. He didn't dribble into double-teams, they came sprinting at him. He went to the corner (farthest from the opponents hoop) but Mikal was there and just stood there - didn't move. So now Booker has three guys on him, and Mikal. It sucked for sure but what else would you like? A pass to Ayton? Hell no. A pass to CP3? He did. A pass to Cam? Would be crosscourt. Gets picked off and we are even more upset. Again, it sucked but met 67% of the goal - exhaust the clock and get the last shot. He didn't make it and rarely does, but the worst didn't happen - a TO and points the other way.

 

[95pro]

Booker was lucky to just have barely grazed the rim. If not, there would have been a bit of time left for a miracle shot.

We had a full 24 seconds to work with and the best thing we can think of is to have Booker dribble the entire shot clock away and shoot a fading corner 3?

It has been and still is so predictable. Teams are ready for it and know whats coming. Are we afraid to set a pick because they'll double booker? Well they're going to do that anyway. At least runs some baseline action. Even when in non crunch time situations, booker hasn't handled double teams well.

At this point i'd settle for an Ayton 10 foot fadeaway.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

#MambaMentality

Seriously though, I agree. His idolization of Kobe really haunts him here in the clutch. Kobe's "clutch" game was not one to emulate. Statistically... he stunk. You look at Kobe in playoff buzzer beater moments and you can find more clips of his teammates tipping in his airball than one can find him winning a game.

The moment doesn't scare Booker... and that is a good thing, but I wish it extended itself to him knowing that a 21 foot, off balance, doubled teamed, jumper is not as good of a shot as a teammate having an uncontested corner 3.

I was shocked at two things with that shot last night:

1) being double teamed all the way at the top of the key there seemed to ZERO plan for any other player to flash open. The other four players were effectively being guarded by three players. That’s a monty issue.

2) when it became apparent that Booker was just going to dribble around with a wall in front of him no one moved. Bridges remained in place allowing book to dribble his two defenders right over to him, essentially creating three defender wall right in front of the two of them.

it was a starkly disappointing sequence to end regulation.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

He (or someone) has to dribble the clock out. Everyone on the court (and stands, and at home) knows it. He passed it to CP3 with 10 seconds or so left and CP3 passed it right back. He didn't dribble into double-teams, they came sprinting at him. He went to the corner (farthest from the opponents hoop) but Mikal was there and just stood there - didn't move. So now Booker has three guys on him, and Mikal. It sucked for sure but what else would you like? A pass to Ayton? Hell no. A pass to CP3? He did. A pass to Cam? Would be crosscourt. Gets picked off and we are even more upset. Again, it sucked but met 67% of the goal - exhaust the clock and get the last shot. He didn't make it and rarely does, but the worst didn't happen - a TO and points the other way.

What else would I like? For monty to draw up a play that accounts for the double. It means someone has to be relatively open.

 

[Hoop Head]

What else would I like? For monty to draw up a play that accounts for the double. It means someone has to be relatively open.

That is more reasonable than piling on Booker, like some have.

Monty doesn't seem like an X's and O's coach to me. Not sure who on the staff is but that's something that should be addressed.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think the end of game plays is mostly a coaching issue. Monty appears to prefer giving Booker the ball and either let him take the shot or run the time off the clock. Whoever has the ball is going to be doubled. The situation was made worse last night because Booker got trapped in the corner.

The real problem is the Suns do not trust anyone else running time off the clock and executing a last second shot other than Booker. Chris Paul or Cam Payne might be other options.

In any regard, I think the play should be initiated at the top of the key because there are more options.

 

[Ronin]

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[Covert Rain]

Bridges peaking during the playoffs would be huge. He just seems to have a confidence this year he didn't have before.