Suns @ Rockets Monday game thread 4-5-2021

[Mainstreet]

The Rockets shot lights out 54.4% from the field and 51.5% from three (17-33).

Luckily the Suns were up for the challenge shooting 51.2% from the field and 48.6% from three (18-37).

 

[Raindog]

Eh... I’m fine with 3. I’ve seen 6, which I think is total BS. We shouldn’t be lower than 4.

Six is idiotic.

 

[Mainstreet]

Cam Johnson was most of the Suns bench, scoring 12 points and having 4 rebounds.

 

[Cheesebeef]

When the hell was the last time the Suns had a huge regular season showdown as a 1 v. 2 best record in the league game so late in the season?

Feel like it had to be at least 14 years ago when we played the Mavs in a huge TNT game when they were smoking towards a 67 win season and we won 61. I think we beat the Mavs IN Dallas to claw within two games with like 15 or so to go, but then dropped two in a row and they tore off like six straight to lock up HCA.

then they lost to the Warriors in the first round and we got Robert Horry’d in the second.

but yeah... 14 years ago since this team has played a regular season game this big against Utah. Beyond curious to see how we handle the pressure.

 

[Mainstreet]

Saric scored 1 point, 0-6 from the field. He had 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Bleacher Report has the Suns as the 3rd best team in the NBA. Nets are 2nd and Jazz are first. Suns should be atleast ahead of the Nets!

I'm okay with 3rd although I think 2nd or 4th makes more sense. The Nets, healthy, are clearly better than us but they aren't and haven't been healthy. If you're going to assume health for them, I think the same should be done with the Lakers who are also clearly better than us when intact.

We've had an easy schedule and have caught a lot of teams shorthanded. I really hope I'm wrong but IMO, when it all shakes out, we're going to look back fondly on the days when people thought we were a top 3 team. If all teams are healthy I think Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Utah, Denver, LAC and LAL are all better than us and that when the season ends, we'll be lumped with Portland and Dallas.

 

[GatorAZ]

Saw the score and made sure I was checking the right year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Saw the score and made sure I was checking the right year.

Yeah, the Rockets are a surprisingly tough opponent for a team that's lost 26 of their last 28 games.

 

[Proximo]

Bleacher Report has the Suns as the 3rd best team in the NBA. Nets are 2nd and Jazz are first. Suns should be atleast ahead of the Nets!

i think the suns are better than the jazz.

but I know the nets are the best team in the league.

if they get back to full strength it’s not even close.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i think the suns are better than the jazz.

but I know the nets are the best team in the league.

if they get back to full strength it’s not even close.

if either the Lakers or Nets get to full strength, no one is beating either one and it should be a hell of a Finals.

 

[Raze]

if either the Lakers or Nets get to full strength, no one is beating either one and it should be a hell of a Finals.

This is 100% true, but...

What if they don't get healthy? Durant is still MIA, and Davis better be heeding advice from Durant since it's his Achilles we're talking about. So it's not guaranteed that Brooklyn or LA are going to be at full force that would guarantee a title run.

The past champions: Golden State, Toronto, and San Antonio are all struggling to stay or even get to .500. So they are pretty much out of the mix as well.

Which leaves the championship truly up for grabs to all new comers for the first time in like 10 years (since Dallas?).

All that to say, why not the Suns? The Jazz and Nuggets haven't won anything. The Clippers have the greatest choke artist of this era. Giannis hasn't had all that great of a showing in big games either.

It would appear that IF Durant and Davis don't get healthy, the Suns have as good a chance as anyone to win this whole thing. (Raise your hand if you saw that coming back in November. Yeah, me neither.)

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Ayton was having such a good game and then they just went away from him. Didn’t score a point in the 4th as the rockets whittled down the lead. That was bad coaching imo.

good to get the w in what was obviously a trap game.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It would appear that IF Durant and Davis don't get healthy, the Suns have as good a chance as anyone to win this whole thing. (Raise your hand if you saw that coming back in November. Yeah, me neither.)

Right now, I don't see this team winning more than one series if that. But yeah, if we're healthy and if our bench returns to form and if the Lakers and Nets are both hobbled, we'd have a decent chance to win it all. And despite all those "ifs" I listed, it really isn't that much of a long shot. I wouldn't necessarily have us as the favorites but the best version of this Suns team is capable of beating any of the remaining 6 or 7 title contenders once Brooklyn and LAL are removed from the equation.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This is 100% true, but...

What if they don't get healthy? Durant is still MIA, and Davis better be heeding advice from Durant since it's his Achilles we're talking about. So it's not guaranteed that Brooklyn or LA are going to be at full force that would guarantee a title run.

The past champions: Golden State, Toronto, and San Antonio are all struggling to stay or even get to .500. So they are pretty much out of the mix as well.

Which leaves the championship truly up for grabs to all new comers for the first time in like 10 years (since Dallas?).

All that to say, why not the Suns? The Jazz and Nuggets haven't won anything. The Clippers have the greatest choke artist of this era. Giannis hasn't had all that great of a showing in big games either.

It would appear that IF Durant and Davis don't get healthy, the Suns have as good a chance as anyone to win this whole thing. (Raise your hand if you saw that coming back in November. Yeah, me neither.)

I got no quibble with anything said above. The possible injuries to the two best players in the game definitely throw this whole thing up for grabs if they’re out.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Right now, I don't see this team winning more than one series if that. But yeah, if we're healthy and if our bench returns to form and if the Lakers and Nets are both hobbled, we'd have a decent chance to win it all. And despite all those "ifs" I listed, it really isn't that much of a long shot. I wouldn't necessarily have us as the favorites but the best version of this Suns team is capable of beating any of the remaining 6 or 7 title contenders once Brooklyn and LAL are removed from the equation.

yeah. If the Lakers/Nets are hobbled, I think the biggest reason we might get bounced early will be due to inexperience. Outside of CP3 and Crowder they really have ZERO playoff time, when they’ll feel the heat for the first time. It’s my biggest worry if we hold on to HCA in the first round that we come out against a club with lots of playoff experience and immediately lose Game 1 at home putting us behind the 8 ball.

that said, it’s awesome even being able to FINALLY talk about this as a possibility again!

 

[Mainstreet]

Ayton was having such a good game and then they just went away from him. Didn’t score a point in the 4th as the rockets whittled down the lead. That was bad coaching imo.

good to get the w in what was obviously a trap game.

I didn't want Monty to take Ayton out near the end of the 3rd quarter but he was ready to come out.

The Suns don't have anyone behind him if Saric is having an off night.

When Kaminsky returns they need to give him some minutes to prepare for the playoffs.

 

[95pro]

Saric scored 1 point, 0-6 from the field. He had 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

I think the MO is out on him, stay down, dont bite on the pump fakes. This is where coaching needs to make adjustments on when and how much to go to him.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think the MO is out on him, stay down, dont bite on the pump fakes. This is where coaching needs to make adjustments on when and how much to go to him.

Also I think Saric tends to struggle with more athletic defenders.

 

[95pro]

Did anyone else think Porter Jr was doing more harm than good for the rockets?