Game 40: Minnesota Timberwolves (10-31) @ Phoenix Suns (26-13) l Friday l 7:00pm l FSAZ

[Frank Lee]

That was an important win. A loss is a loss, but that one would have stung.
Carry on boys

[BobbieL]

That was an important win. A loss is a loss, but that one would have stung.
Carry on boys

Exactly. Just take the W and move on to the next game.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Here's the difference in the game, defending Anthony Edwards size:

Game 1 - 16 points in the paint, 8 points on shooting fouls.
Game 2 - 2 points in the paint, 0 points on shooting fouls.

Credit to Monty, he said he got it wrong, took responsbility and fixed it with the same personnel.

[Fo-Real]

Do they call him Stix because of his wooden legs ?

Well, his skinny legs...yes. Wilber did say he shouldn't earn that nickname until he puts on some bulk, though, but i'm not sure he understood why he got it.

In his limited time, he doesn’t look to agile and anything but comfortable. At least we saw him though.

He looks like an unstable baby deer honestly.

[Fo-Real]

Good to see Chris Paul score 20 really was a game changer when we were down.

He was the only one to not give in to the frustration. Just calmly started hitting **** step-backs!!!

[Fo-Real]

I'd be hesitant to bring back Ayton right now.
Not on him, but if we're in a rhythm, leave him on the bench. This 2 game series isn't a good showing for him. If we can get out of it with a split and him not seeing the floor again, I'm good with that.

Read on Twitter

He just has a role player personality. No dawg in him, no killer instinct, NO ALPHA, more Lhasa Apso!!! I love what he brings but just salivate over what damage he could do if he knew he could. Movie theme of the day is The Matrix!!!!

Ayton: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?

Suns: I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to!!

Even though he plays the role of knowing that he could be the one, you can see he really deep down is not convinced. AND THAT **** SUCKS!!

[DroughtsOverPHX]

Without DA, we go back and forth with the worst team in the league.

When DA plays to 50% of his potential, we're the second best team in the league.

Imagine if we ever get a year or two out of him at 75% potential. Yes it may never happen, but even if he maintains his current role and performance through Book and Bridges' prime, we're still a perennial playoff team/ fringe contender.

He seems pretty durable too, so hopefully we won't lose time with an injury to him.

Why would we want to flip that for a question mark?

Chris Paul can do miracles now and then but making a playoff team out of this group with Dario and Frank manning the center position is impossible. DA's Embiid-like ceiling has me actually griping about a 16/10 machine. Would Paul or any player see us as a good destination when you take DA out of the equation? We could still go deep in the playoffs with this half effort version of Ayton which is frustrating but wonderful.

[Fo-Real]

Here's the difference in the game, defending Anthony Edwards size:

Game 1 - 16 points in the paint, 8 points on shooting fouls.
Game 2 - 2 points in the paint, 0 points on shooting fouls.

Credit to Monty, he said he got it wrong, took responsbility and fixed it with the same personnel.

More size on him when he tried to get active with Crowder. He was bulling his way through smaller defenders in the first game.

[pj0tr]

With last night's win, the Suns have won season series against the following West teams:

Minnesota
Dallas
Memphis
Golden State
Portland
New Orleans

The only season series they lost is against Denver.

Don't underestimate how valuable this is in playoff seeding at the end of the year if several West teams have the same records.

[DroughtsOverPHX]

Sorry for you guys who believe the league has something against the Suns and they get the refs to intentionally make bad calls to try to get the Suns to lose. I think you're nuts, you think I'm nuts.

More so than any refs call, I am tired of Booker's ego that leads to his predictable T's. He's like a Kardashian with elite basketball skills.

[pj0tr]

Sorry for you guys who believe the league has something against the Suns and they get the refs to intentionally make bad calls to try to get the Suns to lose. I think you're nuts, you think I'm nuts.

More so than any refs call, I am tired of Booker's ego that leads to his predictable T's. He's like a Kardashian with elite basketball skills.

THis is not just a last night thing. Booker's frustration with the refs, and I'm sure Monty's too, has been building all year.

You need to be vocal if you want to get calls. Thats just a fact.

Look at what Paul George did after their loss against Dallas. Look at what Vogel did in the finals against Miami last year after Game 5.

The Heat pretty much got zero calls in the 1st Q and the early part of the 2nd Q, when the game was still close before the Lakers blew them out.

If you wanna be a goody-goody and always "do the right thing" and be "nice" to refs, fine. But you're not gonna get calls when it matters.

[grumpysaddle]

Sorry for you guys who believe the league has something against the Suns and they get the refs to intentionally make bad calls to try to get the Suns to lose. I think you're nuts, you think I'm nuts.

More so than any refs call, I am tired of Booker's ego that leads to his predictable T's. He's like a Kardashian with elite basketball skills.

THis is not just a last night thing. Booker's frustration with the refs, and I'm sure Monty's too, has been building all year.

You need to be vocal if you want to get calls. Thats just a fact.

Look at what Paul George did after their loss against Dallas. Look at what Vogel did in the finals against Miami last year after Game 5.

The Heat pretty much got zero calls in the 1st Q and the early part of the 2nd Q, when the game was still close before the Lakers blew them out.

If you wanna be a goody-goody and always "do the right thing" and be "nice" to refs, fine. But you're not gonna get calls when it matters.

You also can't forget the Suns history with refs like Donaghy. There's verifiable proof that refs were betting against them. It's been a while since then, but the taste is still bad. Suns basically had at least one championship taken from them due to corrupt officiating. And when we see officiating like the last two games, it makes you wonder what's going on. There were a lot of bad/non calls that seemingly all favored the other team until Monty got ejected for being his version of irate about them.

[bwgood77]

Ayton has much better offensive skillset than DAJ and Capela. Let's see after being asked to focus on defense if they focus on improving his offense next season. It was worrisome when he said he doesn't care about offense. I don't want a C that scores 3-4ppg like those in the past.

I don't watch them much. Do they do those little money hook shots? Sometimes after backing down opposing big? Or the short fadeaway? It's funny that a lot of people say he plays more like Aldridge on offense, but others say he only plays like Capela or DAJ.

Anyway, he's still going to progress in all areas. By far the best C at his age and 3rd best under 25, and that's if you include Bam and Sabonis as Cs.

He already has more gravity than either of those guys though so for whatever reason teams view him as more of an offensive threat down low.

[bwgood77]

With last night's win, the Suns have won season series against the following West teams:

Minnesota
Dallas
Memphis
Golden State
Portland
New Orleans

The only season series they lost is against Denver.

Don't underestimate how valuable this is in playoff seeding at the end of the year if several West teams have the same records.

Unfortunately it might be the most likely that we tie with Denver at the 4/5 and can all complain again about the Jamal Murray travel.

[bwgood77]

Sorry for you guys who believe the league has something against the Suns and they get the refs to intentionally make bad calls to try to get the Suns to lose. I think you're nuts, you think I'm nuts.

More so than any refs call, I am tired of Booker's ego that leads to his predictable T's. He's like a Kardashian with elite basketball skills.

THis is not just a last night thing. Booker's frustration with the refs, and I'm sure Monty's too, has been building all year.

You need to be vocal if you want to get calls. Thats just a fact.

Look at what Paul George did after their loss against Dallas. Look at what Vogel did in the finals against Miami last year after Game 5.

The Heat pretty much got zero calls in the 1st Q and the early part of the 2nd Q, when the game was still close before the Lakers blew them out.

If you wanna be a goody-goody and always "do the right thing" and be "nice" to refs, fine. But you're not gonna get calls when it matters.

I think the way he whines though and the constant of it really annoys the refs and it only works to his disadvantage. I think other refs know how to work it better like CP3 talks to them...probably asks them certain things..shows some respect, etc. I think it you are a little more professional with them at times it works. Sometimes I do think of Booker in a child's game saying "that's not fair!"

[sunsbg]

Ayton has much better offensive skillset than DAJ and Capela. Let's see after being asked to focus on defense if they focus on improving his offense next season. It was worrisome when he said he doesn't care about offense. I don't want a C that scores 3-4ppg like those in the past.

I don't watch them much. Do they do those little money hook shots? Sometimes after backing down opposing big? Or the short fadeaway? It's funny that a lot of people say he plays more like Aldridge on offense, but others say he only plays like Capela or DAJ.

Anyway, he's still going to progress in all areas. By far the best C at his age and 3rd best under 25, and that's if you include Bam and Sabonis as Cs.

He already has more gravity than either of those guys though so for whatever reason teams view him as more of an offensive threat down low.

I don't watch them either, but doubt they had a stretch in their careers shooting 5/7 from 3 like Ayton did in the bubble. Or a fadeaway, which he featured back to his rookie year. Or great passes to cutting wings like those to Mikal I posted in his thread. Now it's up to DA and the team to build on those skills in the future.

[nevetsov]

Well, his skinny legs...yes. Wilber did say he shouldn't earn that nickname until he puts on some bulk, though, but i'm not sure he understood why he got it.

In his limited time, he doesn’t look to agile and anything but comfortable. At least we saw him though.

He looks like an unstable baby deer honestly.

.... And those awful bright yellow Minny jerseys are the headlights!

[lilfishi22]

Sorry for you guys who believe the league has something against the Suns and they get the refs to intentionally make bad calls to try to get the Suns to lose. I think you're nuts, you think I'm nuts.

More so than any refs call, I am tired of Booker's ego that leads to his predictable T's. He's like a Kardashian with elite basketball skills.

THis is not just a last night thing. Booker's frustration with the refs, and I'm sure Monty's too, has been building all year.

You need to be vocal if you want to get calls. Thats just a fact.

Look at what Paul George did after their loss against Dallas. Look at what Vogel did in the finals against Miami last year after Game 5.

The Heat pretty much got zero calls in the 1st Q and the early part of the 2nd Q, when the game was still close before the Lakers blew them out.

If you wanna be a goody-goody and always "do the right thing" and be "nice" to refs, fine. But you're not gonna get calls when it matters.

I think the way he whines though and the constant of it really annoys the refs and it only works to his disadvantage. I think other refs know how to work it better like CP3 talks to them...probably asks them certain things..shows some respect, etc. I think it you are a little more professional with them at times it works. Sometimes I do think of Booker in a child's game saying "that's not fair!"

It's 100% *how* you talk to the refs.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Refs dont want to cost teams championships, that's the ultimate fear.

Right now refs don't fear costing us a championship, so we need to make final 4 establish our credentials then get the 50/50s from there.