Game 51: Phoenix Suns (36-14) @ Los Angeles Clippers (34-18) l Thursday l 7:00pm l TNT

[SunsRback4Good]

Bridges seriously showed up in the first half. Very proud of him.

[grumpysaddle]

That wasn't a travel. SMH.

[Revived]

I guess you worry about b2b games more than I do. We have done well on them. I think last year we won a b2b with the Clips and Utah or something like that and had another one with Utah and Denver where we won one and the other went into OT and we nearly won.

This year we are 7-2 on the 2nd of b2b games. 1 of our losses was a double OT game where Cam, Booker and Ayton were all out in some or all the OTs....and the previous night went into OT.

The only other loss was a 1 pt loss to Orlando...after playing Miami the night before.

We also have a ton of depth. If we only played 7 or 8 players or something it might be a big deal, or if we were an old team prone to injury.

Not sure why you are always so worried and want to rest players. Not THAT many players rest overall and usually it is due to being cautious with injuries...and this has only been a trend at all since the Spurs started it about 7-8 years ago when their core got old.

The previous 50+ years it wasn't something teams did. If you had 4 games in 5 nights it might be more understandable if you had a slight injury to sit a second game out before the next b2b.

College teams play like 3 or 4 days in a row in their conference tourneys.

Oh yeah I hate back to backs. I think it’s dumb in general but especially when the team doing it has to travel (even if it’s a short flight). I don’t think college can be compared to NBA. It’s just a whole different game. Just like high school is cause I remember some tourneys where I’ve played 6/7 days in a row in my hs days. There’s way more game planning, strategy, strength and stamina required at the NBA level than college, or high school imo.

Many players do rest. LeBron, Giannis, 20 yr old Doncic, Harden, Durant, I mean basically you can name any top 20 player in the league and they probably have been rested at least a few times on back to backs in the last 5/6 years. The Raptors won a title by basically doing it with Kawhi for a whole season keeping him completely fresh for postseason. And Kawhi was only like 27 at the time.

Pop did start it but now every elite coach in the league and others utilize the resting strategy. Especially teams with great records who know their gonna make the playoffs anyway. I think borderline teams are more hesitant because the difference between 1 or 2 losses could mean making playoffs or not.

I think it especially makes sense for 35 yr old CP3. And this isn’t just any back to back, it’s a back to back after playing 43+ mins. If it was just a regular game in which he played his usual 31 mpg then I wouldn’t really care as much.

Anyway, looks like there is no resting though and everyone is a full go. Hopefully we come out of it clean.

There are a handful of players who rest without injury, but most who do have ailing injuries or are coming back from one. Doncic, for example, doesn't rest for the hell of it.

Unless you are talking about the bubble or near the end of the season when seeds are determined and players rest.

But yeah, I know you are a big proponent of it.

I'm not unless it involves injury or a team is up really big...or maybe if something is clinched. I'd rather players keep the momentum.

Now if it's clear certain players simply cannot handle playing b2bs that would be a different story but in our 9 b2bs this year, that doesn't seem to be an issue, so despite how much you say it, I doubt it's something we will do under normal circumstances.

Have we had many back to backs this season in which we went to OT the night before? Iirc there was the Denver one from earlier in the season and only this so far.

I hate having so many back to backs in general lol. It’s cool if it’s only like 2 or max 3 back to backs for a whole season but the way the NBA does it’s weird scheduling, they make it many more. I know just about every NBA player hates the back to backs too and many have talked about how it needs to be reduced but not much has happened.

I hate it in football too when a team has to play SNF and then play TNF like 4 days later. Teams should play TNF when their coming off a bye week imo. Of course yeah it’s worse in football than basketball because of the physicality of the sport but generally I think there should be adequate time between games, a week or more football and at least a day for basketball. If they are gonna schedule it in basketball, at least make it two back to back home games instead of team having to travel afterwards.

[grumpysaddle]

Ayton taketh and Ayton giveth.

[Frank Lee]

Chippy it is getting

[starbosa10]

Damn Leonard, that was a nice 3

[SlovenianDragon]

BEV with the flop and no call LOLOLOL

[grumpysaddle]

Beverly is such a POS.

[King4Day]

Booker gets away with blatant push off.
Kawaii gets away with blatant elbow.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Impressed with our stamina.

Paul George sitting with 3 fouls was a big moment for us.

[SunsRback4Good]

Suns shooting 65% against the 10th best defensive team in the league. Booker playing well wasn't expecting it but he must be pissed from last game. Bridges redeeming himself, Cam & Payne providing points off the bench and Ayton with a quite 8/7 so far.

[Keith_myath]

PG must hate the Suns.

He hates Booker; no joke.

[Jdiddy701]

Beverly has no chance guarding Book. Booker exploits small guards every time. I’d post up Booker a good amount in the 2nd half.


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[bwgood77]

We are 26-6 since 2/1...that is like a regular season 67 game win pace. I remember when we started out 8-8 I kept pointing out that OKC started 8-12 last year with him but finished 36-16...and that it probably takes players time to get accustomed to him. People started making fun of me continuing to say that....well, IN YOUR FACE!

[grumpysaddle]

Booker gets away with blatant push off.
Kawaii gets away with blatant elbow.

You mean Beverly doesn't get away with blatant flop?

[Flying Colors]

Chippy it is getting

A little spice to complete the playoff atmosphere

[denial]

Book punked Beverly on that offensive shove. Surprised but happy he got away with it.
George has three fouls. Bodes well.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Looks like another clutch time game, might come down to whether we can contest George and Leonard enough

[Frank Lee]

Careless at times else we’d be up 10

[TouchPassDario]

Ayton taketh and Ayton giveth.

Dumb taketh