Game 63: Utah Jazz (45-17) @ Phoenix Suns (44-18) l Friday l 7:00pm l BSAZ

[SunsRback4Good]

Who: Utah Jazz @ Phoenix Suns

When: Friday, April 30th @ 7:00pm (10:00ET), BSAZ

Where: PHX arena, Phoenix, AZ











Utah Jazz starting lineup:


C- Gobert

F- Niang

F- Bogdanovic

F- O'Neale

G- Ingles



Reserves: Clarkson/Forrest/Favors/llyasova/Thomas







Phoenix Suns starting lineup:



C- Ayton

F- Craig

F- Bridges

G- Booker

G- CP3



Reserves: Cam/Kaminsky/Payne/Carter


Good luck charm!!!

Spoiler:

[Mulhollanddrive]

We're 75% favourites to be the no.1 team in the NBA in 2 days.

Utah scored 154 points without Mitchell and Conley, hopefully that gives them confidence to keep them out again.

[Crives]

#1 seed is actually happening

[Barkley6]

I think we beat Utah and go 1, but keeping it over the final stretch is going to be tough. I can only see Utah losing maybe 2 games. Whereas we have the Knicks who will want payback for us stopping their streak, LA who will be fighting for playoff seeding, Portland who will probably be trying to get into the 6th seed and avoid the play in, and San Antonio twice who beat us bad last time without some of their better players. I could see us going 6-3 in that last 9 and losing out on the top seed by a game or two.

[pj0tr]

I think we beat Utah and go 1, but keeping it over the final stretch is going to be tough. I can only see Utah losing maybe 2 games. Whereas we have the Knicks who will want payback for us stopping their streak, LA who will be fighting for playoff seeding, Portland who will probably be trying to get into the 6th seed and avoid the play in, and San Antonio twice who beat us bad last time without some of their better players. I could see us going 6-3 in that last 9 and losing out on the top seed by a game or two.

Knicks are a different team away from the garden. Still formidable, but the garden has a mystique about it whenever the Knicks are a very good team.

I'm worried about the last 2 games B2B against the Spurs over any other games we have left.

Suns will get up for Utah on Friday. I have no doubt about that. Its the first game after that after this huge stretch against contending teams, on the road @ OKC, which seems like a prime place for a letdown game.

[NapoleonII]

Honestly?

I'd rest either CP3 or Book. Probably Ayton too.

[spanishninja]

let's...not let them score 154.

[denial]

Who is Matt Thomas and why did he have 17 points in 9 minutes? Fluke or breakout?

[Barkley6]

Honestly?

I'd rest either CP3 or Book. Probably Ayton too.

Doesn't make much sense to rest them now. If anything, resting them on the second night of a back to back makes more sense. They are fresh after a couple days off, and we're playing at home.

[spanishninja]

Honestly?

I'd rest either CP3 or Book. Probably Ayton too.

Doesn't make much sense to rest them now. If anything, resting them on the second night of a back to back makes more sense. They are fresh after a couple days off, and we're playing at home.

not that it necessarily means much but we have some games against <.500 teams after the Jazz. Maybe opportunities to rest then.

[Adrao]

Go for the lead Suns!!!

[WeekapaugGroove]

I'd only consider resting healthy players after the 2 seed or better is locked in. With the Lakers possibly falling to 6 it's very important to finish top 2.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

[dremill24]

I chalked it up to a mistake last time but are you purposely putting Ingles pictures under the listing for Bogdanovic? lol

[Qwigglez]

Would be nice to get the W and take control of our own destiny.
Looking at the Lakers schedule the rest of the season, they face the Kings, Raptors, Nuggets, Clippers, Blazers, Suns, Knicks, Rockets, Pacers, and Pelicans. 4 sets of back to back games, I imagine they rest AD for half them games. I hope the Lakers end up as the 6th seed and end up facing the Clippers. Mavs schedule looks relatively easy compared to the Lakers, facing Cavs twice, Kings, Pistons (tonight). Hopefully Mavs end up overtaking the Lakers and end up facing the Nuggets in the 1st round as the 5th seed, though Mavs have given the Clippers problems in the regular season.

[Hesh]

With both Conley and Mitchell out, we should win this game and take the #1 seed. No doubt the Jazz will take it back from us but at least we'd have the bragging rights to say that during this miracle season we actually took hold of the #1 seed in the final weeks! One of the biggest milestones was achieved! Even if its only temporary

[SunsRback4Good]

I chalked it up to a mistake last time but are you purposely putting Ingles pictures under the listing for Bogdanovic? lol

No, that wasn't on purpose as I used the same photo from last game thread as now I'm noticing the difference. Sometimes I make game threads in a rush and make few mistakes here and there.

[spanishninja]

With both Conley and Mitchell out, we should win this game and take the #1 seed. No doubt the Jazz will take it back from us but at least we'd have the bragging rights to say that during this miracle season we actually took hold of the #1 seed in the final weeks! One of the biggest milestones was achieved! Even if its only temporary

hmm, after the Jazz game, our schedule isn't THAT much worse than Utah's as we will have passed the toughest stretch.

4 Sun, May 2, 2021 8:00p @ Oklahoma City Thunder
65 Tue, May 4, 2021 7:00p @ Cleveland Cavaliers
66 Wed, May 5, 2021 8:00p @ Atlanta Hawks
67 Fri, May 7, 2021 10:00p New York Knicks
68 Sun, May 9, 2021 10:00p @ Los Angeles Lakers
69 Tue, May 11, 2021 10:00p @ Golden State Warriors
70 Thu, May 13, 2021 10:00p Portland Trail Blazers
71 Sat, May 15, 2021 @ San Antonio Spurs
72 Sun, May 16, 2021 @ San Antonio Spurs

these teams are not that tough at all, with the strongest opponents probably being Knicks and Lakers (and that's if Lebron is back for that). Hawks are without Trae, Thunder and Cavs have basically nothing to play for, Golden State is still just Steph and nothing else, and Portland is barely staying afloat. it's a lot of road games, but we've been good on the road.

the biggest thing is to not lose to lesser teams. and for god's sake don't lose to the spurs again.

Now for Utah's schedule:

4 Sat, May 1, 2021 10:00p Toronto Raptors
65 Mon, May 3, 2021 10:00p San Antonio Spurs
66 Wed, May 5, 2021 9:00p San Antonio Spurs
67 Fri, May 7, 2021 10:00p Denver Nuggets
68 Sat, May 8, 2021 10:00p Houston Rockets
69 Mon, May 10, 2021 10:00p @ Golden State Warriors
70 Wed, May 12, 2021 9:00p Portland Trail Blazers
71 Fri, May 14, 2021 8:00p @ Oklahoma City Thunder
72 Sun, May 16, 2021 @ Sacramento Kings

really, our schedule is barely harder than theirs, if you don't take into account home and road.

[Flying Colors]

Imagine Spurs win the play ins and we face them first round. We could potentially be playing the same team 9 times in a row.

[Calvin Klein]

I chalked it up to a mistake last time but are you purposely putting Ingles pictures under the listing for Bogdanovic? lol

No, that wasn't on purpose as I used the same photo from last game thread as now I'm noticing the difference. Sometimes I make game threads in a rush and make few mistakes here and there.

is the wrong Bogi picture on purpose?? I don't even know now

[Barkley6]

Interesting that the Nuggets are only .5 games back of the Clips now.

If it ended:
UTA
PHX
DEN
LAC
LAL
DAL

That's the best possible outcome for Phoenix. Suns get the winner of Denver V Dallas and Utah gets the winner of Clippers V Lakers.