NBA PLAYOFFS: Game 4 - (1) Phoenix Suns @ (8) New Orleans Pelicans l Sunday l 6:30pm l TNT l PHX leads 2-1

[LV-Suns]

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Cam Payne used to play hard like him too when he was trying to get back in the league, remember him boxing out Zion. Then he got paid and reverted back to dance Cam.

[bwgood77]

The worst thing about the FT disparity is that they played more physical than us. Obviously you can say we need to be more physical but the refs really won't allow us to.

[Ghost of Kleine]

The scariest part is how different our roster could actually look after this offseason! Especially with Savers' proclivity to cheap out on keeping the core of a team together after recent success! IF we blow this and get bounced in the first round, would it be unreasonable to think he might use that as an excuse to dump contracts ( Ayton and others) under the premise that this roster needs to be altered/ upgraded. Ayton and others may be gone?

Also next season, your definitely looking at a much deeper and more competitive gauntlet (western conference) with the Nuggets getting Murray and Porter Jr back and even worse, the Clippers getting healthy with Kawhi back too!!!
This is our very best shot to actually win it all obviously. And we can't even find the motivation or pride to not get bounced in the first round by a young inexperienced team of mostly rookies in their first ever playoffs. Not good optics for a recent finals team that got within two games of a championship only a yr ago.

[TeamTragic]

The worst thing about the FT disparity is that they played more physical than us. Obviously you can say we need to be more physical but the refs really won't allow us to.

That doesn't change the fact that Monty seemingly doesn't know how to properly rotate his own players into the game when Booker is hurt.

[pj0tr]

The scariest part is how different our roster could actually look after this offseason! Especially with Savers' proclivity to cheap out on keeping the core of a team together after recent success! IF we blow this and get bounced in the first round, would it be unreasonable to think he might use that as an excuse to dump contracts ( Ayton and others) under the premise that this roster needs to be altered/ upgraded. Ayton and others may be gone?

Also next season, your definitely looking at a much deeper and more competitive gauntlet (western conference) with the Nuggets getting Murray and Porter Jr back and even worse, the Clippers getting healthy with Kawhi back too!!!
This is our very best shot to actually win it all obviously. And we can't even find the motivation or pride to not get bounced in the first round by a young inexperienced team of mostly rookies in their first ever playoffs. Not good optics for a recent finals team that got within two games of a championship only a yr ago.

Maybe take a shot of liquor, and step off the ledge.

Yeah, tonight wasn't great. But on the bright side, there are a few things to take away:

1) Suns are fighting much better on the boards, even if the Final numbers don't show it
2) Shamet and Johnson both could be finding their shot
3) Holiday coming in late and playing with a lot of energy gives Monty something to think about when it comes to Cam Payne.

Suns open as -6.5 favorites on Tuesday, and Vegas usually hits these games right on.

Lets take a step back and chill.

I'm honestly not worried about Tuesday.

[sunsbum]

The scariest part is how different our roster could actually look after this offseason! Especially with Savers' proclivity to cheap out on keeping the core of a team together after recent success! IF we blow this and get bounced in the first round, would it be unreasonable to think he might use that as an excuse to dump contracts ( Ayton and others) under the premise that this roster needs to be altered/ upgraded. Ayton and others may be gone?

Also next season, your definitely looking at a much deeper and more competitive gauntlet (western conference) with the Nuggets getting Murray and Porter Jr back and even worse, the Clippers getting healthy with Kawhi back too!!!
This is our very best shot to actually win it all obviously. And we can't even find the motivation or pride to not get bounced in the first round by a young inexperienced team of mostly rookies in their first ever playoffs. Not good optics for a recent finals team that got within two games of a championship only a yr ago.

Interesting. You know in the year 3045 we will all be cyborgs that can shoot better than Steph Curry.

[bwgood77]

The worst thing about the FT disparity is that they played more physical than us. Obviously you can say we need to be more physical but the refs really won't allow us to.

That doesn't change the fact that Monty seemingly doesn't know how to properly rotate his own players into the game when Booker is hurt.

Honestly I am not sure it matters all that much for tonight. No one shot well aside from our Cs. No one could guard Ingram. Holiday shot well in 2 garbage minutes. Shamet was 3-5 but CamJ 4-12, Mikal 4-11, Crowder 3-7, Paul 2-8, Payne 3-10, Craig 2-5.

We just need to shoot better as a team and hope the FT discrepancy isn't as bad.

We also need to play like we want it but our lack of shooting is killing us. If we try to be physical we get called for all sorts of fouls so kind of hard to play as hard as they do when you have to worry so much about foul calls.

I'd try Holiday but there is no real guarantee there. He can't play too much worse than Payne but he wasn't very good to end the season either.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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Cam Payne used to play hard like him too when he was trying to get back in the league, remember him boxing out Zion. They he got paid and reverted back to dance Cam.

He's like a nicer, less goonish version of Pat Beverly. That's why ( back around the draft) I wanted us to take a look at him on a two-way contract from the undrafted pool. Because our bench did and apparently still does lack tenacity and that relentless/ suffocating backcourt defensive pest (once Carter left). We chose Shamet, but could of had BOTH Herb Jones and Alverado off our bench for significantly less of a contractual commitment. It would've also been very intriguing to have him learn/ be mentored by Paul as an alternative to what Payne is costing us.

[Ghost of Kleine]

The scariest part is how different our roster could actually look after this offseason! Especially with Savers' proclivity to cheap out on keeping the core of a team together after recent success! IF we blow this and get bounced in the first round, would it be unreasonable to think he might use that as an excuse to dump contracts ( Ayton and others) under the premise that this roster needs to be altered/ upgraded. Ayton and others may be gone?

Also next season, your definitely looking at a much deeper and more competitive gauntlet (western conference) with the Nuggets getting Murray and Porter Jr back and even worse, the Clippers getting healthy with Kawhi back too!!!
This is our very best shot to actually win it all obviously. And we can't even find the motivation or pride to not get bounced in the first round by a young inexperienced team of mostly rookies in their first ever playoffs. Not good optics for a recent finals team that got within two games of a championship only a yr ago.

Maybe take a shot of liquor, and step off the ledge.

Yeah, tonight wasn't great. But on the bright side, there are a few things to take away:

1) Suns are fighting much better on the boards, even if the Final numbers don't show it
2) Shamet and Johnson both could be finding their shot
3) Holiday coming in late and playing with a lot of energy gives Monty something to think about when it comes to Cam Payne.

Suns open as -6.5 favorites on Tuesday, and Vegas usually hits these games right on.

Lets take a step back and chill.

I'm honestly not worried about Tuesday.

Maybe take a shot of liquor, and step off the ledge.

Lol!

Whatever................
Let's see how this plays out huh?...

I'm allowed to be upset/ frustrated even dejected with the pizz poor effort being put forth by the team currently. Let's be clear, we're talking about a team that won 64 games and was #1 in the league for the entire season not being able to muster enough motivation or tenacity to outperform a team of predominantly rookies and a team that's in their first ever playoff series. We're SUPPOSED TO BE a team competing for a freaking championship! Do we still look like that projection is even close to you? If so, I'll have whatever you're drinking, and of course enjoy delusional bliss!

[Qwigglez]

So hopefully Book can come back because we absolutely need him.

[Puff]

By the way there’s one player that nobody is talking about and avoiding all criticism…Bridges. He’s giving absolutely NOTHING offensively in this series. Herbert is giving them more on offense than Bridges is for Suns.

$90 million wasn’t for him to just play defense, it was for him to step up when Booker or CP3 are out and he hasn’t done that at all. And we’re supposed to believe that he’s gonna be Kawhi on offense?

I am glad someone else sees what I see. I expected him to be the number or number 2 scoring option with the absence of Booker. I also expected a lot more out of Cam Johnson. Crowder is Crowder but at least he is trying to play defense and is a tough SOB. Quite frankly the only tough SOB on our team. Ish could be a candidate but he just does not have the experience.

Who really wants to give Cam Johnson a bag full of money in the off season. His play is costing him a lot of money IMO>

I hope Monty watches film of the end of the game and gives Holiday some floor time when it matters. Cam Payne and Shamet are not getting it done. I would put him on that litle twerp that thinks is all over CP3.

We need Book. He wouldn't take the crap.

[garrick]

I think the late season injuries to especially to Cam Johnson and Crowder have really hurt their offense because they can't hit the broad side of the barn and Cam seems a little slower than usual.

looking on the bright side Crowder did hit a couple shots so maybe he is bound for one of those nights where he is just lights out from deep.

[Slim Charless]

The worst thing about the FT disparity is that they played more physical than us. Obviously you can say we need to be more physical but the refs really won't allow us to.

That doesn't change the fact that Monty seemingly doesn't know how to properly rotate his own players into the game when Booker is hurt.

Honestly I am not sure it matters all that much for tonight. No one shot well aside from our Cs. No one could guard Ingram. Holiday shot well in 2 garbage minutes. Shamet was 3-5 but CamJ 4-12, Mikal 4-11, Crowder 3-7, Paul 2-8, Payne 3-10, Craig 2-5.

We just need to shoot better as a team and hope the FT discrepancy isn't as bad.

We also need to play like we want it but our lack of shooting is killing us. If we try to be physical we get called for all sorts of fouls so kind of hard to play as hard as they do when you have to worry so much about foul calls.

I'd try Holiday but there is no real guarantee there. He can't play too much worse than Payne but he wasn't very good to end the season either.

Herb Jones is out there wrecking havoc. He was a great find by them.

[Slim Charless]

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Cam Payne used to play hard like him too when he was trying to get back in the league, remember him boxing out Zion. They he got paid and reverted back to dance Cam.

He's like a nicer, less goonish version of Pat Beverly. That's why ( back around the draft) I wanted us to take a look at him on a two-way contract from the undrafted pool. Because our bench did and apparently still does lack tenacity and that relentless/ suffocating backcourt defensive pest (once Carter left). We chose Shamet, but could of had BOTH Herb Jones and Alverado off our bench for significantly less of a contractual commitment. It would've also been very intriguing to have him learn/ be mentored by Paul as an alternative to what Payne is costing us.

Payne has to go in the off-season. I don't think he's trying less than in the bubble. His game looks the same to me but I just don't think he was ever that good.

He hit his numbers in the bubble with no crowds. Last year, limited crowds for most of the season. He is what's he's always been....just a guy.

He needs to have a new home come opening day.

[Saberestar]

****, tough game to watch and it was pretty close until de last five minutes. The Pelicans were ultra physical and we couldn't match that because we got a lot of meh fouls.

At the middle of the fourth we had our opportunity but Valanciunas score a few consecutive baskets and we were down around 10.

Well, it's not a big deal if we won at home. The problem (like always have been) is Ingram. He is ridiculous with that much length and talent, soooo difficult to stop off the ball or on the ball.

Hopefully Book can play the next one. That would be amazing.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

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?s=20

[Revived]

New Orleans is really unlikeable. McCullum is fine but the rest are kind of a bunch of dumb ***. What's up with that?

If they advance to the next round we’re all Mitchell or Luka fans right?

Willie Green doesn’t know the Jazz or Mavs so I doubt he can do to them what he’s doing to us anyway. Pelicans would get swept or at most win one game if it’s the Mavs.

[Revived]

By the way there’s one player that nobody is talking about and avoiding all criticism…Bridges. He’s giving absolutely NOTHING offensively in this series. Herbert is giving them more on offense than Bridges is for Suns.

$90 million wasn’t for him to just play defense, it was for him to step up when Booker or CP3 are out and he hasn’t done that at all. And we’re supposed to believe that he’s gonna be Kawhi on offense?

Yeah I was going to mention Bridges earlier. I did mention that his money midrange game he had developed disappeared. He got some nice hustle stats and 5 assists, but his scoring is lacking...that goes for everyone though except Ayton tonight who looked pretty good on offense. Seems like we kind of went away from him down the stretch though.

He needs to give us way more especially when he often has the Pelicans worst defender CJ McCollum guarding him.

[Revived]

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What a dirty POS.

I’m not gonna get into how it was uncalled by the ref since that’s obvious and already been addressed. But the fact that these kind of plays don’t motivate the Suns to play hard is very telling. They bend over in the fetal position when something like this happens to their leader.

And here’s the same guy being a complete douche later in the game too.

Spoiler:

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This is the new media darling….

That's just like the Justin Jackson flagrant from game 3, the stupid ref is right in front of them when Jackson pummels Crowder but swallows his whistle and only when Crowder picks up a technical do they review that play.

I think you’re thinking Jaxon Hayes but yeah very similar play.