WC | Rd. 2| (2) Suns vs (3) Nuggets [4-0 Suns]

[JoeyLightYears]

Look, this series - if DA can match Joker this is a sweep. I'm not sure he can, but come on. Joker needs to be super human and MPJ needs to produce more than 24 mins a game. I dont see any of it though. Denver was near perfect in the 1st half and Suns were awful. Result is a blowout Suns win. I predicted Suns in 5. I wish I could change to sweep but can still see Denver getting game 3. This is an easy 2nd round win for the Suns. Hope paperClips and Spazz beat the $^@ out of each other.

Denver will play a lot better at home. Like Utah, they have a huge HCA. This may be a long series.

[dygaction]

Ayton outplayed Jokic.
Unreal. Ayton about to earn his max if he does this 3x more this series

Ayton may sit out starting today until next summer and he would still get his max...

[sunsbg]

Ayton with 2 less points with 10 less shots than Jokic. Also a single bogus foul of type 'you can't play any physical D in this league even if you defend someone bigger than you'.

[Seattlesun]

Look, this series - if DA can match Joker this is a sweep. I'm not sure he can, but come on. Joker needs to be super human and MPJ needs to produce more than 24 mins a game. I dont see any of it though. Denver was near perfect in the 1st half and Suns were awful. Result is a blowout Suns win. I predicted Suns in 5. I wish I could change to sweep but can still see Denver getting game 3. This is an easy 2nd round win for the Suns. Hope paperClips and Spazz beat the $^@ out of each other.

Denver will play a lot better at home. Like Utah, they have a huge HCA. This may be a long series.

Agreed, thats how I see them winning game 3. But Suns take next 2 for 5 game win.

[JimmyPlopper]

Ayton plays with wisdom beyond his years. What a player.

[Seattlesun]

Porter's back is hurt series over

What are you talking about???

[Lakers LeBron]

Ayton outplayed Jokic.
Unreal. Ayton about to earn his max if he does this 3x more this series

Ayton earned his max after game 1 of the first round. It would take a career ending injury for him to not get one at this point.

[darmani]

The MVP has spoken

Read on Twitter

[Johnny Firpo]

Is it just me, or did you guys thought that the officiating was a little lopsided in the Suns favor? Nothing egregious, but it was there from the start.

[Alatan]

Is it just me, or did you guys thought that the officiating was a little lopsided in the Suns favor? Nothing egregious, but it was there from the start.

Looked like the Suns were allowed to be more physical but i might be biased. Anyway nothing too bad in the realms of how the refs treat the Lakers.

[collidingNeurons]

Porter's back is hurt series over

What are you talking about???

https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-gets-critical-injury-update-after-game-1-loss-vs-suns/

[Alatan]

My takeaways from game 1.
Hedging the PnR on CP3 is super dumb. Campazzo cant do anyrhing against him. Dude is just a bench player after all.
CP3 Killed our bench. Malone is a moron.
We lost because the Suns made a huge run while Denver couldnt score because of lack of movement on offense. No time out tobreak momentum, no in game adjustment. Malone is a moron.
Ayton bothered Jokic with his intensity. Props to Ayton but Jokuc needs to play better. Settled for tough shots way too often. Looked tired. Nuggets need to sonehow slow down the pace and make it a grind.
Booker didnt handle double teams well. We can keep exploiting that.
Gordon managed to bully Booker in the paint. We can exploit that too.
Without Ayton in the restricted area Suns look to be vulnerable. Need to play more Pick and pop eoth Jokic and drive or post in the paint without Ayton.
Bridges needs to be guarded by a longer player. MPJ?

TLDR the series comes down to containing CP3 and slowing down the pace while attacking Booker and removing Ayton from the paint.

[spanishninja]

My takeaways from game 1.
Hedging the PnR on CP3 is super dumb. Campazzo cant do anyrhing against him. Dude is just a bench player after all.
CP3 Killed our bench. Malone is a moron.
We lost because the Suns made a huge run while Denver couldnt score because of lack of movement on offense. No time out tobreak momentum, no in game adjustment. Malone is a moron.
Ayton bothered Jokic with his intensity. Props to Ayton but Jokuc needs to play better. Settled for tough shots way too often. Looked tired. Nuggets need to sonehow slow down the pace and make it a grind.
Booker didnt handle double teams well. We can keep exploiting that.
Gordon managed to bully Booker in the paint. We can exploit that too.
Without Ayton in the restricted area Suns look to be vulnerable. Need to play more Pick and pop eoth Jokic and drive or post in the paint without Ayton.
Bridges needs to be guarded by a longer player. MPJ?

TLDR the series comes down to containing CP3 and slowing down the pace while attacking Booker and removing Ayton from the paint.

This game doesn't tell us much we didn't know before. The best you can do against Jokic is "hold him" to 20/10, and on the othar hand Phoenix has a guard advantage with Murray and Barton out. In the first half though I felt Campazzo did a great job, and I think he likely pissed off CP3 enough in the process that he decided to take him to school in the second half.

[jcsunsfan]

Jokic did not score in the 4th. Credit Ayton and the Suns defense for wearing him out. That a Monty game plan thing.

Also. Jokic had 22-9 and Ayton 20-10z. However it took Joker 23 shots to Ayton’s 12.

Ayton clearly outplayed him this game.

The Nuggets second game adjustment has to be to slow down the pace. If not Jokic will not be effective late game.

[rocketsfan100]

Paul is my favorite player an loving seeing him thrive man.. had his hamstring not gone to hell in 018 he would have had a ring... love to see a Harden and Paul duel on the biggest stage as the best two floor generals in the nba duke it out

[MrGrim]

God I wish Brett Brown didn't trade Mikal Bridges. What an oaf. Austin Rivers was a low key disaster tonight. Nuggets desperately need one of their guards back.

[schnakenpopanz]

It is nice to see Ayton taking huge steps forward.
He got a lot of heat for his suspension last year, but he looks more and more like living up to his potential.
In hindsight Hawks, Mavs, Suns look like winners from 2018 draft. I feel bad for Kings.

Here are some arbitary but interesting stats about Ayton this postseason.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

some called him a bust midway last year, but people want instant impact like doncic had. but luka is 1 in a million, while ayton is good enough to be a number 1 pick in any other draft.

[schnakenpopanz]

Jokic with only 3 Assists is the most important stat of the night.
Suns defense was pretty good overall.
Denver need some adjustments.

[Mick Dundee]

Just a bad 4th Quarter at the Office.

Nuggs gonna take this Series nonetheless.

Witnessing what the Nets did to the Bucks though, I feel like all the remaining Teams are just in there to play for the Golden Banana.

Like, seriously ... Who's gonna stop them Brooklyn Bois, if Harden is healthy?

I don't see no Team possessing the Defensive means to stop that kinda onslaught.

[ElectricMayhem]

I just looked at the box score and, wow....has their ever been this even a distribution in field goal attempts by a team this far in the playoffs?

Suns starters' FGA:

12
13
13
12
14

The most surprising part about that? Booker was tied for the least.