Most frustrating win you can remember

[bwgood77]

This question was posed on the NBA General Board and it got me thinking..this has to be a playoff game that scared the hell out of people because we almost lost..most of those I think of, I was just exhilarated we won.

Now, of course for many winning meaningless games in our last four games last year were frustrating, though I think most know I wanted Bender and had zero interest in Brown, so it all came out ok in my book. Of course Bender could bust and Brown end up the next Kawhi Leonard, and in that case I will eat crow.

So what comes to mind? It has to be a playoff game I think. This is a very tough question I couldn't answer on the general board in this thread... viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1473760

I can't really think of a good one quickly.

[Zelaznyrules]

That's a tough question.

We had some surprisingly difficult and frustrating playoff wins against both the Lakers and the Clippers in 06. But I'd probably go for either game 3 or game 5 against the Lakers in 93. We were a much better team but the refs really screwed with us in the first two games in Phoenix (5 game series back then) and despite being heavily favored we found ourselves down 0-2 and about to go on the road. We caught a pivotal referee break in game 3 to keep us alive (fortunately for us as we weren't playing all that well) and then caught several breaks in the closeout OT win in game 5. At least, that's the way I remember it.

[DirtyDez]

A couple of those wins vs Portland in the 2010 playoffs without Roy.

[GMATCallahan]

A couple of those wins vs Portland in the 2010 playoffs without Roy.

Three of the Suns' four wins in that series were blowouts of at least nineteen points; in the one closer game (the concluding nine-point victory in Portland), Roy played, albeit not very well.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2010-nba-western-conference-first-round-trail-blazers-vs-suns.html

[GMATCallahan]

That's a tough question.

We had some surprisingly difficult and frustrating playoff wins against both the Lakers and the Clippers in 06. But I'd probably go for either game 3 or game 5 against the Lakers in 93. We were a much better team but the refs really screwed with us in the first two games in Phoenix (5 game series back then) and despite being heavily favored we found ourselves down 0-2 and about to go on the road. We caught a pivotal referee break in game 3 to keep us alive (fortunately for us as we weren't playing all that well) and then caught several breaks in the closeout OT win in game 5. At least, that's the way I remember it.

... funny, but I again viewed the winner-take-all Game Five of that series earlier this month on NBA TV. I have probably seen the game three times over the last five and a half years (although always as part of the NBA’s Greatest Games series that removes several minutes of game action, including crucial minutes from the fourth quarter and overtime). My last viewing certainly reinforced what I distinctly remember from 1993—the tense “uh-oh” feeling from late in the game when the Suns were in danger of losing on their home floor, just as in Games One and Two. Phoenix had twice staved off elimination in Los Angeles, only to come home and trail by four points with about a minute to play in regulation. But the Suns rallied in the final minute and then rookie Oliver Miller dominated the overtime period.

Viewing the game both in 1993 and now, my feeling is that the contest was “haunting” more than “frustrating,” although there may be slippage between the two ideas. After all, the situation was one where the Suns came really, really close to being eliminated in the First Round by a 39-win eighth seed despite the NBA’s best record and all the Barkley-oriented hoopla. I also reviewed Game Three of that series in early 2012, by the way.

In terms of that series, the Suns fell into that 0-2 hole for two basic reasons. First, as I discussed back in April, Kevin Johnson missed the series opener after having sprained his medial collateral ligament at the end of Phoenix’s third-to-last regular season game—the same injury that Stephen Curry suffered during this year’s First Round. The sprained MCL was supposed to keep Johnson out of most, if not all, of the First Round series versus the Lakers, but he returned ahead of schedule—less than ten full days after suffering the injury—when Phoenix dropped the opener. K.J. played well in Game Two—14 points, 6-10 FG, 16 assists—but he could not push the ball at full speed yet, which meant that the Suns became trapped in a half-court game with the Lakers.
(One can see the post where I discussed his injury and comeback here: http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1351772&p=46821711&hilit=MCL#p46821711.)

That last point leads me to the second reason behind the Suns’ 0-2 hole, which involved the matchups. The Suns featured the NBA’s shortest starting front line, whereas the Lakers featured a very tall yet mobile front court. For that reason, and because of Charles Barkley’s defensive liabilities, the Suns were often playing a natural small forward—6’7” Richard Dumas or 6’6” (actual height) Cedric Ceballos—on the Lakers’ long-armed, high-leaping, 6’11” Elden Campbell—for just one example of Phoenix’s deficiencies in this area.

The Suns pulled out Game Three, but that game, too, came down to the final minute of regulation. As NBC’s Dick Enberg states in this opening monologue to Game Five, “A win in Game Three—but not with convincing confidence, the spark still missing.”

Watch on YouTube

In both Games Three and Five, the Suns’ lead largely evaporated when head coach Paul Westphal gave Kevin Johnson a rest in the middle of the fourth quarter. As for “breaks” that the Suns enjoyed, I do not recall anything significant in either game, outside of the Lakers missing certain shots in the final minute. There was a controversial call late in the fourth quarter of Game Five where Dan Majerle air-balled a desperation three to try and beat the shot clock. Barkley caught it and dunked it—with, as television cameras later showed—the red light on and the shot clock at 0, meaning from that perspective that the referees should have disallowed the basket. (There was no instant replay in those days.) However, replays also showed that the shot clock horn went off just after Barkley had dunked the ball, meaning that from that perspective, the basket indeed should have counted. For whatever reason, there was some slight discrepancy between the red light and the horn, which are supposed to emerge simultaneously. And since we do not know whether the red light appeared a split-second too soon or the horn sounded a split-second too late, there is no way of knowing whether Phoenix really received a break or not.

On the final play of regulation, Danny Ainge flew at Byron Scott as the Laker guard released a last-second spot-up three-pointer from high on the right wing, hitting Scott on the hand just after—again, after—the latter had released the ball. Technically, Ainge had fouled Scott, but referees whistled that call less frequently in those days, and they certainly were not going to decide a series with that kind of call.

Overall, I would consider those wins partly haunting, partly thrilling, and highly rewarding. I would not consider them “frustrating,” but I can see why one would do so.

“Frustrating” wins are very difficult to remember or identify, because every win in the playoffs is gratifying—a “frustrating” playoff win, even if the victory constituted a struggle, is basically an oxymoron. A “frustrating” win can occur in the regular season, but those experiences tend to be quickly forgotten—after all, the team won, so even if the process proved disappointing, you invariably move on and forget about it. I can look back, for instance, at certain wins during the ’95-’96 season that were “frustrating.” On February 19, 1996, the Suns needed overtime in order to defeat the first-year expansion Vancouver Grizzlies at home in Phoenix:

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960219&tm=PHO

On March 21, 1996, the Suns nearly blew a 26-point lead at home versus a weak Golden State club. As Paul Westphal would later state about Barkley (in the June 10, 2013, edition of Sports Illustrated), “Charles would get you the 20-point lead, but sometimes it was only safe if you got him out of the game. If you kept him in, pretty soon your lead might be gone because he didn’t always concentrate.” During this game itself, backup point guard Elliot Perry confronted Barkley and told him that the team still needed him. Afterwards, Perry stated, “He has nights he doesn’t play as hard as he should. That hurts us because we’re going to continue to go to him.” (If one wants the source for the anecdote and quotation, let me know.)

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960321&tm=PHO

Five days later, on March 26, 1996, the Suns scored just 13 points in the first quarter at home against the Sacramento Kings before pulling out a four-point victory. Granted, the Kings would make the playoffs that year, but only as a 39-win eighth seed.

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960326&tm=PHO

A year later, Kevin Johnson stated that had Phoenix kept that roster together—a roster that he deemed very talented yet underachieving—“We'd still be pulling teeth.”

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/123955772/

However, I do not even remember any of these games—I just know that they constituted “frustrating” wins from reading about them and studying the box scores years later.

[bwgood77]

I guess a frustrating playoff win could constitute a game we should have won easily and struggled and barely escaped with a win, driving you crazy most of the game. Or a game we had a big lead in only to almost let it slip away and hang on barely.

[GMATCallahan]

On March 21, 1996, the Suns nearly blew a 26-point lead at home versus a weak Golden State club. As Paul Westphal would later state about Barkley (in the June 10, 2013, edition of Sports Illustrated), “Charles would get you the 20-point lead, but sometimes it was only safe if you got him out of the game. If you kept him in, pretty soon your lead might be gone because he didn’t always concentrate.” During this game itself, backup point guard Elliot Perry confronted Barkley and told him that the team still needed him. Afterwards, Perry stated, “He has nights he doesn’t play as hard as he should. That hurts us because we’re going to continue to go to him.” (If one wants the source for the anecdote and quotation, let me know.)

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960321&tm=PHO

... However, I do not even remember any of these games—I just know that they constituted “frustrating” wins from reading about them and studying the box scores years later.

Actually, I do remember that game because John "Hot Rod" Williams recorded 9 blocked shots and nearly posted a triple-double with blocks (10 points, 9 rebounds, 9 blocks). However, I only remember the game for his performance, not for any other reason. Years later, I did not even recall the opponent.

I did phone a friend the next day afterwards to tell him about Williams' performance. At some point, he had teased me by saying that the Suns had traded Williams and Wayman Tisdale to Denver for Dikembe Mutombo ...

[GMATCallahan]

On March 21, 1996, the Suns nearly blew a 26-point lead at home versus a weak Golden State club. As Paul Westphal would later state about Barkley (in the June 10, 2013, edition of Sports Illustrated), “Charles would get you the 20-point lead, but sometimes it was only safe if you got him out of the game. If you kept him in, pretty soon your lead might be gone because he didn’t always concentrate.” During this game itself, backup point guard Elliot Perry confronted Barkley and told him that the team still needed him. Afterwards, Perry stated, “He has nights he doesn’t play as hard as he should. That hurts us because we’re going to continue to go to him.” (If one wants the source for the anecdote and quotation, let me know.)

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960321&tm=PHO

... However, I do not even remember any of these games—I just know that they constituted “frustrating” wins from reading about them and studying the box scores years later.

Actually, I do remember that game because John "Hot Rod" Williams recorded 9 blocked shots and nearly posted a triple-double with blocks (10 points, 9 rebounds, 9 blocks). However, I only remember the game for his performance, not for any other reason. Years later, I did not even recall the opponent.

I did phone a friend the next day afterwards to tell him about Williams' performance. At some point, he had teased me by saying that the Suns had traded Williams and Wayman Tisdale to Denver for Dikembe Mutombo ...

Here is a newspaper article about the game, full of Phoenix quotations that reveal the "frustrating" nature of the win:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=894&dat=19960322&id=eB0OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j30DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2800,2644882

But again, as a regular season win, people tend to quickly forget about its nature.

[GMATCallahan]

I can look back, for instance, at certain wins during the ’95-’96 season that were “frustrating.” On February 19, 1996, the Suns needed overtime in order to defeat the first-year expansion Vancouver Grizzlies at home in Phoenix:

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960219&tm=PHO

... article on this game with a relevant quotation from Phoenix head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=894&dat=19960220&id=zRgOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hn0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6623,2475160

[GMATCallahan]

Five days later, on March 26, 1996, the Suns scored just 13 points in the first quarter at home against the Sacramento Kings before pulling out a four-point victory. Granted, the Kings would make the playoffs that year, but only as a 39-win eighth seed.

http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1995&b=19960326&tm=PHO

... articles on this win:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=932&dat=19960327&id=VKtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4VIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6652,5788471

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=894&dat=19960327&id=fB0OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j30DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7016,3274715

[GMATCallahan]

In both Games Three and Five, the Suns’ lead largely evaporated when head coach Paul Westphal gave Kevin Johnson a rest in the middle of the fourth quarter. As for “breaks” that the Suns enjoyed, I do not recall anything significant in either game, outside of the Lakers missing certain shots in the final minute. There was a controversial call late in the fourth quarter of Game Five where Dan Majerle air-balled a desperation three to try and beat the shot clock. Barkley caught it and dunked it—with, as television cameras later showed—the red light on and the shot clock at 0, meaning from that perspective that the referees should have disallowed the basket. (There was no instant replay in those days.) However, replays also showed that the shot clock horn went off just after Barkley had dunked the ball, meaning that from that perspective, the basket indeed should have counted. For whatever reason, there was some slight discrepancy between the red light and the horn, which are supposed to emerge simultaneously. And since we do not know whether the red light appeared a split-second too soon or the horn sounded a split-second too late, there is no way of knowing whether Phoenix really received a break or not.

On the final play of regulation, Danny Ainge flew at Byron Scott as the Laker guard released a last-second spot-up three-pointer from high on the right wing, hitting Scott on the hand just after—again, after—the latter had released the ball. Technically, Ainge had fouled Scott, but referees whistled that call less frequently in those days, and they certainly were not going to decide a series with that kind of call.

In terms of breaks, the Lakers actually caught one in the fourth quarter of Game Five. Kevin Johnson's leg became tangled with Sedale Threatt, and after freeing himself, K.J. kicked his leg out to make sure that his leg was free, or out of frustration, or to show the referee what had happened. However, he kicked the air to his left (Threatt had been to his right), with no one in the vicinity, in an era where players were actually allowed to be a little demonstrative and show emotion. Still, the referees whistled him for a technical foul, which the Lakers converted.

K Johnson is fouled (non-shooting) and is given a T for kicking
(didn't connect with anything or really aimed at anyone). 73-83
Pho 9:34. Threatt makes the T.

https://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/bball/tabs/1993/pho15

[GMATCallahan]

I guess a frustrating playoff win could constitute a game we should have won easily and struggled and barely escaped with a win, driving you crazy most of the game. Or a game we had a big lead in only to almost let it slip away and hang on barely.

The issue with the playoffs is that you are usually facing other good teams, and you are playing in highly competitive contexts, so you cannot necessarily expect to win easily. You have to work hard for every win, and you have to expect to grind out your wins. Blowouts, or cruising wins, are basically bonuses. An exception could come in the kind of situation that the Suns faced in the First Round in 1993, when Phoenix held home-court advantage throughout the playoffs after an NBA-best 62 wins and merely needed to defeat not just an eighth seed, but a 39-win eighth seed—a team that had won 23 fewer games in the regular season. But as I noted earlier, the Lakers' height and the Suns' lack of height created match-up problems for Phoenix, and Kevin Johnson missed the opener with a sprained MCL and then returned ahead of schedule, before his knee was fully strong again. Those factors conspired against the Suns, and then once you are facing elimination, you just want to win—you do not really care how you win. Those narrow victories in Games Three and Five, for instance, may have resulted in relief rather than joy—that is what I remember from 1993, and my most recent viewing of Game Five earlier this month brought back that feeling—but I did not feel frustration, either. Those wins were at once haunting and gratifying.

A situation where a team blows a big lead and barely manages to hold on could indeed qualify, but nothing like that comes to my mind for the Suns. In Game Two of the 1990 Western Conference Finals at Portland, the Suns—after losing Game One by two points—built a 22-point lead in the first half. They led by 18 at halftime and still led by 11 early in the fourth quarter, but Phoenix ended up losing Game Two by one point.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1990/05/24/suns-blow-big-lead-lose-by-1/d93f261e-b63b-47bf-9985-d00ffb14a8d8/

Had the Suns held on to win, that game might have qualified as a "frustrating" playoff victory, but more likely, the Suns—and their fans—would have been happy to escape with the split before going home. Indeed, given that the Suns won Games Three and Four in Phoenix by a total of 46 points, there is a good chance that they would have gone up 3-1 in that series had they held on in Game Two.