NBA PLAYOFFS: Game 3 - (2) Phoenix Suns @ (7) Los Angeles Lakers l Thursday l 7:00pm l TNT l Series tied (1-1)

[SunsRback4Good]

Who: Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers

When: Thursday, May 27th @ 7:00pm (10:00ET) l TNT

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA









Phoenix Suns starting lineup:


C- Ayton

F- Crowder

F- Bridges

G- Booker

G- CP3



Reserves: Payne/Cam/Craig/Saric






Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup:


C- Drummond

F- Davis

F- Lebron

G- Caldwell-Pope

G- Schroder



Reserves: Caruso/Kuzma/Matthews/Gasol


Good luck charm!!!

[SunsRback4Good]

[jsierra1985]

cp3 better be ready for thursday night...

f*ck that....

this team doesnt have a chance with cp3 not running the show....

its clear as day

[King4Day]

If CP is rested for the next game, who takes his minutes? Jevon or Moore?

I think it'll be Moore. I believe he's more established to be take on that role.

[pj0tr]

If CP is rested for the next game, who takes his minutes? Jevon or Moore?

I think it'll be Moore. I believe he's more established to be take on that role.

Have both Moore and Carter split backup duties.

Monty should sit CP3 on Thursday. That gives him Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Sunday's Game 4.

See how CP3 is on 4 days rest. The fact that hes still playing means he can't do any further damage to the shoulder.

Rest him, and bring him back Sunday. If hes still not healthy, then sit him for the rest of the series.

Its unfortunate, but it is what it is.

[King4Day]

If CP is rested for the next game, who takes his minutes? Jevon or Moore?

I think it'll be Moore. I believe he's more established to be take on that role.

Have both Moore and Carter split backup duties.

Monty should sit CP3 on Thursday. That gives him Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Sunday's Game 4.

See how CP3 is on 4 days rest. The fact that hes still playing means he can't do any further damage to the shoulder.

Rest him, and bring him back Sunday. If hes still not healthy, then sit him for the rest of the series.

Its unfortunate, but it is what it is.

I wouldn't ever announce it. Just make it a last minute call to sit him. LAL didn't handle the fast pace game well and I don't want them to really think about it.

[Saberestar]

Mikal Bridges needs to step up his offensive game. We need him to be a true two-way player, not just a defender.

He needs to be a threat from everywhere, with or without the ball.

[pj0tr]

Mikal Bridges needs to step up his offensive game. We need him to be a true two-way player, not just a defender.

He needs to be a threat from everywhere, with or without the ball.

Its not that easy. The Suns rarely "run" plays for him. Hes mostly just spotting up, or cutting into the lane.

Not to mention hes guarding LeBron for 35+ minutes.

I agree that he needs to be more involved, but Monty has to make a concerted effort to call plays that get him moving.

[Saberestar]

Mikal Bridges needs to step up his offensive game. We need him to be a true two-way player, not just a defender.

He needs to be a threat from everywhere, with or without the ball.

Its not that easy. The Suns rarely "run" plays for him. Hes mostly just spotting up, or cutting into the lane.

Not to mention hes guarding LeBron for 35+ minutes.

I agree that he needs to be more involved, but Monty has to make a concerted effort to call plays that get him moving.

But we do not run plays for Crowder and he always finds a way to shoot from three or be involved on offense.

IDK if Monty needs to make adjustments or just Bridges needs to be more aggressive on offense, but something need to be done about it.

[pj0tr]

Mikal Bridges needs to step up his offensive game. We need him to be a true two-way player, not just a defender.

He needs to be a threat from everywhere, with or without the ball.

Its not that easy. The Suns rarely "run" plays for him. Hes mostly just spotting up, or cutting into the lane.

Not to mention hes guarding LeBron for 35+ minutes.

I agree that he needs to be more involved, but Monty has to make a concerted effort to call plays that get him moving.

But we do not run plays for Crowder and he always finds a way to shoot from three or be involved on offense.

IDK if Monty needs to make adjustments or just Bridges needs to be more aggressive on offense, but something need to be done about it.

The Suns run a ton of plays to get Crowder open 3s. Much mroe than Bridges. Bridges 3s usually come off a CP3/Booker/Payne kickout from penetration in the lane.

Crowder has those too, but he has a bunch off of set plays to get him open.

[pj0tr]

We play a mediocre game and win... we play a bad game and have the lead with 3 mins left. Narrative says ooo LA tuff D ... but we know better

Play good and might get two Ws in LA... with/without Paul.

Run these bums

I think LA gets Game 3. They're due for 1 of those hot shooting nights from 3.

I think the Suns are capable of winning 1 game in LA though. Get it back to Phoenix 2-2 and see what happens.

[jsierra1985]

We need to get a win in LA.

CP3 has to be on the court

This glorified medical suns staff needs to figure something out......

Book has to put on a show in the kardashians backyard

refs need to stop being a$$holes

[Frank Lee]

Yup

[Bogyo]

We play a mediocre game and win... we play a bad game and have the lead with 3 mins left. Narrative says ooo LA tuff D ... but we know better

Play good and might get two Ws in LA... with/without Paul.

Run these bums

That would (should?) be the theme going forward, especially if we don't have CP (or only have him very limited). Have Cam do his Dragic impersonation and carve up the fLakers D. Run-run-run and fatigue their bigs (and older wings). Shoot more 3's, especially if we can get Galloway a couple of mins instead the injured CP. Lakers shot 7 more 3 pointers and made 2 more than we did. That is not good.
Also the rebounding wasn't really there this game, and the turnovers hurt too - these are the exact same two gddamn things that everybody and their grandmother was saying before the series - if we do good on these, we're good, if not we're lost.

[Jdiddy701]

There’s no doubt in my mind we win that game last night with a healthy Chris Paul in the lineup. After Payne made that 3 to tie the game, LAL called a time out and the rest of the game would have been a CP3 takeover. We have seen that all season.

Smh.. why us? Why Chris Paul? Why now?


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[Jarlaxle0204]

As many have mentioned, I wish Monty would play Craig more instead of Saric. When Crowder came out right away in the first he should have gone with Cam Johnson or Torrey Craig over Dario. I am fine with Dario backing up Ayton at the 5 but he shouldn't have come in for Crowder which led to a slow start. I also wish Book would shoot the ball more especially in the first. I would much rather a missed shot than another turnover.
We let that game slip away from us but I still have faith we can take one in LA. Hoping the team comes out with a little more fire and fully competes for the full 48 rather than just here and there. I would rest CP3 for the next game and have him just come back for Sunday.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Mikal Bridges needs to step up his offensive game. We need him to be a true two-way player, not just a defender.

He needs to be a threat from everywhere, with or without the ball.

Yeah he needs to give them more on the offensive end. Crowder needs to have a hot shooting night too.

I'd also up Cam Johnsons minutes too. Of all the forwards hes the one that at least has some ability to make something happen off the bounce and that's something they will really need if Paul can't go.

Speaking of Paul, man does he have some **** luck. And that's what it is with a freak damn injury like that. The irony is he was so healthy all year it actually makes it worse that he's hurt now because they don't have any reps this year without him.

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[WeekapaugGroove]

As many have mentioned, I wish Monty would play Craig more instead of Saric. When Crowder came out right away in the first he should have gone with Cam Johnson or Torrey Craig over Dario. I am fine with Dario backing up Ayton at the 5 but he shouldn't have come in for Crowder which led to a slow start. I also wish Book would shoot the ball more especially in the first. I would much rather a missed shot than another turnover.
We let that game slip away from us but I still have faith we can take one in LA. Hoping the team comes out with a little more fire and fully competes for the full 48 rather than just here and there. I would rest CP3 for the next game and have him just come back for Sunday.

Honestly I don't think he should have taken Jae out when he picked up his second foul. He's a vet, let him play through it. Like I get they don't want him fouled out because they want his presence for the end of the game but that's something to worry about when he gets to 4-5 fouls.

With Saric if they are going to play him they need to run more offense through him especially with Paul hurt. Monty mentioned this after the game. Saric pulling their big to the top of the key and distributing from there is litterally the only advantage he can have in this series. If they insist on playing him like a normal big then he's not worth playing this series.

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[Frank Lee]

I’d rather have CamJo in than Crowder, especially a not shooting well Crowder. Let Jae work vrs their second squaders.

CamJo has been playing solid D on JaBronny... but man those 3 step back fall away threes were daggers

[WeekapaugGroove]

I’d rather have CamJo in than Crowder, especially a not shooting well Crowder. Let Jae work vrs their second squaders.

CamJo has been playing solid D on JaBronny... but man those 3 step back fall away threes were daggers

Totally agree. I actually think Johnson is the best player on the team at guarding LeBron. He's sneaky strong and not an easy guy to back down into the post.

Frank, I'm shocked how positive you are today. Figured this was a perfect set up for your all is bad schtick

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