NBA PLAYOFFS: RD 3 l Game 2- (4) Los Angeles Clippers @ (2) Phoenix Suns l Tuesday l 6:00 l ESPN l Suns lead (2-0)

[SunsRback4Good]

Who: Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns

When: Tuesday, June 22nd @ 6:00pm (9:00ET) ESPN

Where: Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ




Los Angeles Clippers starting lineup:


C- Batum

F- Morris

F- Mann

G- George

G- Jackson



Reserves: Beverly/Zubac/Kennard/Rondo






Phoenix Suns starting lineup:


C- Ayton

F- Crowder

F- Bridges

G- Booker

G- Payne



Reserves: Cam/Craig/Saric/Moore

[SunsRback4Good]

[Flying Colors]

Im sorry but i’ve grown accustomed to winning,
I need the Suns to continue beating teams so I can continue my new lifestyle.

[RunDogGun]

First off, that pic of PG looks like he has a weird fang. Secondly, no more pictures of Campazzo please.

[King4Day]

"This is a different caliber team than the other two teams we faced," said George. "A little bit more guard play. And so we just have to figure out how to counter, which we will. We'll figure out another game plan."

George finished the game with 34 points and seven 3-pointers.

Reggie Jackson added that defending Devin Booker was different than defending Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell due to Booker's mid-range game.

Booker finished the game with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.

"[Booker] played with the ball but he does a great job playing off the ball whether it be off ball screens, getting himself open, really, really good in the midrange. The other two [Doncic and Mitchell], really [they are more] 3-ball and [getting] to the rim guys. They are all three-level scorers," said Jackson.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31677505/la-clippers-paul-george-phoenix-suns-different-caliber-team-compared-mavs-jazz

[Barkley6]

"This is a different caliber team than the other two teams we faced," said George. "A little bit more guard play. And so we just have to figure out how to counter, which we will. We'll figure out another game plan."

George finished the game with 34 points and seven 3-pointers.

Reggie Jackson added that defending Devin Booker was different than defending Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell due to Booker's mid-range game.

Booker finished the game with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.

"[Booker] played with the ball but he does a great job playing off the ball whether it be off ball screens, getting himself open, really, really good in the midrange. The other two [Doncic and Mitchell], really [they are more] 3-ball and [getting] to the rim guys. They are all three-level scorers," said Jackson.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31677505/la-clippers-paul-george-phoenix-suns-different-caliber-team-compared-mavs-jazz

The problem teams are having, yet again, is that no one has really forced us to adjust much yet. Our lineups have been consistent, what we want to do has been consistent, and we are getting the shots we want. We haven't been forced to play any cards just yet, aside from those dictated by injury/circumstance.

The Lakers didn't force us to adjust, other than pulling Saric off and playing Craig more.
The Nuggets didn't force us to adjust at all.

The way we are playing and winning isn't dramatically different to the way we played and won in the regular season. I'm SURE Monty has some tricks up his sleeve if needed, but the fact of the matter is, in 11 playoff games, vs 3 different teams, no one has been able to really throw us off our game, and our 9-2 playoff record so far shows that.

The Clippers on the other hand have been nothing but adjustments these playoffs. Small ball, Boogie coming back into the lineup. They've had 10 different guys play in 10+ games, they've had 8 different starters. Sometimes Pat Bev, Rondo and Kennard are in the lineup, sometimes they aren't. It's been a LOT of tinkering to find things that work. And they've played 3 more games than we have (which all required adjustments at various points) I wonder when and if that well eventually runs dry for them. The Clippers, by contrast to our 9-2 record, are 8-6.

I think at some point in this series, even if the Clips win a couple of games, they are going to just run out of ideas.

[King4Day]

After his rookie year, I quietly thought this could be possible. But with all the losing you just didn't know. Not necessarily Kobe, but that type of impact player.

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[King4Day]

Something I think that has been really helping us is the dying art of the midrange jumper. While all these teams are focusing on getting an open 3, we're taking the easier midrange (higher %). That could be the difference this season.
It's just been part of Paul and Books game too. This isn't a new strategy for us.

[RunDogGun]

Bridges taking the ball to the basket more, has helped out so much. I just don't think teams concern themselves with Bridges except for the three point shooting. Literally almost every time he takes it to the hoop, something good happens, except when he doubts himself and chooses to pass when he goes up for a shot. And if both Johnson and Craig can do this as well, I just don't see how teams can stop us. I mean the Clips hit 20 threes and went to the line more than us and we still won, without CP3.

[NapoleonII]

People focus on our mid-range, yeah, but we go to the mid-range because we force teams to stop the dunks and 3's. We can STILL dunk and hit threes in your face (Mikal cutting, Ayton lob or drop-off dunk, or Jae/CamJo/Bridges splashing). Our offensive output is varied. CP3 and now at times Book, will pick you apart, will find the weakness or take the hard (but still a good shot for us) open mid-range with the drop-coverage.

I think only a healthy AD-led Lakers could have shut us down. Bucks, maybe.

[wheezy]

From the Athletic yesterday after the game (bolded the relevant part):

Spoiler:

"I asked Booker about the second level for three-level scorers. Everyone wants to generate shots at the rim (the first level) and clean looks from 3 (the third level), but many of the league’s truly elite scorers have kept that midrange as a regular part of the arsenal, knowing those are often the easiest shots to find in the playoffs when the defenses are elite and prepared.

“That’s what a lot of defenses give up, you know, living by the so-called analytics,” Booker said. “But I think it is for certain players and if you put your work in and you shoot those shots at a high clip, then it’s tough for a defense to guard that because that’s what they have been giving up all season.”

If Donovan Mitchell, for example, wanted to take a handful of 15-footers last round, Lue and the Clippers would’ve been comfortable. Mitchell doesn’t take many midrangers. He was only 1-for-7 shooting in that 15-19 foot range in the Clippers series and 8-for-21 total on every varying level of midranger.

Booker is far more aggressive in that second-level realm. He was 7 -for-12 on midrangers in Game 1. He made five of them just in the second quarter. In that 15-19 foot range — the one that Mitchell went 1-for-7 against the Clippers — Booker was 6-for-8 in the opener.

“We have a lot of 3-point shooters and we have rim threats,” Jae Crowder said. “So it’s good to have him and Chris (Paul) really hone in and shoot that little in-between shot, that little floater, that little jump shot, 12 feet out. It’s just great balance for our team.”

Paul made 22 midrangers in the Denver series. The Nuggets, as a team, only made 15. Booker made seven midrangers Sunday. The Clippers’ entire team only made three. The Suns are the king of that second level this postseason. They are 78-for-175 in the playoffs, while their opponents (the Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers) are a combined 31-for-126.

It’s a large reason they’ve won eight straight playoff games by a combined 120 points and should probably be considered the title favorite, as of this moment. It’s a large reason why they pulled away Sunday night."

[Flying Colors]

I remember even Horny when he was still our coach talk about how its a missed opportunity to not become a good midrange shooter knowing thats the shot you get constantly in the playoffs. Glad that we found such a cheat code

[King4Day]

Thoughts on what adjustments to expect LAC to make?

Zubac played well in the 3rd so I could see him starting.
I think they'll try to press more when the ball is brought up. Give us less shot clock time.
They'll likely try to double Booker a lot more as well.
Clips had success when transitioning which we need to clean up. Keep the game relatively slow.

[RunDogGun]

Thoughts on what adjustments to expect LAC to make?

Zubac played well in the 3rd so I could see him starting.
I think they'll try to press more when the ball is brought up. Give us less shot clock time.
They'll likely try to double Booker a lot more as well.
Clips had success when transitioning which we need to clean up. Keep the game relatively slow.

We need to set more back screens to get Ayton open if Zubac does start. We saw Booker do it in the Denver game to get Ayton open, which in the end lead to an easy layup for CP3. Payne could take advantage of that as well. Plus I think it will frustrate the hell out of Zubac, maybe causing him to foul. I am not saying I want Book to always set that screen, but if we have any guard do it, like Hornacek did in Utah to get Malone open, or an easy layup for Stockton.

[kwsqd]

Aren't we supposed to get an update on Chris Paul today?

[WeekapaugGroove]

People focus on our mid-range, yeah, but we go to the mid-range because we force teams to stop the dunks and 3's. We can STILL dunk and hit threes in your face (Mikal cutting, Ayton lob or drop-off dunk, or Jae/CamJo/Bridges splashing). Our offensive output is varied. CP3 and now at times Book, will pick you apart, will find the weakness or take the hard (but still a good shot for us) open mid-range with the drop-coverage.

I think only a healthy AD-led Lakers could have shut us down. Bucks, maybe.

Yeah having guys like Booker and CP3 who are both near the top of the league in mid range % is huge in the playoffs because as you said teams build their D to stop 3s and drives.

It does create this funny straw man argument online where people say 'i thought analtics say mid range is bad'. Which isn't actually the case, analytics would say that's a fine shot for guys like Booker and CP3 because they are good at it but bad for most players who are not.

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[NapoleonII]

The 2010's era was a strange time for basketball, like 2008-2014?

Teams wanted dunks or close-shots but these came from lots of passing (Utah Jazz, pass-first PGs) or post-game play. You still had the mid-range maestros killing it (and copying Jordan) like Kobe/Mcgrady/Tony Parker/Carmelo. These were easy shots for them, much easier than going against the packed-in paints with the Duncans/KG's/Camby's/Ben Wallace's.

Seven Second or Less Suns figured out a better way that didn't need a hyper athletic, ball-pounding wing. Then the Spurs designed a system to hunt for open threes, especially corner threes. Miami incorporated some of this to play off their top 5 slashers and an excellent passer in Lebron. Then the Warriors doubled down and had a mix of both system and free-style, with good off-ball movement and GOAT shooters.

Then everyone copied all that **** and left a gaping hole to exploit. Now you have all-stars and entire offenses who literally cannot shoot a mid-range to save their lives (Donovan Mitchell, looking at you).

[Calvin Klein]

Aren't we supposed to get an update on Chris Paul today?

Did they say so? I think we're just gonna have to wait until each game for an update just before the games starts

[WeekapaugGroove]

One thing I'd like to see a little more of is early action to Ayton. This starts with Ayton busting his ass down court after misses and getting good position. When he does reward him for it and dump it in before the D can set. This is especially true when the Clips go small because once he has it in his desired spot there's nothing short of fouling the clips can do to stop it. Steal some easy offensive possessions.

Suns need to rotate like crazy to prevent 3s. Although I have to say some of the Paul George 3s were fine D and he just made ridiculous shots. Have to just tip your cap on those. Clippers in general are a scary shooting team so sometimes you're just going to have to weather the storm until they start missing.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

[kwsqd]

Aren't we supposed to get an update on Chris Paul today?

Did they say so? I think we're just gonna have to wait until each game for an update just before the games starts

There was a chance for one, but apparently there is no change in his situation according to Monty.

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