Game 81: Phoenix Suns (63-17) @ Utah Jazz (48-32)

Crunch 99 · Post #1 » by **Crunch 99** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 3:17 pm

Expected lineups as of 9am:
https://www.rotowire.com/basketball/nba-lineups.php

Post #2 » by **Inigo Montoya** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 4:38 pm

My guess is that the Suns won't play their main guys a lot of minutes. They'll get token minutes and the bench will play most of the game. I wish I could say it gives me confidence the Jazz will win this one but it doesn't.

Catchall · Post #3 » by **Catchall** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 4:53 pm

This is a bit interesting. The Jazz don't need this game, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Jazz pull their starters early or just rest guys. I could see both teams treating this game as a 20-minute scrimmage or just resting their main guys.

Jazz can lock up the 5-seed by beating Portland on Sunday, if that's what the Jazz want.

If Golden State beats the Spurs (without Murray) and the Pels (who will have nothing to play for), then the Ws will hold the 3rd seed and Dallas will be 4th.

Post #4 » by **FJS** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 7:02 pm

Catchall wrote:This is a bit interesting. The Jazz don't need this game, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Jazz pull their starters early or just rest guys. I could see both teams treating this game as a 20-minute scrimmage or just resting their main guys.

Jazz can lock up the 5-seed by beating Portland on Sunday, if that's what the Jazz want.

If Golden State beats the Spurs (without Murray) and the Pels (who will have nothing to play for), then the Ws will hold the 3rd seed and Dallas will be 4th.

But If Denver want to be 6th and play with W's they only have to lose vs Lakers. Then Nuggets have control if they really want to finish 6th even if we lose both games.

Catchall · Post #5 » by **Catchall** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 8:49 pm

FJS wrote:
Catchall wrote:This is a bit interesting. The Jazz don't need this game, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Jazz pull their starters early or just rest guys. I could see both teams treating this game as a 20-minute scrimmage or just resting their main guys.

Jazz can lock up the 5-seed by beating Portland on Sunday, if that's what the Jazz want.

If Golden State beats the Spurs (without Murray) and the Pels (who will have nothing to play for), then the Ws will hold the 3rd seed and Dallas will be 4th.

But If Denver want to be 6th and play with W's they only have to lose vs Lakers. Then Nuggets have control if they really want to finish 6th even if we lose both games.

True. Either way, the Jazz don't need to beat PHX today. Regarding the Nuggets, they'd be gambling that the Ws will beat the Pels in their final game of the season. Ws will be on a road B2B. If the Ws lose that game to the Pels, they'll most likely drop to #4 and Dallas will take #3.

Post #6 » by **Inigo Montoya** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 9:00 pm

FJS wrote:But If Denver want to be 6th and play with W's they only have to lose vs Lakers. Then Nuggets have control if they really want to finish 6th even if we lose both games.

It's pretty hard to lose against the Lakers this season.

ducler · Post #7 » by **ducler** » Fri Apr 8, 2022 10:03 pm

Read on Twitter

Crunch 99 · Post #8 » by **Crunch 99** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 2:15 am

Last two plays -- Steal by House and then he runs down the court to score a layup; then a steal by Hernangomez and he runs down the court to score a layup! Bench is kicking butt in early Q2. Go Jazz!

red4hf · Post #9 » by **red4hf** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 3:17 am

House playing great again.......

red4hf · Post #10 » by **red4hf** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 3:23 am

House is +28......

red4hf · Post #11 » by **red4hf** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 3:57 am

So much for that...... Complete meltdown in the 4th.......

vryadli · Post #12 » by **vryadli** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 4:03 am

What else DM has to do to prove that he can't be the first option on champion offense.

He just can't.

Crunch 99 · Post #13 » by **Crunch 99** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 4:06 am

Oops. They did it again. :roll:

Catchall · Post #14 » by **Catchall** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 4:48 am

I wanted the Jazz to lose this game. However, I wanted them to pull their key players for the 2nd half. I didn't want them to try to win the game and blow another big lead.

These guys just look like they don't know what to do in the final 5 or 6 minutes. They don't know what to run or how to run it. Meanwhile, the Suns executed brilliantly down the stretch as they usually do.

They need a go-to set. Something straight-forward that they can work from over and over.

Post #15 » by **FJS** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 8:50 am

I think it's pretty clear starting unit cannot finish games.

Gobert and Conley are much more productive with Juancho, House and Clarkson
Bogdanovic, Mitchell and Royce with Hassan and House/Clarkson.

So, you cannot finish with those guys. It's simply a shame.

We cannot let Mitchell doing this, because it's a suicide. And probably he can do better, but now he is gaining (well gained) a fame of chucker non clutch... and probably it's gonna take several months (maybe years) to chance that, and this is gonna to take a toll in his mind, as Gobert has with his playoffs problems.

Post #16 » by **FJS** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 8:59 am

The good thing, we can play with them. For 3 quarters we were fairly better.

The bad thing, Quin have to has the ball to sit some of his starters.
Frankly as he is playing I would sit Mitchell, but we should to be realistic. This is not gonna happen.

We should finish with Gobert, Juancho, House, Mitchell, Clarkson/Conley or Gobert, Bogdanovic, House, O'Neale, Mitchell

One thing is for sure, besides Gobert, we should play with 2 wing defenders. Juancho and House, House and O'Neale or Juancho and O'Neale.
Right now, I would rather have Conley and Clarkson with Juancho and House than Bogdanovic, Mitchell, O'Neale and Conley... but as I said, this is not gonna happen.

Crunch 99 · Post #17 » by **Crunch 99** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 11:53 am

Gobert scored 5 pts on 1 fga in Q4, hitting 5 of 6 free throws. Mitchell scored 1 point on 6 fga in Q4.

Mitchell was guarded by one of the best wing defenders in the entire NBA in Q4, Mikal Bridges, so it is not entirely surprising that he was struggling to hit shots, but the Jazz coaching staff needs to make adjustments as well. If I am recalling correctly (maybe not :lol:

) , Coach Monte Williams saved putting Bridges on Mitchell until the fourth. As soon as Williams made that adjustment, the Jazz were probably in trouble, because the Jazz predictably keep going to Mitchell for one on one attempts in Q4s even when it isn't working.

TNJazz · Post #18 » by **TNJazz** » Sat Apr 9, 2022 4:04 pm

Crunch 99 wrote:Gobert scored 5 pts on 1 fga in Q4, hitting 5 of 6 free throws. Mitchell scored 1 point on 6 fga in Q4.

Mitchell was guarded by one of the best wing defenders in the entire NBA in Q4, Mikal Bridges, so it is not entirely surprising that he was struggling to hit shots, but the Jazz coaching staff needs to make adjustments as well. If I am recalling correctly (maybe not ) , Coach Monte Williams saved putting Bridges on Mitchell until the fourth. As soon as Williams made that adjustment, the Jazz were probably in trouble, because the Jazz predictably keep going to Mitchell for one on one attempts in Q4s even when it isn't working.

Here is the gigantic flaw in Q's ability to coach. Playing 1 on 5 with a few silly passes out above the 3 point line is winning basketball. It amazing to see that it hasn't changed, and the results are eye-popping. 17 games with a 4th quarter double digit lead that result in a loss. We have seen this for the last 3 years. Denver was the first to expose it in the bubble. Clippers took it to higher level in last years playoff's, and this entire year, the approach from the league is consistent. Just wait until the 4th when they only give the ball to DM and swarm him. Gain some momentum, then crush them and get into their heads. Remember when we used to watch Ingle do this?

Really glad to learn the players had a players only meeting and aired what ever it is they felt needed airing and were supposed have figured out why they can't win. Nice to see how that made such a difference, oh wait...

I think they were trying to prove to themselves that this trend was a fluke. Unfortunately, the Suns toyed with them for 3 quarters and then watched them shrivel up like dried fruit.

Crunch 99 · Post #19 » by **Crunch 99** » Sun Apr 10, 2022 1:00 pm

Mikal Bridges, who was the primary defender on Donovan in Q4, has a real case to win DPOY according to this Yahoo Sports article below. I watched part of a Suns-Warriors game earlier this season where the Suns put Bridges on Steph Curry and he helped hold Curry to a terrible shooting percentage as well.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mikal-bridges-crazy-how-many-times-bigs-have-won-defensive-player-of-the-year-over-guards-171131747.html