Game Day: Suns (11-16) @ Thunder (13-14), Fri 12/20/19

[Superbone]

Time: 6:00 pm AZ (5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET)
Place: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: FSAZ/NBALP

Ayton is out. Booker and Cam are questionable. The Thunder have come back and won from down at least 24 points in each of their last two games. No lead is safe against this team. The Suns need to start winning some games like this if they want a shot at the playoffs.

Go Suns!!!

Dis • cuss

[Democritus]

I say we win this one despite Ayton and Booker being out. Blow-out win here we come. Kaminsky leads the starters and Carter leads the bench in points tonight. Another poster by Kelly and Mikal hits 4 three pointers in a row while Ricky gets a 20 15 10 triple double without any turnover. Last but not least Saric with his first dunk of the year. Get it done guys...

[Democritus]

[Mori Chu]

It's pretty stunning that the Thunder are currently a playoff team in the West:

https://www.espn.com/nba/standings

I realize that seeds 7-11 or so are pretty closely clustered together and that it'll probably change a lot in the coming weeks. But this OKC team was supposed to tank and be awful; I guess they didn't get the memo. By the way, take a look at their roster. I don't know if I have ever seen an NBA team where I recognized so few of the names. Justin Patton? Kevin Hervey?
Darius Bazley? Deonte Burton? Luguentz Dort? It sounds like they came from a random create-a-player name generator.

https://www.nba.com/thunder/roster

[JeremyG]

It's pretty stunning that the Thunder are currently a playoff team in the West:

https://www.espn.com/nba/standings

I realize that seeds 7-11 or so are pretty closely clustered together and that it'll probably change a lot in the coming weeks. But this OKC team was supposed to tank and be awful; I guess they didn't get the memo. By the way, take a look at their roster. I don't know if I have ever seen an NBA team where I recognized so few of the names. Justin Patton? Kevin Hervey?
Darius Bazley? Deonte Burton? Luguentz Dort? It sounds like they came from a random create-a-player name generator.

https://www.nba.com/thunder/roster

Hey come on, Lu Dort was a stud at ASU!

[The Bobster]

Hey Kaminsky - you're 7' tall. You can dunk the ball on a layup if you want.

[Mori Chu]

That SGA is a real player. I like Bridges a lot, but that is a big what-if regarding picking him over SGA.

[ShelC]

Wasn't Bridges another Sarver pick?

[Mori Chu]

Rubio had a nice first half. Glad to see Booker playing, too. Our bench hasn't given us much. Somebody should put out a missing persons report on Ty Jerome ...

[The Bobster]

Kaminsky is the softest player I have ever seen.

Unbelievable.

[specialsauce]

Kaminsky is the softest player I have ever seen.

Unbelievable.

Pathetic

[ShelC]

We're hanging in, but yea the bench has been weak. The offense tends to get stagnant with guys watching Rubio. I feel like the bench guys run the 0.5 offense more than the starters.

Also, I want to see someone put together a clip of all of Frank's misses at the rim. It's comical at this point.

[The Bobster]

Baynes is playing awfully small tonight.

[The Bobster]

The defense and ball movement form the start of the year that had them playing so well has pretty much disappeared.

[LazarusLong]

Baynes is playing awfully small tonight.

Don't think he's completely healthy.
He's trying, but he's a step or two slow and has no lift.

[Cap]

The defense and ball movement form the start of the year that had them playing so well has pretty much disappeared.

I think it’s fair to say that 7-4 start was an aberration.

[The Bobster]

The defense and ball movement form the start of the year that had them playing so well has pretty much disappeared.

I think it’s fair to say that 7-4 start was an aberration.

Sure, but you have to wonder why they've gotten away from moving the ball.

And the defensive effort just hasn't been there. They haven't been able to guard anybody on the perimeter tonight.

[JeremyG]

Classic Al McCoy:

“Monty Williams up to let referee Ben Taylor know what he thinks of his work tonight. I don’t think he’ll be sending him anything to put under the Christmas tree.”

[LazarusLong]

Speaking of draft do-overs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would look OK in a Suns uniform (instead of Mikal Bridges) ...

[The Bobster]

4-13 in their last 17 games. That's pretty much 2018-19 all over again.