Game Day (Playoffs Round 1): Suns (0-0) @ Thunder (0-0), Sun 4/19/26

[iLLmatic]

All goodwill Ott has built up during the season and I’m reeling post all star break from his poor lineup choices. He’s been a dumbfuck for a few months.

[Wally_West]

I know they were no pressure garbage time shots, but Fleming earned the Dunn/Highsmith minutes imo

This, I still think both are rotation pieces but for next year. Let Fleming cook.

[djy2j]

I know they were no pressure garbage time shots, but Fleming earned the Dunn/Highsmith minutes imo

This, I still think both are rotation pieces but for next year. Let Fleming cook.

Dunn on a rookie deal and Highsmith on a vet minimum. I'd rather have Highsmith than say Livers. Dunn played better recently but certainly had his sophomore slump

[The Bobster]

I can't say I was too surprised by the outcome today. They're going to have to play near-perfect basketball to win a game or two this series.

[ShelC]

Glad I took a nap in the 2nd qtr.

[Gladiator]

No real surprise here and no real positives to take into game 2 either. Rough game but still only one I guess.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Playing Goodwin as a forward next to Oso to battle for rebounds with Harstenstein and Holmgren should be considered malpractice. Dude preferred to commit a 2nd foul and then report himself injured as a way to force Ott to play a forward, but JO pushed back subbing him with Gillespie. Then put Highsmith in for Oso, and threat anybody else asking for a forward with putting Bouyea at the five next…

"Coach" is outsmarting himself with those 3 guards starting lineups and asking too much out of Goodwin and Grayson, no wonder they ended up injured after playing forward most of their minutes. Royce and Brooks as PF can get you by some medium or tanking teams during the season, but we are about to find out on a very painful way that this 6’6 and under lineups are not smart basketball to go against an elite defense like OKC’s

As Shel C said, you can’t keep the rookies out of rotation if they are all the size you have, while being outrebounded and down 20 most of the first half, at this point you have nothing to lose, except your pride if somehow it works. But if don’t, still will be a very valuable experience for all of them, and allow the veterans to recover from a elimination game less than 2 days ago.

[Shabazz]

Let’s all be honest, if you match our best guy against theirs, our 2nd vs their 2nd, all the way down to 15th vs 15th, they win the matchup every time. We’re not in the same class as the Thunder.

And for everyone campaigning to play bigger (myself included), the garbage time lineup of Maluach, Fleming and Dunn could not get a defensive board to save their lives in this one.

[TOO]

Shai was 5-18 and they lost by 30. The talent disparity is palpable.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Let’s all be honest, if you match our best guy against theirs, our 2nd vs their 2nd, all the way down to 15th vs 15th, they win the matchup every time. We’re not in the same class as the Thunder.

And for everyone campaigning to play bigger (myself included), the garbage time lineup of Maluach, Fleming and Dunn could not get a defensive board to save their lives in this one.

It’s not so much about winning as it is about development for the rookies and rest for the veterans, it’s insane to think that Goodwin can give you balls to the wall performance as a starter playing 30 minutes. And on top of it, as a forward matchup, instead of the guard playing bigger than the opponent’s.

The Suns are not winning this series unless something really crazy happens, so they could do a better job developing the rookies and get them some reps and rhythm even is they lose the individual battle, as an alternative to getting killed on the boards anyway with lineups resembling a dad playing ball with their kids on national TV instead of the backyard.

[specialsauce]

Ott has no interest in winning OR developing the young guys. Because right now both would be positively impacted by playing Man Man and Fleming

[O_Gardino]

I honestly loved Rasheer getting out there and playing with so much pride at the end. Gave me some hope.

ManMan was back to looking like he doesn't belong. He looked tentative and overwhelmed, which is understandable for a kid his age. I'm eager to see how he responds in the next game.

We got the full Oso\Dunn experience. All the good and all the bad.

Green and Brooks would be bench players in OKC.

So frustrating seeing Goodie go down. He's been one guy we couldn't complain about all season.

[Uncle_Gene]

This is why the Suns should have beat Portland last Tuesday. This team (I believe) would have matched up well against the Spurs. They DO NOT match up well against the Thunder at all,....... or at least this season.

[JJ Slim]

I missed the game earlier because I was flying home but it looks like we got 'em right where we want 'em. Let them think this is going to be a cakewalk and then pull the rug out from underneath!

[Cap]

He's chokin, how? Everybody's jokin now
The clock's run out, time's up, over - BLAOW!
Snap back to reality, OHH! there goes gravity
OHH! there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't
Give up that easy nope, he won't have it
He knows, his whole back's to these ropes

[Kryptonic]

He's chokin, how? Everybody's jokin now
The clock's run out, time's up, over - BLAOW!
Snap back to reality, OHH! there goes gravity
OHH! there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't
Give up that easy nope, he won't have it
He knows, his whole back's to these ropes

Marshal mathers eat your heart out.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

Spoiler: show/hide

[Mori Chu]

Let’s all be honest, if you match our best guy against theirs, our 2nd vs their 2nd, all the way down to 15th vs 15th, they win the matchup every time. We’re not in the same class as the Thunder.

This is an interesting exercise. Can we list their/our top 7-8 guys in this way?

1) SGA vs Booker - Shai wins
2) Jalen Williams vs Jalen Green - Williams wins
3) Chet Holmgren vs Dillon Brooks - Chet wins
4) Hartenstein vs Jordan Goodwin - Hartenstein wins
5) Lu Dort vs Collin Gillespie - debatable, but Dort probably wins
6) Ajay Mitchell vs Oso Ighodaro - ?
7) Isaiah Joe vs Royce O'Neale - ?
8) Alex Caruso vs Rasheer Fleming - ?
9) ...

I don't know exactly how to order each team's players, and I left out a few of ours like Williams / Grayson Allen who were hurt last night. I think it's pretty fair to say that they have a better top 3-4 than we do by a considerable margin, not only in individual talent but in terms of how well they complement each other to make a winning lineup. I think you could make a case that some of our 6th-10th men might be better than some of theirs, but only marginally so.

[AmareIsGod]

At least we get the pleasure of making it to the dance and getting slaughtered.

[BigLewy]

The biggest win for me in making the playoffs is to get out of the lottery...knowing the Suns luck, they'd win the lotto in a generational year and then ship that pick off. They'll be lucky to stay within double digits in the series that will be an easy sweep, and I am totally fine with that.