Game Day Playoff Edition — WCF, Game 1 — Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns, Sunday 6/20/2021

[Split T]

Why would he be in Cali?

I think he's been at home in LA ever since Denver a week ago, since we had some time off. He received the positive test on Monday reportedly.

Ya Haynes reported he’s in Cali quarantining

[Split T]

I think this is the best game I've ever seen Booker play. It was complete in every way possible. Clippers aren't going anywhere, but I am more confident in my prediction going into the series. Suns in 6.

Kinda crazy that we’ve said that like 2-3 times this post season? He is built for this.

[Split T]

This seems good, no?

[Furlanfufi]

The fighting thing is stupid. Seen it before anywhere there are drunk fans from apposing teams interacting. Playoffs increase the risk of fights exponentially. Their security better be tight for game two. Maybe cut off beer sales after the third quarter starts. Keep the different fans separate somehow, especially right after the game ends when most of this crap happens.

L.A. is a mean town. I would watch my back as a Suns fan when they go back to L.A. I told that story of a Raiders fan putting a Steelers fan in a coma at a game in L.A. many years back after the Steelers fan taunted the crowd. A Suns fan saying shit at a Clippers game could be unhealthy.

Dack, as a soccer fan from Brazil: none of that is good for stopping fights. Here we can't sell beer at stadiums, fans were kept separated (and before Covid, we were having games with only the home team fans) and still we have fights.

You want to stop the fights, tighten the security and take the offenders to the cops. With all the cameras on the arenas, it's not so hard to identify the idiots.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I agree. It's not hard to get them on video. Ban them from the arena for life.

[Mori Chu]

I was never a big fan of "Suns in Fo Guy." I don't like encouraging fighting between fan bases. It's just a game, y'know? Having everybody fawn over SIFG sent a message that the franchise and its players and fans actively cheer for and encourage this stuff. Really people doing this kind of fighting should be perma-banned from attending any future games. No place for that at an arena full of families, kids, elderly people, and all kinds of other folks who could be seriously hurt or worse.

[pickle]

I am not thrilled with the violence from this suns in four thing. But I do like that the guy, despite getting assaulted in a hostile environment, not only stood up for himself but also stuck to his key message. Instead of hurtling any number of insults at the dude that sucker punched him he kept threatening them with suns in four.

[pickle]

But back to the game. Thrilling victory. Got a little iffy at the end but we pulled it out. So many things I liked about it but since I’m typing on a phone I really don’t want to get too deep into it.

One thing that worried me a little. Team shot something like 55% from the field and had a net positive turnover margin but only won by 6. Hopefully we can do a little better in our gang rebounding and 3 point line defense next game.

[phatmike]

I was just thinking of point Book today. Remember when Booker was forced to play point Book early on in his career. We hated it. We didn’t win many games back then but, Booker got a heavy dose of playing point because we had no competent PG. Some thought it was a bad idea. I thought in my optimistic thinking that then that it would be good for Booker in the long run and maybe make him a better passer since we were obviously not going to win a Championship that year. Passing is a skill all BBall players need and Booker playing point forced him to get better.

Today all that hard work playing point Book paid off for him and the Suns. He commanded a double and made them pay for it in assists because of his passing skills. We used to say Bookers weakness was his defense. Not anymore.He’s been great. He makes 3 pointers, mid range shots, posts up or drives to the basket from any hand k which makes him unstoppable. Double him and he finds the open guy.

Legendary

I was thinking the exactly same thing yesterday about how all the time point Book was a thing and how it likely was the difference between us winning and losing that game yesterday. Funny how things work out.

[ShelC]

It paid off for sure. The Magic did the same thing with Oladipo during his first few seasons in Orlando and it made him a better all around player.

[Superbone]

But back to the game. Thrilling victory. Got a little iffy at the end but we pulled it out. So many things I liked about it but since I’m typing on a phone I really don’t want to get too deep into it.

One thing that worried me a little. Team shot something like 55% from the field and had a net positive turnover margin but only won by 6. Hopefully we can do a little better in our gang rebounding and 3 point line defense next game.

Yes, we definitely need to defend the 3 point line better. We'll win a 2 point shooting contest most nights.

[bajanguy008]

Really liked the audio pieces from the first half

[Mori Chu]

I'm trying to decide what the takeaway is from Game 1. We won, which is the biggest thing, and I felt like we got good shots and made them when it mattered. But we did seem to have lots of guys have good games all at once. Book had his first-ever triple-double and had 40 points (and played about 44 minutes I believe). Most of our wings had good shooting nights. Ayton had 20 and 9. You can easily imagine some of these guys regressing in the next game. Paul George had a great first 3 quarters but then hardly scored in the 4th.

I guess I'm slightly worried that we beat them playing above-average and shouldn't assume that average-level play is going to cut it. It may be harder to beat them if our wings have trouble with their shooting, or if we realize we can't play Booker 44 minutes a night, and so on. We also kind of dodged a bullet given that DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George going off but then cooled as the game went on.

[JeremyG]

I'm trying to decide what the takeaway is from Game 1. We won, which is the biggest thing, and I felt like we got good shots and made them when it mattered. But we did seem to have lots of guys have good games all at once. Book had his first-ever triple-double and had 40 points (and played about 44 minutes I believe). Most of our wings had good shooting nights. Ayton had 20 and 9. You can easily imagine some of these guys regressing in the next game. Paul George had a great first 3 quarters but then hardly scored in the 4th.

I guess I'm slightly worried that we beat them playing above-average and shouldn't assume that average-level play is going to cut it. It may be harder to beat them if our wings have trouble with their shooting, or if we realize we can't play Booker 44 minutes a night, and so on. We also kind of dodged a bullet given that DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George going off but then cooled as the game went on.

Cousins won't go off like that in Game 2 if Ayton is defending him. Also, our defense (especially 3-point defense) can definitely improve.

[AmareIsGod]

I'm trying to decide what the takeaway is from Game 1. We won, which is the biggest thing, and I felt like we got good shots and made them when it mattered. But we did seem to have lots of guys have good games all at once. Book had his first-ever triple-double and had 40 points (and played about 44 minutes I believe). Most of our wings had good shooting nights. Ayton had 20 and 9. You can easily imagine some of these guys regressing in the next game. Paul George had a great first 3 quarters but then hardly scored in the 4th.

I guess I'm slightly worried that we beat them playing above-average and shouldn't assume that average-level play is going to cut it. It may be harder to beat them if our wings have trouble with their shooting, or if we realize we can't play Booker 44 minutes a night, and so on. We also kind of dodged a bullet given that DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George going off but then cooled as the game went on.

Thankfully we haven't playing average much if any at all during this postseason.

[pickle]

I'm trying to decide what the takeaway is from Game 1. We won, which is the biggest thing, and I felt like we got good shots and made them when it mattered. But we did seem to have lots of guys have good games all at once. Book had his first-ever triple-double and had 40 points (and played about 44 minutes I believe). Most of our wings had good shooting nights. Ayton had 20 and 9. You can easily imagine some of these guys regressing in the next game. Paul George had a great first 3 quarters but then hardly scored in the 4th.

I guess I'm slightly worried that we beat them playing above-average and shouldn't assume that average-level play is going to cut it. It may be harder to beat them if our wings have trouble with their shooting, or if we realize we can't play Booker 44 minutes a night, and so on. We also kind of dodged a bullet given that DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George going off but then cooled as the game went on.

Other than Booker I wouldn’t say anybody played a particularly above average game besides the whole team’s general efficiency being good. Bridges Crowder and Payne are all capable of putting up high teens to low twenties, and Cam Johnson could’ve done more too. Ayton’s efficiency and output is not an isolated instance based on the first two rounds and in fact almost to be expected given how small the clippers are. Booker is the one I worry about because he scored for himself and Paul this game. And the high fg% on a whole isn’t something I expect seeing next game.

I’m not terribly concerned with the high min count if we can get through this series quickly. The eastern teams have all taken a greater beating over more games so we should have a couple of extra days to rest before the finals if we take proper care of business.

[Nodack]

That’s the thing about basketball. You never know who is going to have a good or bad game until it happens. Booker has had to take on a larger role with Pail out and delivered big time. He has delivered the whole playoffs. He could suck the next game. My money says he doesn’t.

[Superbone]

Who's up for the game 2 thread?! Let's get this going! 'Dack, have you done yours yet? I nominate you if not.

[Nodack]

I think I did one not too long ago. I don’t think it was the Playoffs though.

[Superbone]

I think I did one not too long ago. I don’t think it was the Playoffs though.

No pressure but we haven’t lost since a new poster every game has started a playoff thread starting 8 games ago.