Game Day: Kings (30-22) @ Suns (31-22), Tues 2/13/24

[Furlanfufi]

A win is a win, I guess. But every game the team seems to struggle, and we struggle to cheer for them also.

Well the Kings are a good team. We’re not a juggernaut…I think we just wish we were a juggernaut that won by double digits every night

Last year's team was worse talent wise, but it was more pleasant to watch. This team seems to always be lacking something. I don't know if we will got far in the playoffs playing like this, unless Book plays like last year's Denver series all the games.

I think you (and a lot of people) are missing Chris Paul. It's easy to forget how simple he made everything look during the regular season and especially the 4th quarter. Going from a ball dominant Hall of Fame point guard to a collective ball sharing scheme has been very dramatic from an aesthetic perspective, not to mention the dumb turnovers.

I miss 2 years ago CP3, but I'm not advocating for us to get a PG.
I just think that with our firepower we should be getting easier baskets (and a lot less turnovers).

I don't recall who said it, but everything we do seems to be demanding. A lot of times we get baskets from Book, KD, that lesser players wouldn't get. If it's an off night from them we are cooked.

I know it's why we got KD anyway, but requiring this type of effort night in night out is not what this team should be doing.

I will be ecstatic if we need KD and Book in a playoff game like that and they deliver. But we should have a more fluid offense and better defense during the regular season if we really have any championship aspirations.

We're not a juggernaut, but lesser talented Suns teams (like our finals run or the 63 wins regular season) looked the part a lot better.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

Spoiler: show/hide

[SunsRIt]

Okogie gonna force his ass into the playoff rotation

One of the few Suns players to make the hustle plays. He has earned it. Glad to see O’Neale is like minded. I enjoy the defensive lineups with both of them out there.

I just wish he would work on his shot. How many layups did he miss in this game?

[Split T]

He made his one 3 though!

[Carno]

First quarter: Book wtf

Second quarter: Book dog shit

Third quarter: Book- the Landry Shamet game

Fourth quarter:

Heh. Yeah, first half I was like, there is something wrong with Book. He was missing wide open jumpers and he hit the side of the backboard on a wide open three. 2nd half he got his soul back or something.

This seems to happen frequently with Book. He sucks for 3 quarters, and then gets hot in the 4th. Just as often, though, he sucks in the 4th. It's hard to predict, but at least I've learned to not give up hope when Book starts off poorly.

[specialsauce]

Okogie gonna force his ass into the playoff rotation

One of the few Suns players to make the hustle plays. He has earned it. Glad to see O’Neale is like minded. I enjoy the defensive lineups with both of them out there.

I just wish he would work on his shot. How many layups did he miss in this game?

Okogie ain't it

[Split T]

I think there’s a role for him. I think I’m firmly in we have 5 definitely playing every game in the playoffs guys(Book, KD, Beal, Grayson, and Royce). Nurk will probably play every game but there will be times we need to go small and limit his minutes. EG will also play every game but I can see his minutes being limited if he’s not hitting or we need defense. Okogie/EG could sort of be an offense/defense platoon in that sense. Thad would be the Nurk platoon if we go small.

Very impressed with how Vogel adjusted yesterday and switched up rotations. I like Monty, but he wouldn’t have done that.

[Mori Chu]

Nice win. I was worried in the 2nd quarter when we seemed like we were running the clogged-toilet offense again, and we were getting absolutely cooked by Monk. But the run to end the 1st half was really encouraging, and then in the 3rd quarter after we fell behind by 10+ we came roaring back again. Beal's hammy injury is a bummer, but we got nice performances from several role players: Allen, Gordon, Okogie, O'Neale.

I don't watch the Kings much except when we play them, and every time I see them, I realize how much better Fox and Sabonis have gotten. They're a legitimate duo on a good team. Fox is scary good; he can (and just did) get 40 on any given night. And I hadn't realized that Sabonis was leading the league in rebounding, double-doubles, and triple-doubles. That's just nuts. I am still bitter we didn't draft both of those guys (they were right there for our picks those years!!).

Good gritty win for us. I still think we make things too difficult on ourselves on offense, and we don't play good enough perimeter defense, and we don't do enough to secure defensive rebounds and give other teams too many second chances. We need to be better if we want to contend this year. But I see these nice signs like players high-fiving and helping each other up and talking to each other, I see signs of the team unity and camaraderie coming together. Vogel has also come a long way from the start of the season. So there's hope.

[djy2j]

Gritty win. Love to see it.

I love Royce's defensive prowess but God damn he's somehow worse than Okogie on offense. I think he's a great missing piece on defense.

Bol had a bad first half but not sure a rusty Nassir Little was any better in the second. Made a play or 2 but also made a bone head play or 2.

How do you figure? 2/5 from 3(including a huge one down the stretch) and 5 assist to 0 turnovers.

Mainly talking about his shooting. He had 2 or 3 airballs and he went 1 for 3 from FT. He hit a big 3 when it counted for sure. I remember Okogie making a clutch shot or 2 last season as well.

[Split T]

Gritty win. Love to see it.

I love Royce's defensive prowess but God damn he's somehow worse than Okogie on offense. I think he's a great missing piece on defense.

Bol had a bad first half but not sure a rusty Nassir Little was any better in the second. Made a play or 2 but also made a bone head play or 2.

How do you figure? 2/5 from 3(including a huge one down the stretch) and 5 assist to 0 turnovers.

Mainly talking about his shooting. He had 2 or 3 airballs and he went 1 for 3 from FT. He hit a big 3 when it counted for sure. I remember Okogie making a clutch shot or 2 last season as well.

He did miss one badly, but he’s been very consistent as a shooter over the years, he’s definitely a better offensive player than Okogie

[Superbone]

Okogie gonna force his ass into the playoff rotation

One of the few Suns players to make the hustle plays. He has earned it. Glad to see O’Neale is like minded. I enjoy the defensive lineups with both of them out there.

I just wish he would work on his shot. How many layups did he miss in this game?

He did have a rough game around the basket last night but I've actually been impressed in recent weeks how good he's been around the basket making difficult shots and getting fouled.

[Superbone]

I think there’s a role for him. I think I’m firmly in we have 5 definitely playing every game in the playoffs guys(Book, KD, Beal, Grayson, and Royce). Nurk will probably play every game but there will be times we need to go small and limit his minutes. EG will also play every game but I can see his minutes being limited if he’s not hitting or we need defense. Okogie/EG could sort of be an offense/defense platoon in that sense. Thad would be the Nurk platoon if we go small.

Very impressed with how Vogel adjusted yesterday and switched up rotations. I like Monty, but he wouldn’t have done that.

It'll be nice to have a good adjustment coach in the playoffs as that isn't something we've had much of.

[Superbone]

Good gritty win for us. I still think we make things too difficult on ourselves on offense, and we don't play good enough perimeter defense, and we don't do enough to secure defensive rebounds and give other teams too many second chances. We need to be better if we want to contend this year. But I see these nice signs like players high-fiving and helping each other up and talking to each other, I see signs of the team unity and camaraderie coming together. Vogel has also come a long way from the start of the season. So there's hope.

It's an interesting thing about this team and I think it's been a similar process for us fans. They were almost all new to start the season so it has taken time for them to develop chemistry and I think us fans have taken time to embrace them all as well but it's all starting to come together. It's been an interesting season for sure. Let's hope they can continue to build after the all-star break into a mighty crescendo as we enter the playoffs.

[Superbone]

Postgame locker room:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Go2HZhkXL04? ... v1KS3eDEmG

[JeremyG]

Postgame locker room:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Go2HZhkXL04? ... v1KS3eDEmG

He didn’t mention the player who sealed the win.