Game Day: Clippers (38-19) @ Suns (24-34), Wed 2/26/20

[specialsauce]

The refs gave this game to the Clippers. Bullshit call after bullshit call. Man this is bad.

[ShelC]

If we could've hit just two more 3s tonight it'd be a different game.

[Mori Chu]

That Morris 3 pretty much seals the deal. Wish Book had been able to give us more. Rough night for him.

[Mori Chu]

Ayton and Rubio both had very solid games. And I'll give credit to Book for passing the ball when his shot wasn't falling (9 assists). Kawhi has such crazy length and hands; he disrupts the ball so much and gets steals and turnovers all the time out of nowhere.

[Split T]

A loss, but I’m ok with it. No Oubre, Booker has a terrible shooting game and we kept it close against a fully healthy clippers team. If we hit some 3’s, we could have stolen this game.

[ShelC]

We've really had a ton chances to win this game and couldn't take advantage.

Thought Ayton was underutilized and I think he played the entire 4th, totaling 36 minutes. Baynes only saw 11 minutes and thought he was playing well enough, not sure why he didn't see more minutes. He was a good matchup for Harrell too. DA was gassed by the end of the game.

[virtual9mm]

At least we're at a point where a 25-17-3 game for Ayton's considered meh

[SunsRIt]

Worst officiated game I’ve seen in years

I didn’t think it was possible to be worse than the Jazz game. I didn’t watch tonight’s game. It was seriously worse?

[djy2j]

A team that cannot shoot threes assembled by a GM who was literally only good at that one thing as a player. Can’t make this shit up.

[In2ition]

Worst officiated game I’ve seen in years

I didn’t think it was possible to be worse than the Jazz game. I didn’t watch tonight’s game. It was seriously worse?

The Jazz game was bad for one half, but this was definitely worse in both halfs, imo.

[specialsauce]

Worst officiated game I’ve seen in years

I didn’t think it was possible to be worse than the Jazz game. I didn’t watch tonight’s game. It was seriously worse?

The Jazz game was bad for one half, but this was definitely worse in both halfs, imo.

It was worse to me than the Jazz game too

[LazarusLong]

Went to the game. Crowd was really on the refs, for good reason.
A couple of the guys behind me were calling the female ref "Gidget" (Sally Field movie character from yesteryear).
Refs missed a backcourt call (!).

Clippers play a very aggressive, phuysical defense, and get away with it.
Obviously bothered Booker, who looked out of sync.

It's amazing how easily Ayton put up 25 and 17.
His defense is also improving, and not just blocks, either.

Booker and Saric make 40% of their shots, the Suns would have won ....

[Superbone]

A loss, but I’m ok with it. No Oubre, Booker has a terrible shooting game and we kept it close against a fully healthy clippers team. If we hit some 3’s, we could have stolen this game.

This is where I’m at. I’m at peace with it. We were never out of it. Didn’t have a good shooting night.

[Mori Chu]

At least we're at a point where a 25-17-3 game for Ayton's considered meh

He has had incredible stats for the recent run of games. It's very encouraging.

[Shabazz]

I was happy with how we played this game. Like others have said, shots just weren’t falling.

One thing I’ve noticed lately is that Booker has been consistently awful in 4th quarters. That used to be his time to shine.

[O_Gardino]

Great first 8 minutes, and the rest of the way they fought but just couldn't hit enough 3s or find enough ways to get to the line.

The next step for Ayton is to draw fouls. I thought Cam rushed all his shots in the second half. One morning, he's going to walk into he gym and realize he's the best shooter on the team. He can take his time, he can set his balance, he can ignore defenders moving toward him. He's good enough and tall enough that he doesn't have to rush.

[O_Gardino]

I was happy with how we played this game. Like others have said, shots just weren’t falling.

One thing I’ve noticed lately is that Booker has been consistently awful in 4th quarters. That used to be his time to shine.

I looked it up, and you are right. This year, the 4th is his worst shooting quarter - both 3s and 2s.

Code: Select all

Quarter	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	eFG%	Ast'd	%Ast'd
1st	145	277	.523	29	84	.345	.576	75	.517
2nd	97	210	.462	16	51	.314	.500	47	.485
3rd	155	307	.505	44	98	.449	.577	83	.535
4th	95	213	.446	21	75	.280	.495	36	.379
OT	1	3	.333	0	1	.000	.333	0	.000

[virtual9mm]

I was happy with how we played this game. Like others have said, shots just weren’t falling.

One thing I’ve noticed lately is that Booker has been consistently awful in 4th quarters. That used to be his time to shine.

I looked it up, and you are right. This year, the 4th is his worst shooting quarter - both 3s and 2s.

Code: Select all

Quarter	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	eFG%	Ast'd	%Ast'd
1st	145	277	.523	29	84	.345	.576	75	.517
2nd	97	210	.462	16	51	.314	.500	47	.485
3rd	155	307	.505	44	98	.449	.577	83	.535
4th	95	213	.446	21	75	.280	.495	36	.379
OT	1	3	.333	0	1	.000	.333	0	.000

Look at the assist percentage. The Suns' offense is bogging down in the 4th -- and this is probably why they're losing the close ones.

[virtual9mm]

At least we're at a point where a 25-17-3 game for Ayton's considered meh

He has had incredible stats for the recent run of games. It's very encouraging.

And yet we see the room for improvement. I'm starting to wonder if he's going to have multiple 30-20 seasons at some point.

[ShelC]

To be honest, didn't think the refs were so bad and certainly not worse than Utah or some previous games. They're not bailing guys out (like Book) who kamikaze themselves to the basket looking for a bailout. It's annoying that Book still does it expecting things to change. Book also falls into his bad habit of pounding the ball, snaking around and probing while attracting 3 defenders to put up an awkward 14 footer. He's not Nash or Harden, he's gotta take the 3 or drive to the basket.