Trail Blazers @ Suns Thursday game thread 5-13-2021

[Mainstreet]

Only three games left in the regular season and the last home game for the Suns when Portland visits on Thursday.

Trail Blazers are 40-29 and have won their last four games. Their final three games are @ Utah on Wednesday, @ Phoenix on Thursday and Denver on Sunday. So the Trail Blazers will be playing the Suns on the second night of back-to-back games.

Suns have fallen to 48-21 after losing their last two games to the Lakers and Warriors. The Suns play at the Spurs on Saturday and Sunday to finish the season.

The game will be televised on Bally Sports Arizona and nationally on TNT.

Start time is listed at 7 p.m. Arizona time.

 

[Mainstreet]

The injury report has yet to be submitted for the Suns. The Trail Blazers are playing at Utah tonight.

 

[Mainstreet]

Cam Johnson is still reported OUT for the Suns as is Abdel Nader.

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[ArizonaSportsFan]

After the Blazers beat the Jazz last night the Suns really have to be kicking themselves. So many opportunities wasted. I know this team has given the fans much more than they should have expected, but the frame of reference has changed during the course of the season and now it may turn to disappointment. Such a wild ride.

 

[AzStevenCal]

After the Blazers beat the Jazz last night the Suns really have to be kicking themselves. So many opportunities wasted. I know this team has given the fans much more than they should have expected, but the frame of reference has changed during the course of the season and now it may turn to disappointment. Such a wild ride.

I get your point but if it turns to disappointment I believe that will mostly be due to unrealistic expectations. I've been beating this drum for months but we had a really easy schedule filled with a lot of luck. But thanks to Covid we ended up with an incredibly difficult five weeks to finish off the season.

In the final 39 days of this season we will have played 23 games, 19 of them against playoff teams with 12 of our final 16 games coming on the road. That's brutal, yet, so far we have gone 13-7 against that schedule. While that's not keeping with the pace we had set, it's still a .650 winning percentage against a loaded slate of opponents. Even if we lose the final 3 that would still be a better run than any of us would have thought given the schedule strength, lack of rest and constant travel.

 

[Mainstreet]

I get your point but if it turns to disappointment I believe that will mostly be due to unrealistic expectations. I've been beating this drum for months but we had a really easy schedule filled with a lot of luck. But thanks to Covid we ended up with an incredibly difficult five weeks to finish off the season.

In the final 39 days of this season we will have played 23 games, 19 of them against playoff teams with 12 of our final 16 games coming on the road. That's brutal, yet, so far we have gone 13-7 against that schedule. While that's not keeping with the pace we had set, it's still a .650 winning percentage against a loaded slate of opponents. Even if we lose the final 3 that would still be a better run than any of us would have thought given the schedule strength, lack of rest and constant travel.

I so don't like attributing the Suns success due to luck. A team can only play the games on their schedule.

A .696 winning percentage is not luck.

However, if you want to talk about luck, talk about bad luck if the Suns finish 2nd in the West and end up playing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Just asking when was last time suns lost 3 in a row very possible vs lillard blazers he can go bonkers any night shooting....

Suns desperately need ayton to play up to his skill potential and cam dario to return to form

Big gm for poff motivation i mean 1 seed is pretty much out of reach right?

 

[Mainstreet]

Just asking when was last time suns lost 3 in a row very possible vs lillard blazers he can go bonkers any night shooting....

Suns desperately need ayton to play up to his skill potential and cam dario to return to form

Big gm for poff motivation i mean 1 seed is pretty much out of reach right?

It's a tough game for the Suns no doubt.

Hard to see Utah losing to OKC and Sacramento but that's why the games are played.

 

[taz02]

I so don't like attributing the Suns success due to luck. A team can only play the games on their schedule.

A .696 winning percentage is not luck.

However, if you want to talk about luck, talk about bad luck if the Suns finish 2nd in the West and end up playing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Call it what you want, health, good fortune or luck.

The reality is the suns were healthy and won games in part because a significant number of opponents were missing "key" players. It's easier to just call it luck.

That doesn't mean they aren't a good team just not as good as their record looks

 

[Mainstreet]

Call it what you want, health, good fortune or luck.

The reality is the suns were healthy and won games in part because a significant number of opponents were missing "key" players. It's easier to just call it luck.

That doesn't mean they aren't a good team just not as good as their record looks

I call it playing the games on the schedule.

Everyone knew when the second half of the season schedule was released it was going to brutal. This has already been discussed at length. Anyone paying attention knew it.

I prefer not to look at the season in terms of luck. If so, was the first half of the season good luck and the second half of the season bad luck?

 

[Covert Rain]

Losing 3 in a row with the fact the team's defense has fallen off a cliff is not a good sign heading into the playoffs.

 

[GatorAZ]

The Suns need to treat this game like a game 7 for two reasons. Put together a great performance in CP3’s likely last game of the regular season and send Portland an L which will likely tie them with LA by Saturday. What happens after that is out of our hands.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I so don't like attributing the Suns success due to luck. A team can only play the games on their schedule.

A .696 winning percentage is not luck.

However, if you want to talk about luck, talk about bad luck if the Suns finish 2nd in the West and end up playing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

We've had no problems in the past here discussing bad luck (and we've had plenty of it), why is it such a problem now to discuss it when the luck goes our way?

I know we can only play the games on our schedule and I know we have no control over which players are missing the games but if you're going to analyze a team's abilities and performance, ignoring these facts seems shortsighted to me. Just like ignoring the fact we had to make up several Covid games late which turned our end of season schedule into such a nightmare.

Call it what you will, IMO, our record didn't accurately define us for much of this year although it's now becoming more representative. We deserved our wins, played hard for them and they all count. I know you and Chaplin don't like this conversation but I am unwilling to just ignore the circumstances that contributed to our record just like I've been unwilling to ignore it when fortune fell against us.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Spurs games Saturday and Sunday will be at 11 a.m.

I'm going to need lots of coffee.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Mainstreet]

We've had no problems in the past here discussing bad luck (and we've had plenty of it), why is it such a problem now to discuss it when the luck goes our way?

I know we can only play the games on our schedule and I know we have no control over which players are missing the games but if you're going to analyze a team's abilities and performance, ignoring these facts seems shortsighted to me. Just like ignoring the fact we had to make up several Covid games late which turned our end of season schedule into such a nightmare.

Call it what you will, IMO, our record didn't accurately define us for much of this year although it's now becoming more representative. We deserved our wins, played hard for them and they all count. I know you and Chaplin don't like this conversation but I am unwilling to just ignore the circumstances that contributed to our record just like I've been unwilling to ignore it when fortune fell against us.

My problem with discussing "luck" when it comes to the Suns record is that it detracts from the team's accomplishments.

Actually I think your second paragraph in post #5 offers a better description of why the Suns are where they are now.

 

[Chaplin]

We've had no problems in the past here discussing bad luck (and we've had plenty of it), why is it such a problem now to discuss it when the luck goes our way?

I know we can only play the games on our schedule and I know we have no control over which players are missing the games but if you're going to analyze a team's abilities and performance, ignoring these facts seems shortsighted to me. Just like ignoring the fact we had to make up several Covid games late which turned our end of season schedule into such a nightmare.

Call it what you will, IMO, our record didn't accurately define us for much of this year although it's now becoming more representative. We deserved our wins, played hard for them and they all count. I know you and Chaplin don't like this conversation but I am unwilling to just ignore the circumstances that contributed to our record just like I've been unwilling to ignore it when fortune fell against us.

Nice little dig there Steve. Why don't you just come out and outright accuse us of being blind to the Suns problems?

There are degrees to how good you or I or anyone thinks the Suns really are. I happen to think they are a better team than you think they are. Is this slump showing who the Suns really are, or is it really just a slump and they are better than they are playing currently? I think they are better, looks like you think this is the true Suns team (and I think there are several other posters here that also fall on either side).

But to accuse us of "ignoring" circumstances is just plain wrong. None of us think the Suns are playing well -- we just think this is not the norm. The odds are against us in the playoffs, even more so right now because Ayton has been useless, but we still deserve to be in the playoffs and I don't think we'll be swept -- regardless of the opponent.

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Mainstreet]

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So Ronin, are you guarding Nurkic or Kanter.

 

[Ronin]

So Ronin, are you guarding Nurkic or Kanter.

The question is who is guarding me?

 

[Ronin]

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[Cheesebeef]

The great tank for the 3rd seed has begun!

 

[Proximo]

The great tank for the 3rd seed has begun!

It won't work if that is the intent

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It won't work if that is the intent

You don’t think we could lose out and clips go 2-1; or go 1-2 and have the clips win out? I think either of those scenarios are very possible.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You don’t think we could lose out and clips go 2-1; or go 1-2 and have the clips win out? I think either of those scenarios are very possible.

the Clippers could out tank us