Game 59 Thunder @ Suns 2/26/15

[TJ]

I actually don't fault him for that. He and Knight clearly had a miscommunication. I think our final play of OT was the bad one. He was purely going for a foul call.

Other than that, and one particularly bad turnover I think in the 3rd quarter, he had a freaking unreal game.

I suppose, but the shot clock awareness was pathetic.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Alex Len was +13 for this game. +- can be misleading but that number is a bit eye-popping. No one else on the team was close.

 

[Phrazbit]

Alex Len was +13 for this game. +- can be misleading but that number is a bit eye-popping. No one else on the team was close.

OKC's offense for half the night seemed to be "charge at the basket and pray for a foul or chuck up a prayer", Len is pretty dang good at cutting off those wreckless charges towards the hoop.

 

[sunsfan88]

Obviously great game by Bledsoe. Remember when he used to struggle with his stamina at the start of last year? Man he's come a long ways with his conditioning.

He still seems to have some stamina problems because he struggles a lot with consistency. In some games, he looks like he has close to no energy from the start.

 

[slinslin]

He is 25 and in his first real year as a starter.

It took John Wall (same HS class, same draft, same college class) 4 years as a starter to finally have his breakout season this year.

 

[sunsfan88]

I suppose, but the shot clock awareness was pathetic.

Was that the play in which he went iso against Ibaka from a corner and got his shot swatted out?

 

[sunsfan88]

gerald green shouldn't see the court anymore. play Warren.

^this times 100. Hell, even Goodwin is better than him. Not sure Hornacek is sending the right message when he's playing inferior players over those who are better and put in ton of time improving.

 

[sunsfan88]

Over/Under on Bledsoe turnovers?? I'll put the line at 7 and take the over...

He almost had his 3rd straight 6 turnover game. Either 3rd straight or 3rd in the past week or so.

But in this game, at least he made up for it with his assists, efficient scoring and rebounding.

 

[82CardsGrad]

He almost had his 3rd straight 6 turnover game. Either 3rd straight or 3rd in the past week or so.



But in this game, at least he made up for it with his assists, efficient scoring and rebounding.

I have a certain knack to post these types of harsh predictions before games, and that the player in question goes off... Ask DbackJon - I'm uncanny over in the Dbacks forum!!
Perhaps I'll need to start doing this more often with Bledsoe!! What a night he had!
If we can get that type of effort and efficient, smart play from him on a more consistent basis, and along with a clearly emerging Len, we've got the making of a legit post season contender.
Yes, we still need to see how Knight meshes into things, but even there I'm cautiously optimistic. And yes, Markieff needs to become more consistent, especially on defense! But performances from Bledsoe and Len like last night show that we aren't all that far off from being a legit post season contender...

 

[JS22]

It's amazing how much Len affect the game defensively.

People were crucifying McD after the draft and all of last season. Len is turning out to be the best pick in that draft. Hell, even Goodwin might be one of the better picks once it's all said and done.

Just stay healthy, Len.

 

[JS22]

6 bench points, not sure why Hornacek tightened the rotation like that on a back to back..

Because he wanted to win.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I kept yelling at the TV, hoping they'd all go stand at the other end of the court. Seriously, why were they anywhere near the OKC players?

Steve

Exactly - no need to even pretend to play defense there - coming out of a timeout I was surprised to see them even there ...... even a lob play at the rim with a tip-in would have ate up that .3 and left them still down 2

They weren't trying which was nice, but when someone started to slowly close out on the 3 point shooter

Really nice win and a 2 day turn

Hopefully Portland can snag a win tonight and tighten things up a bit more

 

[82CardsGrad]

Because he wanted to win.

We had way more than 6 points off the bench. Marcus had 11. Baron had a few. Wright had a few. Green had a bucket or two...

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

^this times 100. Hell, even Goodwin is better than him. Not sure Hornacek is sending the right message when he's playing inferior players over those who are better and put in ton of time improving.

He didn't shoot well (1-4), but he still spaces the floor more than the "rookies". He had a nice assist and a steal, and was +8 for the game. And no TOs, as far as official stats, which surprised me because he had one that I can recall. He only played 16 minutes, which I think is about right. Now Tucker, on the other hand, should not be playing 35 minutes. Warren should be taking at least 10 of those and Goodwin should have seen 10 minutes as well - although the OT kind of skews things as far as overall minutes.
I think Jeff really wanted to win this game. I still wanted to see the young guys get some big-game time, however.

 

[BC867]

I didn't get to watch the game, but I've enjoyed the 139 posts of catchup and all your guys' prospective.

'So good to see the Suns get off to a great start and pull out a close one which, I guess, have been their two shortcomings earlier.

If each game for the rest of the season is a stepping stone, that would be great!

 

[JCSunsfan]

I didn't get to watch the game, but I've enjoyed the 139 posts of catchup and all your guys' prospective.

'So good to see the Suns get off to a great start and pull out a close one which, I guess, have been their two shortcomings earlier.

If each game for the rest of the season is a stepping stone, that would be great!

 

[95pro]

Because he wanted to win.

We had way more than 6 points off the bench. Marcus had 11. Baron had a few. Wright had a few. Green had a bucket or two...

He doesn't watch games. Just looks at stats.

 

[slinslin]

He doesn't watch games. Just looks at stats.

I do both actually, I just overlooked Marcus because he was in the active lineup.

 

[Griffin]

For a night, the Suns "two best players" actually looked the part. Now keep it up.

 

[sunsfan88]

For a night, the Suns "two best players" actually looked the part. Now keep it up.

Even if he doesn't keep up the scoring, I want Kieff to keep up his rebounding.

 

[Absolute Zero]

OMG, I just saw Miami on the schedule for Monday. The Pro Dragic, Anti Dragic, Pro Bledsoe, anit Bledsoe camps are going to have a field day with this one. ASFN may need to have extra moderators on duty to prevent a "brawl" from breaking out here.

 

[sunsfan88]

Westbrook is unbelievable, he played last night in a double OT game in which we played 42 mins and their playing tonight vs one of the best teams in the league in Portland and he's killing them.

27 pts, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for Westbrook on the road against Portland through just 3 quarters.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Ending up being a huge game. OKC goes on to play Portland but has tired legs because of the OT game here and Westbrook clanks free throws in the final seconds for another loss.

This win for the Suns made for two losses for OKC.

 

[JCSunsfan]

IT is playing well for Boston. I wonder how long it will take him to stir up the locker room.

Or maybe he has learned his lesson.

It looks to me like Dragic is a little insecure as a person. Bledsoe's arrival really bothered him. But since Eric was injured so much last year and a free agent over the summer he did OK. But once they signed IT and then Eric, it was just too much.

Funny. IT and Eric might have been able to co-exist, but I wouldn't have seen that two weeks ago.

 

[AzStevenCal]

IT is playing well for Boston. I wonder how long it will take him to stir up the locker room.

Or maybe he has learned his lesson.

It looks to me like Dragic is a little insecure as a person. Bledsoe's arrival really bothered him. But since Eric was injured so much last year and a free agent over the summer he did OK. But once they signed IT and then Eric, it was just too much.

Funny. IT and Eric might have been able to co-exist, but I wouldn't have seen that two weeks ago.

I don't think it was all his fault. IMO he was playing well for us and was willing to sacrifice for the team (willing but begrudgingly so). I think things went south for him when Goran went public with how much he was having to sacrifice. From IT's perspective he was our best player (statistics say he was, at least early in the season) and he was the one sacrificing the most minutes so it understandably irked him to hear Goran's comments. That precipitated the clubhouse fight between the two which reportedly divided the locker room.

Steve