Suns @ Bucks Wednesday Finals game thread 7-14-2021 - Game 4

[Cheesebeef]

I hate that we wasted a good Crowder/Cam combo game.

usually if we can get two of Cam, Crowder and Bridges going we win. But that doesn’t account for Booker just sucking eggs out loud. And he has for the majority of the last eight games. He’s got to shake out of it if we’re gonna win a tough Game 4 roadie.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The Bucks played a near perfect game, and we sucked in every phase last game. It's unlikely for that to happen again to quite those extremes. Outside of Crowder, we couldn't hit a shot. Even our uncanny free throw shooting looked atrocious, like they were playing on oval carnival rims or something.
The Bucks have figured out that running virtually every play through Giannis has given them their best shot, he either makes the basket or gets the foul (or kicks out to Middleton).
You won't beat that, he's too good and he gets too much help from the refs. The only way to beat it is to get him out of the game by running your own offense directly at him early in the game and make him have to exit the floor with his own foul trouble. Get him two in the first quarter and you'll see things even up. Ayton can't take on Giannis and Lopez both, but Lopez alone is a better situation.
Our guards have to shoot better, pure and simple. Can't win without it.
They were getting desperate enough to have our backups frantically turning the ball over last night. Keep our starters properly in the game, and play a bit closer and there won't be desperation. Payne repeatedly driving the basket against the towers was just dumb.

One other point I've been thinking about... Playing in Milwaukee is really the first time the Suns have faced this level of a hostile crowd. Both L.A. teams had nothing of a home-court advantage, and Denver fans knew after the first two games that that series was over!
But the Milwaukee fans truly believe they are going to win and they've showed up, in AND outside of the arena, in huge numbers.
We are do damn young and inexperienced. Maybe the first time playing on the road in front of such a charged up home team crowd, actually affected guys like Book, Bridges, Payne...

 

[82CardsGrad]

Interesting take on Book’s poor play…

Face it: Anyone paying attention knows why Devin Booker was benched in Game 3 of NBA Finals

If you were looking for Suns All-Star Devin Booker in the final 12 minutes, 48 seconds of Game 3 in the 2021 NBA Finals, you were not going to find him without turning your eyes from the action.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[Dr. Jones]

Man I'm nervous for game 4. We are playing the modern day Shaq at his peak. That does not bode well for us..... Especially if they get Ayton into foul trouble.

My hope is that he/his knee wear down from the grind of a long series played at it's highest level.

 

[Mainstreet]

Interesting take on Book’s poor play…

Face it: Anyone paying attention knows why Devin Booker was benched in Game 3 of NBA Finals

If you were looking for Suns All-Star Devin Booker in the final 12 minutes, 48 seconds of Game 3 in the 2021 NBA Finals, you were not going to find him without turning your eyes from the action.

www.sportingnews.com

I'm not sure what to make of the article. It talks about a lot of different things but seems to settle on Booker's broken nose as the primary problem.

 

[Mainstreet]

Man I'm nervous for game 4. We are playing the modern day Shaq at his peak. That does not bode well for us..... Especially if they get Ayton into foul trouble.

My hope is that he/his knee wear down from the grind of a long series played at it's highest level.

Ayton may be the Suns best defender on Giannis but they can't put this all on him. The Bucks are going to constantly be attacking him and trying to get him in foul trouble.

The Suns need to form a wall to slow down Giannis with multiple players before he gets a running start on his drive to the basket.

If necessary they have to sell out to stop him. Make the other players beat them.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I'm not sure what to make of the article. It talks about a lot of different things but seems to settle on Booker's broken nose as the primary problem.

Yea... that's my take as well.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yea... that's my take as well.

It may well be the case. Difficult to argue that his poorer play hasn’t been since he broke it.

 

[PhoenixRisingITA]

I don't know about you guys but the old graphic, music from the Suns still gets me pumped. I remember sitting in that arena so many times that year just jacked after that intro.

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Awesome. Actually, what song is played when our beloved Suns are introduced?

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[82CardsGrad]

It may well be the case. Difficult to argue that his poorer play hasn’t been since he broke it.

Yea... I heard his shooting stats this morning, where, since he broke his nose, he's shooting 38% from the field and 33% from three.
And FWIW - which likely isn't much, Stephen A said it was clear Book's legs were "gone" on Sunday.
Just hope he can dig deep and overcome the challenges sitting in front of him!

 

[Covert Rain]

Man I'm nervous for game 4. We are playing the modern day Shaq at his peak. That does not bode well for us..... Especially if they get Ayton into foul trouble.

My hope is that he/his knee wear down from the grind of a long series played at it's highest level.

Giannis is the best paint player I have seen since Shaq. They need to mix up the coverage and send help. Especially at the top of the key. Get the ball out of his hands. When he starts downhill I just go.....here we go again. Not sure there is a great strategy to slow him down.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yea... I heard his shooting stats this morning, where, since he broke his nose, he's shooting 38% from the field and 33% from three.
And FWIW - which likely isn't much, Stephen A said it was clear Book's legs were "gone" on Sunday.
Just hope he can dig deep and overcome the challenges sitting in front of him!

if Booker’s legs are gone, after having so much rest between every series and at the age of 24, that’s a problem, IMO.

he’s not the first guy to play HEAVY minutes in the playoffs. And he didn’t even play heavy minutes in the Denver series.

 

[Muggz]

Not to worry guys Book is fine. He sat out so the Suns can finish at home. Booker made a deal with Giannis that we would not guard him if he comes to Phoenix next year as our new PF. Trust me

 

[Covert Rain]

if Booker’s legs are gone, after having so much rest between every series and at the age of 24, that’s a problem, IMO.

he’s not the first guy to play HEAVY minutes in the playoffs. And he didn’t even play heavy minutes in the Denver series.

I agree about the 24 part but I thought they flashed a graphic during the Clips series that Book was #2 in playoff minutes per game in this playoffs? I don't care who you are....there is reason coaches on every team manage your minutes. It's like being a pitcher or any other sport, your body can only handle so much beating before you need to give it time to rest. I can't think of a sport where it's smart to run a guy into the ground game after game minutes wise. NBA season and the playoffs is a grind no matter how young you are.

 

[Hoop Head]

If another analyst pointed to it as an issue, with some plays to highlight their point, then I might be more open to it being a problem but Stephen A Smith mentioning it isn't cause for concern.

I'm not worried about Book being good to go from here on out. He may have been dealing with some fatigue but he only played 29 minutes the other day and just got 2 days off. I'd bet on him having a big game 4.

 

[Proximo]

Yea... that's my take as well.

Well, I'm not buying that.

The only way the broken nose might be affecting him is by making him less likely to drive into the paint for fear of being hit in the nose again.

The problem is his shot selection. He took bad Booker shots in game 3.

They are taking away his favorite shots, but he needs to work for them instead of settle for 3's, because he is a bad 3 point shooter.

 

[Proximo]

If another analyst pointed to it as an issue, with some plays to highlight their point, then I might be more open to it being a problem but Stephen A Smith mentioning it isn't cause for concern.

I'm not worried about Book being good to go from here on out. He may have been dealing with some fatigue but he only played 29 minutes the other day and just got 2 days off. I'd bet on him having a big game 4.

He better. I don't know that he has to have a great game, but he does have to at least be efficient and do a good job of distributing the ball.

 

[GatorAZ]

Book is still behind Middleton and Holiday in total playoff minutes (also still behind Paul George). I doubt he’s run down.

 

[Superbone]

I'll just put this here.

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[Yuma]

I just have one thing to say, a bunch of us here are older. I know this is the Suns, but in the eighties all those Lakers/Celtics series were battles that both teams fought tooth and nail to get to 2-2. This is normal to have games like this. Even if we lost game 4 - We still have home court advantage. We don't have to win on their court to bring the trophy home. They have to beat us on our court. We hold serve, we are the champions! With that said, all the pressure is on them to win game 4 to give them a chance. We have an opportunity to end it early if we win game 4. If we do not, we STILL have our crazy fans at home, and we STILL have home court advantage.

 

[Covert Rain]

Book is still behind Middleton and Holiday in total playoff minutes (also still behind Paul George). I doubt he’s run down.

Minutes Per Game ranking (players still left in playoffs):

Booker #1 (40.1)
Middleton #2 (39.7)
Holiday #3 (39.1)
Giannis 34 (37.4)

None of those guys playing close to 40 minutes have played consistently but Giannis.

 

[GatorAZ]

Minutes Per Game ranking (players still left in playoffs):

Booker #1 (40.1)
Middleton #2 (39.7)
Holiday #3 (39.1)
Giannis 34 (37.4)

None of those guys playing close to 40 minutes have played consistently but Giannis.

The Suns have played 9 games over the past 30 days. Milwaukee’ has been playing without much rest since the first rd. I think Booker not playing had more to do with it being blowout and preventing any technicals.