The Phoenix Suns’ path to salvation begins with a loss to the Clippers

Phoenix Sun

Updated: Apr 16, 2023 at 10:16 pm

Atonement is a postseason theme. It is a word that does not contain the letter “L.”

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the Suns’ game record.

Our journey into recovery began with a major flaw Sunday night – a 115-110 loss to the Clippers that gave the early momentum and home court advantage to the opposition.

It marks the first time Devin Booker’s Suns have lost Game 1 of a playoff series. It’s also Kevin Durant’s first loss as a member of the Suns lineup. It’s not a cause for panic, but given our collective history, mild anxiety is appropriate.

“It’s one game,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. “We’ll look at the movie, regroup and get ready for a big game here when we show up on Tuesday.”

The Suns had many chances to win this strange and chaotic game. With increasing urgency and defensive perseverance, they finally wrestled for control in the third period. They put everything back at a frightening speed.

While their defensive tenacity and rim protection were excellent in the second half, their offense struggled throughout the half. Too many shots are taken by players who are not called Booker or Durant. Then came the possession that took the life out of the building and the energy of the home team.

After time expired with 1:08 remaining, the Clippers held possession for 51 seconds. They provided offensive rebounds with three different missed shots. Russell Westbrook – arguably the Suns’ best player for most of the night – took a break from bricklaying (shooting 3-of-19) to make a series of huge plays. One of them involved a choking defensive stop by Booker, who curiously tried to drive to the basket with the Suns trailing by three points.

It was another night of disappointment for the imprint center, as the Suns’ rough and sloppy start revived painful memories of the Game 7 debacle against Dallas.

“No excuses,” said Booker. “It’s that time of year, and if you’re not ready for those (games), then you’re playing the wrong sport.”

There were concerns that the sun was not properly tested on the stretch. that their sample size with Durant was not sufficient to build the consistency and confidence necessary to succeed in the playoffs. Then Williams surprised everyone by using 11 of his players and starting Torey Craig on Josh Okoji.

To his credit, Craig was one of the top performers, scoring 22 points in less than 27 minutes.

But the sun is also exposed by two of its fundamental weaknesses. Off the bench 34-10, the Clippers shot 10 of 31 three points on the evening, including some devastating threes late in the fourth quarter.

That was four more times the Suns made from behind the three-point line, a familiar refrain for most of the regular season.

With anxiety already running high in the valley, Williams is bound to get his insults and turns in sync. He needs to make sure his two superstars will run the show in the final five minutes, just like Kawhi Leonard (38 points) carried the Clippers to the finish line.

The Suns head coach may not be in any kind of hot seat going into the postseason. But the new owner, Matt Ishpella, has no loyalty to the current regime. He might be wondering why the team that bought him didn’t realize or use Mikal Bridges the way they are deployed in Brooklyn. He clearly has high expectations for this team to produce now.

So, there is an element of pressure on Williams that will get louder. Especially after losing the first game at home.

You can reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta 7 days a week from 6am-10am on Arizona Sports Station 98.7 FM.

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