Suns Overpowered By Timberwolves Again In Game Two Loss

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It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Well, that was pretty familiar.

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On today's episode of Lockdown Suns, how the Suns got handed another double-digit L in Minneapolis GPE in game two and why it was so unfortunately similar to game one.

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You are Locked on Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network ORG, your team every day.

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And we're back. This is Locked on Phoenix Suns. We are part of the Lockdown Podcast Network ORG, and I'm your host, Brendan Clean PERSON, a credentialed media member covering the Sons for the past seven seasons and the host of the Just Basketball showwherever you get your podcast. Thank you for making Locked on Sons WORK_OF_ART, your first listen here post game on this Tuesday. We are free and available everywhere, including YouTube ORG, so hit that follow or subscribe button. Wherever you're getting us, get a new episode in your feed every single Monday throughFriday, plus a ton of bonus content through the playoffs into the off season and beyond. We are here for you every day, so become an everydayer and get locked on to the Phoenix Suns ORG, all playoffs and beyond. Today's episode, guys, brought to you by the Fanduals Sportsbook ORG, the official sportsbook of the Lockdown podcast network. Make every moment more. Right now, do customers get $150 in bonus bets? Guaranteed, that's $150.000, win or lose straight toyour account. VisitFandul.com ORG slash locked on to get started. All righty, 105.93. Sons lose another one. Why did they lose? Let's just get right to it, okay? Well, it was another late third quarter run at the barest level here.Each quarter, not too crazy, but Minnesota ORG piles on a double-digit lead to close out the third quarter with a very familiar site. Now, in this case, it was not Anthony Edwards pumping up the crowd, although he did have six points over the final six minutes, seven points it looks like, more accurately there. But really, it was the Sun ORG's offense falling apart and not having any answers forMinnesota ORG's defense and so very similar to game one they went through lulls they were not able to crack a hundred points they had significantly more turnovers than their opponent and they even had the similarity of missing layups. And the similarities don't end there. Like, I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here. I will get to some of the things in segment two that we did see a little bit differently in this game,as far as what each team was trying to go to. But look at the rim, 15 of 24, 63% at the rim for the suns better than last game but not good they only took 24 shots there which is better than last game as far as I can tell as far as I remember but nevertheless not enough in my opinion especially when you better than last game as far as I can tell, as far as I remember. But nevertheless, not enough, in my opinion, especially when you add in the free throw discrepancy,which, you know, I know people will be frustrated with the calls that may or may not have gone the Sun ORG's way at different points and Booker PERSON's foul trouble and everything else. Still played 42 minutes, most of anybody, so didn't affect him too too much. Maybe you could say the Suns ORG didn't trust the whistle or whatever, but they only got 19free throw attempts in addition to just taking those 24 shots at the rim. And so one thing I said repeatedly off of that game one is that it felt like Gobert PERSON was in the sun's head a little bit, and I think that was the case again. is that it felt like Gobert was in the Sun ORG's head a little bit, and I think that was the case again. So, game one, you know, tip of the hat to Jaden McDaniels PERSON on the defensive end,I thought in the first quarter he played very well. I think the Suns continue to find ways when Alexander Walker PERSON is the point of attack defender, when basically anybody but Jaden PERSON is the point of attack defender, and Durant is able to score on McDaniels PERSON. So they found some ways around it, but in this case, I think you really just have to say it was Gobert PERSON,primarily, that affected the Sun ORG's rhythm on the offensive end. They just were not aggressive enough trying to score inside. In the middle part of the game, I thought you saw Bradley Beal PERSON get into a decent rhythm, but he was nowhere near effective enough, missed a lot of layups,even when he did get down there. But throughout the game, passing up shots at the basket, passing before you even try your drive, settling for really contested pull-up jumpers when that's a really low efficiency shot given. Even that Booker Beel and Durant PERSON can make those. When you're down already as they started this game again in a holeand that's the shot you take that's not going to work out that's not going to go in often enough you lose Grayson Allen you don't break the defense down enough to even get those ball movement threes that we've been clamoring for this team to generate more of all season.That's the trickle down when McDaniels PERSON at the point of attack, but in particular, Gobert PERSON in the paint, does not work. And you don't have an answer for it. On the other end, if you're looking for why the sun's lost this game, Anthony Edwards beat them as a scorer in game one.He beat them as a passer in game two. And once again, I think you probably wouldn't say he was the best player on the court tonight. To me, that was Gobert PERSON on both ends, frankly. But he at the very least had answers for the Sun's defensive scheme. Eight assists, just three turnovers. You compare that to the Suns guys. Booker, more turnovers and assists. Beal, pretty close to that. Durant PERSON,two and two. For Edwards, it was 8 and 3, and that was the difference. Even Nikol Alexander Walker, five assists, just one turnover. He was pretty good as a pick and roll ball handler. Better than a lot of the sons guys tonight. Crazy that that isn't even a sentence coming out of my mouth, but the sons continued to send the same level of backline, clog, help, andin the pick and roll, showing with Nurkich kind of in Ant's face, an ant right away. First two possessions for Minnesota offensively. One of them is a kick pass early to Conley PERSON on the move, who got downhill for a bucket. Next one was a little bit less crisp of that same type of coverage. Nurkich is a step late, a little bit behind getting that hand in Ant's face, and Edwards PERSON just pulls up from three. He had five points early and only ended up with 15. So middle part of the game, he didn't have to do it because again, as the sonstried to get the ball out of his hands, out of Conley PERSON's hands, those guys made the right play. The wolves moved the ball really well. The Sun ORG's close-out defense off of that initial two-man defensive coverage of what they were doing to try to guard those pick and rolls was horrible, horrible.The Sun ORG's close-out defense, the rotations, the low-man help. If you're going to have Nurkich step up, whether it's Aunt or it's Conley, the point of that when if you're going to send Nerkich PERSON, if you're going to have Nerkich step up, whether it's Ant or it's Conley PERSON, the point of that is to cut off their drive and or get the ball out of their hands, right? That's why you put a big man a little closer to the ball handler in those situations.But as we know, even though Nerkich PERSON can do that, the sons are a small team. And no matter who it was tonight, that low man at the basket to be that secondary rim protector was gone. Didn't even get in position, let alone contest, let alone actually deny or deter any of those shots. So maybe they were executing the first thing,because I guess, lo and behold, Aunt didn't have a huge scoring night, but Conley PERSON did. And both of those guys, the hockey assists, the secondary assists were piling up. That's why Jaden McDaniels has a huge night. That's why Rudy Gobert has a huge night. And the Sun ORG's defense just collapsed.The fourth quarter, the game was still within reach, five, six, even, let's say, 10-point game. And the Suns ORG were just getting roasted, absolutely blown to crap. And Minnesota finishes with 48 points in the paint. You could have told me it was higher, I guess, only 105 total. That's probably a big part of it. And then, of course, the 26 of 30 from the free throw line, including six of 7 for Gobert, 7 of 8 for Ant PERSON, and you know the rest.So that's why. I mean, it is going to continue to be a game of who can execute in the pick and roll better. Can the sons figure out a way to score against Gobert PERSON, against the point of attack defense, against that swarming help that Minnesota ORG is going to send versus can they have an answer to keep in check and contain the ball movement that's going to come off of that? And so far they are 0 for 2 and that is why they go back to Phoenix GPE looking like by far theworst of these two teams. Let's get into some of what did change coming up next. First, today's show brought to you by DoorDash ORG. Moms are a gift, so give her the best this Mother's Day. Get gifts as thoughtful as she is with DoorDash ORG. Select from hundreds of expertly crafted bouquets this Mayto the best of tech to self-care essentials and more delivered right to her door. Pair flowers with a gifts card so she can celebrate any way she wants. Maybe she's a bookworm. Try a bookstore gift card. Does she love a good latte? Well, get her a gift card for that favorite coffee shop.You cannot go wrong with DoorDash ORG. 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Let's go. All right. So game plans adjustments. That's what we're going to do in these second segments as long as the postseason goes. Although, you know, we'll see. But I warned you guys about how much the Sons would go out of their way to get those switches on Gobert PERSON.I mean, I know I've talked about the ball handlers, the primary scorers on this team, but frankly to me, as big of a part of this as anything so far in this series is the extent to which Rudy Gobert is outplaying Yusuf Nurkich PERSON. I think you could make the case, Ant and Gobert have been the two best players on the court in this series is the extent to which Rudy Gobert is outplaying Yusuf Nurkich. I think you could make the case, Ant and Gobert have been the two best players on the court in this series. Maybe Durant and Edwards are kind of neck and neck given Aunt was quiet scoring tonight and Durant PERSON's at least been able to get some buckets to go down in both of these games.But Gobert is vastly outplayed Nurkich PERSON. And those switches, which the sons, sons I thought went to a little bit too much in game one they did the same thing here in game two and what you saw was Gobert PERSON just hung with it like yeah you're you're going to be able to get him off balance you're going to probably have some better angles to you know get a step on him or at the very least, get a shot up over him, even though he has length, Van McDaniels PERSON, or otherwise.But regardless, it takes a long time to do that. And in this case, you would think the best case scenario is, hey, you get Gobert PERSON on a switch and you run downhill right you blow past your guy you blow past him now you're in the paint and you're kind of just solving a bunch of problems at one time you're getting the good point of attack defenders out of the way and you're getting gobert out of the paint by switching him out there and then getting past him. But instead of all of that, which is similarto what happened in game one, the Sons ORG weren't using all those benefits of those switches to their advantage at all. They mostly took pull-up threes over Gobert PERSON or pull-up jumpers of some kind. They did not drive and kick off of that. And it kind of just went to waste. A lot of those jumpers of some kind. They did not drive and kick off of that. And it kind of just went to waste. A lot of those jumpers were misses. And the Suns only scored 21 points in the first quarter. You add on to that. So that was a game plan thing that I guess didn't really change. The biggest change the sons had was that they, I guess not even a change, right?It was kind of an adjustment by Minnesota ORG. The sons continued to be probably, you would say, even more aggressive against Ant PERSON, and he just figured that out. I thought that the sons in both games got some pretty good offense when they were able to get towns switched, and they seemed to be more comfortable going right at him in those moments. So they continued to go at that.They continued to use Grayson Allen PERSON as a screener early, but they did not get him threes from that before he goes down with that ankle sprain, and it did not look good. Royce O'Neill didn't even get threes up. Royce O'Neill didn't take a shot, and they were using him as a screener as well. So I wish that I could say that it was a bunch of different stuff here,but I cannot necessarily, and I'm sure I'll go back and watch the game again tomorrow and do another show and have some more notes here about what worked and didn't, and I'm sure there were wrinkles. I don't think the suns would be so stubborn as to not change anything, but it is concerning that the big picture, a lot of the things that went wrong for them,they kind of stuck with and got burned again. And the stuff that maybe was the meat on the bone for this son's team coming off of game one, they didn't take advantage of, which brings me to another one here. I'm not exactly certain why the sons don't feel comfortable utilizing Kevin Durant PERSON to make towns have to, and, and, uh, or Nas Reid PERSON, have to defend in situations where, where he's uncomfortable, right?We talked about it in the regular season matchups that when Reed and towns were guarding Grayson PERSON, the sons were using him as a screener, the sons were utilizing him as a transition ball handler, as a weak side spacer, and all these different things. Why can't you do that with Durant PERSON?Why can you not find ways to generate those backside threes for Kevin Duran? Why can you not run Duran PERSON off of a screen and make towns switch or navigate through that? Why can't you use Duran PERSON as a screener and do the same? I don't get it. Why does Duran PERSON have, I mean, you could talk about the shot attempts all you want. I think a low possession game where the offense is discombobulated and the turnovers are high.I think we can all agree the shot diet and sort of field goal attempt numbers are going to be pretty screwed up regardless. But what I do take issue with because the big three were all basically even again in terms of that in this game, is the three point attempts. Why does Duran have two three point attempts? You know, it takes me back to last year. Durant gets onto the team, only plays eight games in the regular season. They're kind of game planning with him on the fly, and we're sitting here scratching our heads when Monty Williams and Chris Paul deploy an offense where Duran PERSON is for some reason kind of a floor spacer.And there was this whole decoy conversation. But what I can tell you is Durant was bombing threes. And that's in those two series last year. Now he's taking two in a game when I mean, if you can work the offense well enough and get some ball movement going, the threes are going to be there. You know, that's one thing you should be able to generate, especially if you're making the,if you're kind of pulling the defense apart, using a good shooter like Allen, like Durant PERSON, even like O'Neill can be. And they didn't do that. They got one open corner three in a nice kind of drive and kick from Booker to Beal at one point. Gordon PERSON got some just from being, you know, spaced out or offsome broken plays like he often does. But how it's one thing to say Durant can cook Towns PERSON. And he can. He did that in game one. He can cook most guys and Towns PERSON is slow footed, so he's going to be able to do that. Why can you not utilize Durant PERSON in ways as a scorer that not, aren't just predicated upon him putting the ball into the basket, but bend the defense, pick at mismatches, attack weak points, particularly Reed PERSON in Towns, who I would say Towns being even worse, but Reed can get into some defensive moments in space where he's exploitable. How does that happen?The last thing I will say, as I pause and sigh, is the answer to some of that is that NERC ORG has been vastly outplayed, and I know I'm repeating myself, but the more that I sat with Game 2 for the 10, 15, 20 minutes I was kind of gathering my thoughts before I hit record. One adjustment I wanted to see from the Suns ORG in this game would be to just kind of stabilize things, get to theirnerch-centric sets, let's call them, times where NERC ORG is the primary playmaker. And that happened at times, again, especially in the middle part of the game. I thought Beel and Nerkich in the second and third quarters had some decent pick and roll moments. There were some plays early in the game, just like in game one,where Nerkich PERSON was able to get free downhill for some kickouts or a dunk because Gobert PERSON was playing a more aggressive coverage and that drop pass was there. But overall, Nurkich is unable to find cutters because Minnesota ORG is taking away the paint. So he has to score more, and that did not go well. So he has to score more, and that did not go well. He is, I think, exhausted.And the ways in which the Sons ORG would like to use him, especially, I think, when the point of attack defense is so good, and maybe teams aren't having to switch those actions as much, teams aren't having to give up passes to him or mismatches to him. And they're just kind of able to succeed guarding this stuff straight up. I think that's why the Sons haven't been able to get into some of that offense and why Nirkich PERSON hasn't been as effective and impactful.And so they're looking for answers right now. And a lot of it comes back to finding ways. You know, they did run some Spain pick and roll, maybe a little more than they did in the last game. I thought they handled the Wolf ORG's zone a little bit better. But again, that's like two or three possessions, each of each of those things that I justlisted off. They need to find ways for their ball handlers, Booker and Beal PERSON, to generate advantages, move the ball and score off of that. I mean, that's, it's just going to have to be what it is. And Durant PERSON, too, you know, Durant has a pick and roll ball handler at times, a guy coming off of screens at times, a guy attacking closeouts at times, posting up all the different variety of ways that Durant PERSON can cook you. They need to be searching those outand deliberate going to them, understanding that maybe the Nurkich PERSON as a passer stuff's not going to be there. I think more than what adjustments or changes we saw in this game, it was which ones we didn't see and which ones we couldn't see because Minnesota ORG has so thoroughly just kaputted what the suns want to be doing. To close out, I want to talk about the ugliness of these two games. It was only two weeks ago we were talking about those two, that back-to-back against the clippers. And we're back here. Why?I'll give you my best answer next. First, today's show brought you by the Fandul ORG sportsbook. It's playoff time in the NBA and NHL ORG. Baseball's in full swing. And Fandul ORG is your place to bet on every game. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets, guaranteed. That's $150, straight to your account, win or lose. Bet on everything, from slap shots to home runsto slam dunks all on an app that's safe, secure, and easy to use. What are you waiting for? Visit fandwell.com slash locked on and make your first bet an automatic win. Fandle, America GPE's number one sports book. Today's show also brought to you by BetterHelp ORG. Sometimes we all need the opportunity to get something off of our chest. Big or small, certain things can really start to get to you,and it's important to let them out, especially to someone who's unbiased about your life. So today I want to say how I'm really feeling about something, and you might even be thinking about that same thing this week. It's what I'm about to talk about in the next segment, frankly. It is a disappointing bummer to have to watch the spring bring such ugly moments for this team so many years in a row.The lack of competitive juice is just difficult to watch, difficult to stomach as somebody who wants good things for this son's team. Therapy can be different for everybody. Most of us have bigger problems than our favorite sports team, and it's important to get things off your chest every once in a while. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online designed to be flexible and suited to your schedule. Visit betterhelp.com slash locked on NBA to get 10% off your first month.That's BetterHelp, help.com slash locked on NBA ORG. Closing out the show. 93 points, 19 turnovers, 22 fouls committed, and poor effort, poor execution,no intensity, again, 21 points in the first quarter, 22 in the second quarter, even worse than the third. No signs of life. I don't think, I mean, I haven't thought this team could win a championshipsince the Bucks ORG game and I did an episode around that time saying everything in NBA ORG history statistically storytimeline anything you would look at, tells you this Sun ORG's team does not have a chance to win a championship. So it's not even really about that. It's not like my dreams of a championship or yours were shattered in game one or game two of this series. Even given that I picked the Suns to win in six, and I think a lot of people had optimism that they could do pretty well of this series, even given that I picked the Sons to win in six, and I think a lotof people had optimism that they could do pretty well against this team, given how the regular season went. None of that even is really the point here. The point is, they lost by double digits, they looked hapless, they looked answerless, and physically they looked overwhelmed. And I think that's the thing. That's the part that, let's just say, in the short term, the next three days,and if they cannot figure this out, the next several months, will require some incredibly deep introspection about. Minnesota won more games in the suns this year. Seven more. They're the higher seed.They're at home. That alone does not explain why this team, which has an experience disadvantage, had a far less balanced regular season in terms of their defense was what led the way and their offense had a lot of question marks and that has not felt like the case in these games. They are somehow dictating the physicality level, the intensity level, the energy level, the heart of this series.Every minute of it. Anthony Edwards went three of 12 today. Did not have his huge offensive scoring explosion that he had in game one, and yet he is riling up the crowd, and you're not going to hear a word of questioning or doubt or criticism of Anthony Edwards after this game, because of how thorough it was, because of how much his and thisteam's intensity won this game for them. Intensity won this game for them. And that has been the case for four straight post seasons. Milwaukee ORG? Okay, fine, it's Yonis PERSON. And those games were pretty close.Dallas? Uh-oh. Denver GPE? Okay, they're the champions. It wasn't quite as bad as the year before and now Minnesota losing the ballnot executing on either end bickering with the officials having this dead look in your eyes all of these things are things we've seen from this team every step of the wayand devon booker PERSON is the guy that is the through line there. As is James Jones PERSON, which I think gets overlooked at times. He's not on the court. He doesn't get to have control over all of that. But those are people that have been around and created whatever the atmosphere is here. So I don't want to get ahead of myself.I don't want to say the series is over. I don't want to say make of myself. I don't want to say the series is over. I don't want to say make myself look foolish if they do find answers. And they're not easy answers, but there is options here for what the Sons ORG can do. And a lot of it is just executing better what they did in the regular season when they were able to win. And maybe that just comes more naturally at home. And guys like, well, Gordon had a pretty good game tonight, but Royce O'Neill didn't.Maybe you get better performances more consistently out of those two when you go back home. And maybe if Josh Okie PERSON has to step up, you get something decent from him or whoever it ends up being. But I've seen this too many times. And it can't be how you go out and have pride about what you're building hereso if nothing else as we head back to Phoenix and we'll have more episodes between now and then but if nothing else it cannot be this uglyagain otherwise we're going to have a lot to talk about this offseason. That'll wrap us up for Tuesday's postgame show. Thank you for listening or watching wherever you found this podcast. Hit follow or subscribe to get the next episode and more throughout the week in your feed becoming every dayer. I will talk to you guys tomorrow. found this podcast, hit follow or subscribe to get the next episode and more throughout theweek in your feed, becoming every dayer. I will talk to you guys tomorrow. Hey, Prime members, you can listen to this locked on podcast ad free on Amazon Music ORG.

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