Three goals for the Phoenix Suns in Game 4: Be the most excited to play
I break this one down like this. If you took someone who doesn’t watch sports at all, and locked them in a room and made them watch this game from start to finish, and then asked them “who was the most excited to play in your opinion?” Eight out of 10 people would say the Clippers, the other two people would say, “The Lakers, duh!”
And then I’d correct them and point out that they were watching the Clippers, the other Los Angeles team. Then they would go, “Oh yeah, the Clippers!” Then I would roll my eyes and politely thank them for watching while also trying to get them to leave.
From the jump, the Clippers fed off their crowd, played faster, sharper, and executed on both ends of the floor at a way higher clip than the Suns did. Coach Monty Williams was wired for sound during the game and there were two separate timeouts taken by him in the second half addressing his team’s lack of effort. He said things like:
"“This is unacceptable!” and “Let’s face it…. they’re playing harder than us.”"
Although what Williams was saying was true, it did not make a difference.
In a playoff series, sometimes the “irrational confidence guy” comes out to play and be a difference-maker in a game, or a series. You know, guys like Eddie House, J.R. Smith, and Will Barton. Guys who can heat up, go 2-9 from the field but then have a quarter where they have “their moment” and the crowd will give them some kind of superpower, it’s science.
So far, that has been Reggie Jackson for the Clippers. The Jackson from Detroit that was one of the most frustrating players to watch has been absolutely dynamite the entire playoffs. His play has been solid, but the biggest thing is his knack for making big and timely shots.
For example, Suns center Deandre Ayton had the quietest 18 points I’ve ever seen. Throughout the game I would forget he’s out there, I had to look up his stats because 18 didn’t seem fitting, while I was watching I thought he had ten points at most. Jackson on the other hand had 23 points and it felt like 55.
Lastly, you’ve got to give it to that Clipper crowd, they changed the landscape of the game. It’s simple, if they’re not there, the Clippers blow that early lead, without question.