The Suns didn’t expect to be in a Game 7 with Dallas, but now that they’re here, they’re determined to win it, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Both teams have captured all three games at home, several of them by wide margins, so Phoenix has confidence about playing today’s deciding contest on its home court.
It will be the first-ever seventh game for Devin Booker, who said the excitement was already evident at Saturday’s practice.
“I like coming in here with everybody locked in, top to bottom from the front office looking through the windows — you can feel their demeanor,” Booker said. “That’s why we play the sport. We thought we had something going there [in terms of pressure] during the regular season, trying to break the franchise record [for victories], and this is a whole different beast.”
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Coach Monty Williams used the practice session as a “clean-up” to fix some of the team’s bad habits in the series, McMenamin adds. Williams emphasized protecting the basketball, as the Suns have averaged 18.7 turnovers per game in the series, and guarding the three-point line because the Mavericks are making 16.3 threes per game. Williams has also noticed the different atmosphere that Game 7 brings. “You can feel it,” he said. “From the time when we knew we were going to be in a Game 7 until now, the gym is thick with intensity. And that’s how playoff basketball should be.”
- In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Williams talks about the difficulties he’s had to overcome and the importance of faith in his life. The Suns’ head coach admits he spent about two weeks being severely disappointed about losing in last year’s NBA Finals until he began to fully reflect on all that’s happened. “I had a lot of time to think and pray. I became way more aware of my hypocrisy,” he said. “Here I am again, this reputation for all this stuff, and here I am internally feeling like I deserve something. It took me about a week or two to get to that point where I was like, man, I should be way more grateful and thankful than I am right now.”
- Video games have been an important outlet for Suns center Deandre Ayton throughout his basketball career, per Maya A. Jones of ESPN. “I don’t think I could live without the game and that’s real talk,” Ayton said.
Suns are likely to decline starting from next season if they lose game 7
Suns would pay big luxury tax starting from next season
I LOVE MONTY WILLIAMS !!!
Personally such a great reminder in how to approach life.
I probably need to print that and put it on my fridge ! And my cubicle at work !! And my visor in my car !!! LOL
Agreed; I had to re-adjust my eyes (and mental space) from his quote to Aytons preceding quote of “video games are life” lol.
Feels like an extra paragraph break, and possibly disclaimer was needed in-between the 2
Man talk about a contrast!
I personally connect more with Ayton’s philosophical meanderings.
Emotional maturity… Willie Green’s asset too.
PHX should be confident, as they have the better team. But they should guard against believing that having beaten DAL the prior three times they played in Phoenix means much. DAL had a backdoor in those games, not in this one. Any team with Jason Kidd as HC is dangerous in this spot. I expect the last 5 minutes to decide it, and they should as well.
Confidence is the key
According to twitter, 76ers fans have already lost the confidence in 2023 playoffs
Unbelievable outcome today. I would have lost everything in my possession in thinking that Phoenix would come out on top.
Hopefully the Warriors can get past Dallas and get to the finals. Not so sure with the way Dallas is playing. I look forward to the matchup next week starting Wednesday.
GS needs Iguodala and/or Payton in that matchup with Dallas
Me too lol ….. that’s why I stopped betting. Still can’t believe this.. by Freakin 33. That’s unacceptable. This is beyond a whipping.
@Gary
If it ended up GSW vs Mavs who do you think draws the assignment guarding Luka? Klay, Dray, Wiggins or do they just keep throwing bodies at him to confuse him?
Suns have to go for the throat. This should never have gone 7. Now Luka could just have a gm for the ages. I still see Ayton as the key. He’s the biggest mismatch on the floor. Suns have to take advantage…… Let’s go.
I wanna see Suns punish the Warriors.
Lol Suns punish the Warriors? The Suns were almost pushed to a game 7 playing a play in team and now they’re facing a game 7 against Doncic and a bunch of decent role players.
But they’ll “punish” the Warriors.
We’ll see.
Warriors play in a weak division. You can’t honestly believe they will win a ring. Not this yr. Best thing that can happen is Mavs win. I can’t believe Suns are getting rocked. Overconfidence is a Biiiii. In sports you never give a team life. Mavs got nothing to lose or prove. They are just playing.
Lol the Suns just got embarrassed by the Mavs on their on court. Simply pathetic.
The Suns have struggled throughout the playoffs. Chris Paul is washed up now and Booker cannot lead a team. This further shows how unreliable regular season records are. All huffing and puffing done by the Suns have been flushed down the toilet.
And I don’t really believe the Warriors are winning a title this year. Even if they got past Mavericks, Celtics/Heat have looked better in the postseason.
But who knows. Anything can happen.
*own court
So now Warriors play in a “weak divison”? That’s hilarious.
Do you actually read the stuff before you post?
Gs has a good matchup vs Phoenix, although they’re somewhat similar teams. If they played each other, GS would have won, and I’m not saying that b/c Phoenix wont be there. I’ve felt that way all year
Sure glad the Suns are “determined to win it.”
This is CP3 last chance. Can’t believe they are getting their butt handed to them.
Did I say watch Dinwiddie. Hope Knicks are watching. 23 pts already ..
Suns are done. Can’t believe they didn’t show up tonight. This is what happens when you don’t respect your opponent.
Mavs D ……. Really lol. There is no way this should happen yet it did. Embarrassing
This has to be the craziest game 7 ever. Number one seed in the entire NBA gets their butt handed to them at home. This is massive. Hope the Warriors are ready for this Defensive Juggernaut and excellent offense.
Agreed – this was an all-time game. What Luka did was Jordan-esque. Total cutthroat the whole night and I loved it.
Al, you’re on fire today pal. Dinwiddie showed up and then some.
Not going to lie, I completely forgot I picked GS over Dallas in the WCF before training camp, as well as a couple of other things, as well as GS over the Heat in the finals 2 weeks into the season, but I’m looking at my lists right now, and there it is…
I didnt think Phoenix was as good as last year from the beginning, and I was right. I didn’t like the rotation decisions they made in this series, but once they got rid of Kaminsky, they didnt have the floor spacing at the 5 they had last year, and were more reliant on good shooting from Jae Crowder, and their bench rotation wasnt as good either, although I do think there were certain things they should have done differently there
I can only feel for Chris Paul. They blew his chance last year when they went away from everything they did all year after game 2 of the finals. Ayton had good matchups throughout the playoffs that allowed them to get away with him playing so many minutes, but once Milwaukee stopped using Brook Lopez, and they kept Ayton out there, they couldn’t guard Giannis or Portis at the 5, and it made them vulnerable to the corner 3 from guys like Bryn Forbes and Portis, very similarly to how the Heat lost in round 1 vs Milwaukee
Was really hoping after tonight I wouldn’t have to see Doncic’s petulant punk a*s smirk anymore this season! #@%&! Guess not.
I was rooting for Suns. So I’m stunned.
But there are a lot of Dinwiddie Haters on this board. Who need to show some respect. He is a closer. Ive been saying it for two yrs. Knicks should of signed him long ago. I hope they were watching. Freak Brunson
I did post about the The Frank Kaminsky curse on these SUNS.
Sorry Eddie Johnson.