05-04-2022, 12:06 PM
(05-04-2022, 10:44 AM)michaeltex Wrote: Not sure how to interpret this. Seems like PHX is hitting a lot of shots they shouldn't more than DAL missing good shots. That kind of agrees with my Mark II eyeball test. Especially CP3 seems to just throw it toward the backboard and it goes in.
But they seem to have been doing this for several games now. As a team they shot 52.3% in the NOP series with games of 53.8 (W), 50 (L), 50.6 (W), 50.6 (L), 50 (W), 60 (W). They shot 53.6% in wins and 50.3% in losses. So there is not a lot of difference in winning and losing.
Monday PHX shot 50.5% while Dal shot 47.1% (up over 44.4% in Round 1), although I think PHX was at 67% early in the game. I'm thinking it will just take a little more efficiency on defense and just a few more shots on offense and this game goes back to TX 1-1. Seems like small changes, but I'm not coach enough to suggest what to do.
Ayton was 0-4 in the 4th quarter after going 12-16 in the first 3 quarters. Powell didn't play in the 4th quarter.
I am probably way oversimplifying this, but forcing Ayton to work defensively is my #1 objective for Game 2. Paul is going to make tough mid range shots. Booker is going to make high degree of difficulty shots. Bridges and Crowder will make hustle plays and kick out 3's. Mavs probably can't take those things away.
Ayton's offense was just way too easy for 3 quarters. How the Mavs adjust to make his life more difficult is the biggest thing for me.
The Cameron's for the Suns were also 10-18, 4-9 for 26 points. Spencer is going to have to offset some of what they do.