3 things the Suns need to fix to win Game 4 vs. Clippers
By John Buhler
2. The bench needs to pick up the slack when it comes to the scoring department
One thing that really stood out in the stat sheet in the Sun’s Game 3 road loss to the Clippers is Phoenix did not get the type of offensive production it needed to out of its bench. While Phoenix bench players outscored Clippers bench players 22-21, keep in mind that Terance Mann was starting at forward in the place of the injured Leonard. Phoenix needs to win its bench minutes more decisively.
The only bench player who had more than double figures in scoring was forward Cameron Johnson with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting. He did this in 30 minutes of playing time, getting more run than both starting Phoenix forwards in Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder. Due to some early foul trouble, they had 26 minutes and 29 minutes of playing time in Game 3, respectively.
Conversely, Los Angeles only had three of its bench players score with an incredibly shortened rotation with Leonard being out. Nicolas Batum, Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris Sr. combined to give the Clippers their 21 points off the bench. While this dynamic changes if Leonard returns, it is especially imperative for the Suns bench to win its minutes if he remains sidelined.
Though Ayton and the bench may need to play better offensively, the stars must shine in Game 4.