The fourth quarter of Game 4 between the Suns and Clippers was unbelievably ugly, leaving NBA Twitter in awe of the mess at Staples Center.
The NBA Playoffs are supposed to be the pinnacle of basketball, with the best players on the best teams producing the most excitement possible.
Teams and players can’t always deliver on that promise. The Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers certainly didn’t in an astoundingly terrible fourth quarter of basketball during Game 4 on Saturday night.
The decisive fourth quarter was just a mess as the teams combined for 29 points. Phoenix came out of it winners. The Clippers and the viewing audience of the NBA were the ultimate losers.
This 4th quarter is garbage
— Derrick Rose (@DRoseTV) June 27, 2021
This entire 4th quarter has been terrible for basketball
— Barstool Florida (@UFBarstool) June 27, 2021
This 4th quarter has been ATROCIOUS for both teams
— CJ Maclin (@CJMaclinTV) June 27, 2021
This 4th quarter set the game back to the set shot days
— faze (@fazism) June 27, 2021
The Suns and Clippers reached new lows in the fourth quarter of Game 4
Los Angeles trailed by as many as 16 points, but they came out firing in the third quarter to make it a game going into the final quarter.
What came next can be best described by the visuals curated by NBA Twitter.
Hi. I’m the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/LbERYNupMn
— Marc Hochman (@MarcHochman) June 27, 2021
Live look at the clippers vs suns 4th quarter performance pic.twitter.com/B2UsyGnwAB
— Darius Garland Enthusiast (@DGthePGSZN) June 27, 2021
Suns-Clippers in the 4th Quarter pic.twitter.com/co1kCCdKH5
— RTR Dos 🐘 (@JDejuan2) June 27, 2021
4th quarter of the Clips vs Suns was ELECTRIC. All you can eat buckets. pic.twitter.com/6BF0VbOQZD
— Johnny Wright 🤘🏻🥩🥃 (@johnnywright711) June 27, 2021
More than a few viewers wondered if that was the worst quarter of basketball ever played.
Possibly the worst 4th quarter in NBA playoff history. This has been college basketball in the sense that it’s all heart and no made buckets.
— Arrowhead Carl (@EAD_SPORTS) June 27, 2021
The stats were bad. Really, really bad.
The 4th quarter score is......
— Jason Ross (@JasonRoss1140) June 27, 2021
Suns 2
Clippers 4
They have played 5 and a half minutes.
84-80. You just watched the lowest scoring NBA game this season.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 27, 2021
685 games this season had more points through three quarters than this one had in four quarters.
Suns & Clippers combined to shoot 18.4% (7-for-38) from the field in the 4th quarter
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 27, 2021
In the 4th quarter the Clippers had 9 official possessions down 1 point and didn’t score on any of them
— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) June 27, 2021
0-10 on shots to take the lead
2 shot clock violations
1 turnover
Suns never trailed in the game
Biggest 12 minutes in franchise history and the Clippers made three field goals in the 4th quarter.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) June 27, 2021
It turns out, though, it objectively wasn’t the worst ever.
Based on @Stathead search, looks like the lowest-scoring combined quarter in the shot clock era was 19 by the Cavs (13) and Nets (6) in 2007, so the combined 20 points here are off the hook.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) June 27, 2021
New Jersey actually won that game 83-72! https://t.co/uBYoyhC5tR
It wasn’t fun for Paul George’s legacy. He finished with 23 points while going 1-of-9 from 3-point range and missing a key free throw late.
Ben Simmons might be better at 4th quarter free throws than Paul George
— Drew (@_DrewWheeler) June 27, 2021
The Suns should just foul Paul George the entire 4th quarter of game 5
— Beagle Bro Borghi (@HardFactorMark) June 27, 2021
It definitely wasn’t good for the sport.
I think the Suns won? Still not sure tbh
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) June 27, 2021
Both teams can look to make up for it as the series continues with elimination basketball. The Suns need one more win to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.
The Clippers are now in their biggest hole of the playoffs so far. They have to find some way to win three straight games to advance to their first-ever NBA Finals.