Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy took to Instagram recently to call out Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder for his trash-talk during the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
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Crowder is under contract with the Suns for multiple seasons, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a little rivalry sprout from this.
The Lakers were eliminated from the 2021 NBA Playoffs by the Suns in the first round. Phoenix’s series win was stunning to many. However, given the Lakers’ injury issues at the time, it perhaps should not have been.
During the first-round matchup, Crowder didn’t play particularly well. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting just 38.6 percent from the field. That didn’t stop him from enjoying himself throughout the series victory, however.
After eliminating the Lakers, the Suns advanced all the way to the NBA Finals before ultimately being defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. It was an extremely entertaining series despite the Lakers not being involved.
The future looks bright for both Los Angeles and Phoenix. NBA fans might have to get used to seeing the Lakers and Suns regularly in the Western Conference Finals.
