The Phoenix Suns now know they can beat the Los Angeles Clippers if they play in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Suns took a place in the playoffs and avoided a LA season change with one 109-101 victory on Wednesday at Phoenix Suns Arena. Chris Paul and Devin Booker led the winners, who improved to 44:18 with their second straight win.
A solid performance from Paul George wasn’t enough for the Clippers, who are still an impressive 43-21, although they lost two in a row.
The suns have secured a spot in the @ NBA playoffs 2021
We’re celebrating tonight, we’re back to work tomorrow
#RallyTheValley
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The franchise, which has not been in the playoffs since the 2009/10 season, won the day after it entered the Had secured a place in the off-season. It also had the chance to play two games ahead of the Clippers in the race for seed number 2 and home advantage in a possible second round matchup.
The offense wasted little time to take advantage of this opportunity. Paul handed out templates, Booker attacked the lane, Mikal Bridges did a bit of everything and the combination of Frank Kaminsky and Cameron Payne sparked a spark from the bank.
Los Angeles initially had no answer for Kaminsky on the edge, while Payne caught fire from the deep in the first half as Phoenix gained initial control.
Paul found his blow from the deep in the second half, but the Suns scored 47 points in the second and third quarters combined after them the Clippers had lit in the first for 39 points. This kept the visitors within striking distance.
Although LA climbed to one in less than six minutes, all Paul did was set the stage for the takeover.
The point guard scored in a little more than a minute six direct points to push the lead back to seven, deflated a jumper from the free-throw line and pitched Booker for a runner when the Clippers doubled him.
It was a brilliant display from the future Hall of Famer and a reminder of the kind of veteran leadership the suns missed during their playoff drought. It is in credit to the overall depth of the Clippers that they competed 7-2 in the last nine games on Wednesday, although Kawhi Leonard has only played in one of them.
George led seven games by more than 30 points in April but stepped with only nine pooh during Monday’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans nodded a step back. A similar performance would put a lot of pressure on the supporting cast against another championship contender in Phoenix.
It didn’t take George long to recover as he scored 15 points in the first quarter while aggressively seeking his shot. < The Clippers, however, were still double-digit at halftime, having only managed a single point in the second quarter. He also had little help from the supporting cast of just Marcus Morris Sr. in the double digits during the break, which was largely thanks to his exterior shots.
In honor of LA, the void closed when Ivica met Zubac inside, Reggie Jackson hit from outside, Rajon Rondo relieved, and George continued to hit as he battled for rebound.
The effort was enough to put the Clippers in a position to win in the fourth quarter, but they had the tough one Time no answer for Paul. In fact, they lost the last six minutes 16-9 and could have used Leonard to balance his All-Star counterpart with the game on the line.
Both teams are at home for their next game, when the Suns host the Utah Jazz on Friday and the Clippers take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
The Celtics Guard suspended a game during and after the game on Tuesday for « directing threatening language » at the umpire.
The NBA fined Rockets for violating health and safety protocols by attending a club in Miami.
Ref: https://bleacherreport.com
