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The Phoenix Suns recorded their eighth consecutive win in the ongoing 2021 NBA playoffs when they beat the LA Clippers in Game 1 of their Conference Finals series on Sunday.
Devin Booker notched up his maiden career-triple-double to lead the charge for his side, tallying 40 points, 11 assists and a career-high 13 rebounds on the night. Booker took up playmaking responsibility in the absence of veteran team leader Chris Paul, who was sidelined due to the league's COVID-19 protocols.
Devin Booker's tally of 11 assists is a great testament to the fact that he was excellent in CP3's absence in getting his team over the line. Meanwhile, Deandre Ayton (20 points and nine rebounds) also continued to impress as six players recorded double-digit scores for the Phoenix Suns.
The match was a closely contested one. The Phoenix Suns did well to stay in the lead after the second quarter and responded to the LA Clippers' runs.
The Clippers are a great team when it comes to making adjustments, though. So it will be important for the Suns to make sure they can replicate their Game 1 performance again.
On that note, let's take a look at five things the Phoenix Suns must do to make sure they win their ninth consecutive game in the 2021 NBA playoffs when they clash against the Clippers on Tuesday night in Game 2.
#1 The Phoenix Suns need to maintain their ability to adapt
The Phoenix Suns' key to success so far in the 2021 NBA playoffs has been their ability to be spot-on with their in-game adjustments. They constantly look for ways to improve, which has kept them ahead of the opposition at all times.
Game 1 was another example of how tactically sound they were. The LA Clippers kept coming back at the Suns till the last 22 seconds of the match, cutting their deficit to just two points. But the Suns stayed strong to close out the win.
#2 Win the rebounding battle
The Phoenix Suns will have to make sure they win the 50-50 battles and keep ball possession on their side for as long as possible.
The LA Clippers are an excellent team offensively and have multiple players who are tremendous shooters. That makes it pertinent for the Suns to win dead balls and rebounds. Since the Clippers tend to attempt more threes, the Suns will have a great chance of outrebounding them on missed attempts at the defensive end.
#3 Attack the paint
The Phoenix Suns dominated the paint against the LA Clippers, constantly looking to get to the rim, where they scored 54 points. The Clippers have been playing with a small ball lineup, which gives the Suns a fabulous chance to keep doing that in the next game too.
Deandre Ayton has been huge for the Suns in that aspect and will be expected to maul the LA Clippers bigs' yet again.
#4 Share the ball
Having multiple players who can be reliable at the offensive end gives the Phoenix Suns an edge in moving the ball with great fluidity. All of their perimeter players can shoot and attack the rim with great efficiency, dominating their opponents and not ending up having too many scoreless possessions.
The Suns' ball movement could become difficult for the LA Clippers to handle, given that the latter aren't one of the best defensive teams, especially in the absence of Kawhi Leonard.
#5 Limit the LA Clippers' three-point attempts
The LA Clippers' three-point shooting has been lethal all season. It was also one of the key reasons why they were able to stay in the contest in Game 1 against the Suns till the last minute of the match. Paul George and co. shot 20 threes on the night on 47 attempts.
The Phoenix Suns should take cognizance of that and try to force the Clippers to avoid shooting from the deep or make them take heavily contested shots. The Suns are solid in interior defense, so that could restrict the LA Clippers from scoring big. Ty Lue's men only scored 34 points in the paint in Game 1.
