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The LA Clippers took Game 3 from the Phoenix Suns with a 106-92 win in the Western Conference Finals at Staples Center. Unlike Tuesday’s game which saw the two teams exchange leads in the final minute, Thursday's battle was lopsided thanks to a suffocating defense from the home team.
It was a tight ballgame until the third quarter when the LA Clippers made one defensive stop after another, limiting the Phoenix Suns to just 21 points and taking a 11-point lead heading into the fourth.
Paul George bounced back from missing two clutch free throws in Game 2 and had a near triple-double with a 27-point, 15-rebound and 8-assist outing in Game 3. His Phoenix Suns counterpart, Devin Booker, struggled with his shot for the second straight contest, making just 5-of-21 field goals.
The Phoenix Suns lead despite struggling stars
The LA Clippers had a lineup change, going small with essentially three guards, a small forward and a true center in Ivica Zubac. Booker played with a clear mask and it may have bothered his shooting quite a bit. That, plus Patrick Beverley’s physical defense got him to miss his first six shots.
By having Terance Mann and Beverley in the game at the same time, the LA Clippers defense stymied the Phoenix Suns into taking contested shots with Chris Paul airballing one of them. He and Devin Booker start the game 0-for-9 from the field.
LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue’s lineup adjustment resulted in a 29-21 first-quarter lead over the Phoenix Suns, who shot just 37.5 percent from the field. The Suns were led by Deandre Ayton with 10 points.
By the second quarter, Booker had scored his first basket on a corner three to bring his Suns to within three points, 29-26 with 10:14 remaining in the period. The game was tied at 33 even with the Suns’ backcourt duo shooting 1-of-13 so far. They then took a 35-33 lead on a Mikal Bridges jumper.
Paul finally hit his first field goal with 3:43 left before halftime as the LA Clippers struggled when Rajon Rondo entered the game. The two-time NBA champ committed three turnovers during his short stint on the floor where the LA Clippers were outscored 27-17.
Despite their struggles, the LA Clippers trailed by just two points to the Phoenix Suns, 48-46 with Ayton the leading scorer for the visitors at 10 points and George scoring 13.
The LA Clippers put the clamps on Phoenix Suns in the third quarter
The LA Clippers slowly crept up on the Phoenix Suns with smothering defense and crisp offense. The Clippers went on an 11-0 run courtesy of George, Mann and Zubac as they took a 15-point lead with 3:31 left in the third quarter. The crowd got into it as their team fought for its playoff life.
Mann scored 10 points in the third quarter, and the LA Clippers outscored the Phoenix Suns 31-24.
It got even more exciting for the crowd when George hit a halfcourt bank shot at the buzzer to end the third. He had 23 points by then with the home team up 80-69 with 12 minutes to go in the game.
Not done tweaking his lineup, Lue put Mann, George, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris Sr. and Nicolas Batum on the floor at the same time. This lineup frustrated the Phoenix Suns defense with the LA Clippers spacing the floor with drives and kickouts until their opponents left an opening for them to exploit.
Later, however, the Phoenix Suns went on a 12-0 run in less than four minutes, cutting an 18-point lead down to six, 89-83, midway through the fourth quarter. But Jackson would break the LA Clippers’ drought with two straight field goals, going on a 5-0 run by himself.
With 4:51 left in the game, Jae Crowder fouled out while guarding George, whose two free throws gave Los Angeles a 96-83 lead. After Bridges cut the lead to 10 with a 3-pointer, Jackson made a clutch three to push their lead back up to 13.
By the 2:20 mark, Beverley sank a 3-pointer that extended that lead to 16, 104-88, and that play finally broke the Phoenix Suns’ back. The game was pretty much over by that point and Suns coach Monty Williams brought in his reserves less than a minute later.
Final Score: Phoenix Suns 92-106 LA Clippers
Phoenix Suns' Top Performers
- Deandre Ayton 18p, 9r, 9-of-13 FG
- Devin Booker 15p, 5r, 5a, 5-of-21 FG
- Chris Paul 15p, 12a, 4 TO, 5-of-19 FG
LA Clippers’ Top Performers
- Paul George 27p, 15r, 8a, 9-of-26 FG
- Reggie Jackson 23p, 3a, 2s
- Ivica Zubac 15p,16r, 2b, 9-of-10 FT
