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The Phoenix Suns demolished the LA Clippers with a 130-103 win in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals at Staples Center on Wednesday. The Suns finished off the Clippers with a 4-2 series victory that put an end to LA’s inspiring postseason run.
After a gallant stand without Kawhi Leonard for the entire series, Paul George and company were eliminated from the 2021 NBA Playoffs on Chris Paul’s sensational 41-point performance. The Phoenix Suns are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993, while the LA Clippers are left wondering what could have been.
The LA Clippers were short-handed to begin the series, with Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka out for the entirety of the Western Conference Finals. They then lost Ivica Zubac to an MCL injury midway through the series.
5 reasons why the LA Clippers lost Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns
#1 Shots were way off
Credit should be given to the Phoenix Suns for their defense, which forced the LA Clippers to take many contested shots.
However, when they were open, the Clippers missed badly on some wide-open shots. The misses included a three-point attempt by Marcus Morris Sr. that only hit the side of the backboard with seconds to go in the third quarter.
Overall, the LA Clippers shot just 41.8 percent from the field and a frigid 12-of-39 from three-point range (30.8%). From the starters, only Patrick Beverley and Marcus Morris Sr. made more than 50 percent of their shots.
#2 The LA Clippers were overmatched on the glass
With Zubac out, the Phoenix Suns used their height advantage to dominate the paint. It was a massacre as the LA Clippers were outrebounded by 15 (47-32), resulting in multiple second-chance points by the Suns.
Deandre Ayton was a beast down low with 17 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. The LA Clippers tried gang-rebounding again as they had been doing the past few games. However, Ayton woke up and put his size to work.
#3 Paul George looked tired against the Phoenix Suns
All the minutes that Paul George played for the LA Clippers in the postseason had finally caught up to him. However, it's not an excuse for his poor outing against the Phoenix Suns.
George looked gassed in Game 6, and his shots were just flat for most of the night. The seven-time All-Star had 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 from the three-point arc. He still managed to grab nine rebounds but had a team-worst -25 plus/minus for the game.
#4 LA Clippers couldn’t protect the paint
Not only did the LA Clippers lose the battle of the boards, but they also lost points in the paint. The Phoenix Suns had 54 points in the shaded area compared to just 34 points for the Clippers. The Suns’ interior defense is a major reason for this, but there’s another factor that affected it.
Part of the reason for this huge discrepancy was the LA Clippers’ tendency to look for shots from behind the arc instead of taking easier mid-range shots or drives. The starters alone took 29 attempts from three but were ice-cold for most of the night.
#5 Chris Paul had an MVP performance for the Phoenix Suns
If there was one person who was solely responsible for the LA Clippers' loss, it was the Phoenix Suns' Chris Paul.
Paul put in a performance for the ages in the clinching game of the series. His 41 points included a career-high 31 points in a single half.
The Phoenix Suns point guard ran rings around his defenders, from Patrick Beverley to Terrance Mann and Paul George. There was no one to keep him from dissecting the LA Clippers' defense.
Paul made 16 of his 24 shots from the field, including a sizzling 7-of-8 from three-point range. He also added eight assists, four rebounds and three steals in a sensational all-round performance.
The fourth quarter was all his as he scored 19 big points to put the LA Clippers away for good.
Guess the Lakers players!
