Ugliest Game Of The Year? Suns Survive To Take Commanding 3-1 Lead! 6.26.21
It’s another day of NBA playoff action and we have Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Suns and Clippers.
(2) Phoenix Suns vs (4) LA Clippers
Phoenix Suns (3-1)
“This is a spiritual experience.” – Kevin Durant
Yeah, that sums this game up. The Suns dominated that first half with their physical, bruising defense and quickened pace led them to smother the Clippers. Then the 2nd half happened where the Clippers got back into the game in the 3rd and then the ugliest 4th quarter ever happened. Only 29 total points in the 4th but the Suns hung on for dear life to their lead and they scraped by (with some referee help) to win the pivotal Game 4 and take a 3-1 series lead.
That first half was pure domination. The Clippers couldn’t get anything going, they shot 30% from the field in the first half, 4/22 (18%) from 3. The Suns were shooting much better, outscoring the Clippers 28-16 in the paint. They were playing at a much faster pace, Ayton was good again and Booker had 11 points as well.
The Suns led by 14 at the halftime break and it seemed like they would runaway with this game, with how bad the Clippers were shooting and with how good the Suns were playing overall. However, things always have to get interesting in the NBA.
The Suns in the 3rd were what they were in the 3rd quarter of Game 3. Just 27% shooting in the 3rd quarter as their pace seemed to slow down a lot from the first half. The Clippers didn’t hit their outside shots, but they got to the rim a lot more and the game became close again. The lead got down to one at one point, 3 point advantage for the Suns entering the 4th. Then the 4th quarter happened, and it was ugly.
But the Suns barely hung on, not allowing the Clippers to score and take the lead when they were clinging to a one possession lead. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton both had big shots late in this game and the Suns just hung on. Booker fouled out, they got some favorable ref luck when they didn’t challenge and out of bounds call that looked like it was off Cameron Payne, but Chris Paul hit 4/4 big free throws down the stretch and the Suns are one win away from their first finals trip since 1993.
25 points for Booker, who still struggled, but was a lot better. Took off the mask in the 3rd quarter, not used to that. But he was a lot better in this game. Chris Paul was awful again, missed so many shots he hit against Denver. 27% shooting, but 18 points and 7 assists.
But like he’s done all playoffs long, Ayton was their best player in this game, arguably on both ends, certainly defensively. 19 points and 22 rebounds, 9 offensive rebounds. He had some big rebounds in the 2nd half that kept possessions alive when the Suns couldn’t make shots. But he’s been so good in these playoffs, definitely a huge reason for them winning this game.
Crowder and Bridges struggled, the bench didn’t do much, but they did just enough to win this ugly, ugly game. The Suns are highly unlikely to blow a 3-1 series lead, especially with how demoralized the Clippers must be after 3/4 close games that could all have been swung in their favor. The Suns now sit one game away from a championship, their potential first finals trip since 1993 when they lost to MJ and the Bucks. A Suns championship isn’t looking so crazy after all.
LA Clippers (1-3)
I don’t know if the Clippers can come back from this. They nearly won Game 1, but Devin Booker had a 40-point triple double to carry Phoenix without CP-3. In Game 2, also without CP-3 on the floor, you lose off of 2 missed PG free throws and an Ayton dunk with less than a second to-go. You win Game 3 and then there’s this game.
That first half showed why they missed Kawhi, who was going absolutely nuts in the stands all game long. 4/22 shooting from 3, 30% shooting overall in that first half. Lots of settling, not attacking the Phoenix defenders, not really getting quality possessions. Now, a lot of 3’s that they should have made, they missed. But that’s basketball for you and their offense was just awful, 36 points in the first half.
They scored 30 in the 3rd quarter thanks to them not settling and they got back into the game, but never taking a lead. They never had the lead in this game, believe it or not. The 4th quarter was ugly, so many chances for the Clippers to take the lead and they never did. They kept settling for 3’s, trying to get that home run shot instead of trying to find the best shot.
Now the refs did screw them over a bit but the Clippers also had breaks. Devin Booker fouled out late. Down by one, they forced the ball into Dario Saric’s hands but they didn’t foul him. Why? Saric is a good free throw shooter but he’s the guy you want to foul instead of Chris Paul. They don’t foul Saric and then there’s the play where the ball went off of Cameron Payne and they didn’t call anything. Similar to that thing in Game 2 when Beverley poked it out of bounds but it went off of Booker last. But the referees didn’t review it, likely because Adam Silver told them don’t drag the game on.
That’s on the refs and that ended up getting CP-3 free throws, which he of course hit to put the Suns up 3. But then Paul George missed another clutch free throw and then DeMarcus Cousins gets fouled and then when trying to intentionally miss, doesn’t hit the rim because somehow, he doesn’t know the rule by now.
Paul George was awful, 5/20 shooting. He’s been so jumpshot oriented in this series and he’s been super bad. Morris was 2/8, don’t know why he started over Terrence Mann, Mann has been much better in this series. Zubac was good, Jackson was 8/24. Batum and Kennard were a combined 2/10, it was a bad shooting night. LA shot 33% overall and they were a staggering 5/31 from 3 (16%).
The Clippers lose, down 3-1 after all 3 of their losses have been winnable. But they’ve been punching well over their weight this entire series and unless Kawhi magically gets healed, he’s likely done for the year and so are the Clippers. I just don’t think that the Clippers have enough in the tank without a top-5 player like Kawhi to try and comeback and win this series. Unless Paul George shoots a lot better and the Clippers as a whole shoot a lot better for 3 straight games, I don’t see them winning this series.
What Are Your Thoughts From Game 4? Leave A Comment Down Below!
Follow My Instagram To Never Miss A Post: @hoopnotions
