NBA Playoffs: The Clippers are alive and kicking after a crucial Game 3 win over the Suns
Los Angeles, California - The Los Angeles Clippers are back to their winning ways in the playoffs, as they hold on at home to get the much-needed Game 3 win.
The Clippers kept from falling into a three-game hole by beating the Suns 106-92 on Thursday night. Phoenix still lead the Western Conference finals series 2-1, but if there were any doubts that the outcome of this series isn't a foregone conclusion, LA's fightback extinguished them completely.
Paul George (31), still at the helm in Kawhi Leonard’s absence, led the Clippers to victory with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Reggie Jackson also had a big game, scoring 23 points.
The game was close for the most part during the first half as the Clippers played for their chance to overtake the Suns. Their efforts and patience cashed in during the third quarter as LA jumped ahead by as much as 15 points. Despite several pushes by Phoenix, the Clippers managed to hold double-digit leads through the fourth quarter as well, on their way to closing out the Suns for good.
Chris Paul was back in the lineup for Phoenix after missing the first two games, due to the league's Covid protocols . The Clippers though seemed to have figured out how to handle him and Devin Booker, the Suns’ offensive superstars. The defense was so much more effective this time around, forcing both Paul and Booker into a combined 10-for-40 shooting, totaling up just 30 points.
Overall, the Suns only made just over a third of their attempted shots, a measly 35 of 90 from the floor, to be exact.
With this victory, the Clippers snapped the Suns’ nine-game playoff winning streak.
This series might be playing right into the Clippers’ hands
During the postseason, Los Angeles has had a knack of dropping the first two games of a series, only to eventually turn things on just in the nick of time to rally and clinch it. They did it in the first round against the Mavericks in seven games and pulled off the same heroics against the NBA’s best team in the Jazz, advancing in six. Comebacks are just the way the Clippers like to roll and it's paid off so far, round after round.
Game 4 between these two teams is on Saturday night, back in Los Angeles.
Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo