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The Los Angeles Clippers had nine shots to turn the score around in the final quarter, one point behind. Three more to tie. None entered. Thus, the Phoenix Suns led Game 4 of the Western Conference Final 84-80 away from home and are one victory away from securing a spot in the NBA Final after 28 years. With 3-1, the team of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and company can close the series next Monday, at 10 pm, in Phoenix.
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The 84 points were the lowest score by a winning team in any season, regular or playoffs. The final quarter score was 15-14 for the Suns, with shooting under the criticism of both teams. The highlights of the game were the pivots and their rebounds. Deandre Ayton, with 19 points, 22 rebounds – being 9 offensive – and 4 blocks, got the better of Ivica Zubac, with 13 points and 14 rebounds, being 7 offensive.
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Ayton dominates the jug — Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Devin Booker scored 25 points. Chris Paul turned 18 with 7 assists. Mikal Bridges had 13 rebounds and 6 points. The Suns took a 16 lead at the start of the third quarter. They let the Clippers come, but never turn it around. In the fourth ugliest period of the season, they kicked 4-19 from the court, but Los Angeles kicked 3 of 19.
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For the home team, Paul George had 23 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. Reggie Jackson contributed 20 plus 5 rebounds. The team only hit 5 of 31 shots out of three, the vast majority attempted in the first half. In the second half of the duel, coach Ty Lue changed his strategy.
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Attacks on the basket and aggressive defensiveness ensured a glued scoreboard at the decisive moment, but the opportunities lost in the end were too numerous. The season is at risk and could end on Monday for the Los Angeles team, who, once again, lacked Kawhi Leonard. The star has not appeared once in this series, with problems in his right knee.
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Clippers
Paul George (23 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists)
Reggie Jackson (20 points, 5 rebounds)
Ivica Zubac (13 points, 14 rebotes)
Terance Mann (12 points, 4 rebounds)
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Suns
Devin Booker (25 pontos, 5 turnovers)
Deandre Ayton (19 points, 22 rebounds, 4 blocks)
Chris Paul (18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists)
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Defensive / offensive rebounds
Clippers 36/15
Suns 42/17
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Court shots
Clippers 27/83 (32,5%)
Suns 31/86 (36%)
Paul George 5/20 (25%)
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three shots
Clippers 5/31 (16,1%)
Suns 4/20 (20%)
Paul George 1/9 (11,1%)
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Lance books
Clippers 21/32 (65,6%)
Suns 18/21 (85,7%)
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Score Chart — Photo: NBA
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First Period – Suns 29 to 20: Coach Ty Lue repeated the lineup for Game 2, with Beverley, Jackson, George, Morris and Zubac in the starting lineup. If the idea was to better protect the carboy, it didn’t work. It was 20 points to 8 for the Suns in the area painted in the first round. Deandre Ayton scored 11 points and 6 rebounds, 2 of which were offensive.
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In three shots, the home team made 3 out of 15, which helps explain the 9 points difference at the end of the end. Phoenix hit 50% of the shots on the court, being 1 of 4 from the perimeter.
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Second period – Suns 21 to 16: The Clippers spent 6 minutes and 8 seconds in a row without scoring a single point in the second quarter. They kicked 1 out of 7 from the perimeter. For the Suns, eight players scored points, in an incessant ball movement, which generated 6 assists, 12 in total in the first half.
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Ayton and Booker went into halftime with 15 and 11 points, respectively, while Paul George had 11, and none of the Clippers scored in double digits. Score of 50 a 36 in the first half of the duel.
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Third Period – Clippers 30 to 19: On the return, the Clippers changed their strategy and decreased their shots to three. There were only 3, with one hit. It worked. With aggressiveness in protecting the carboy, attacks on the basket in sequence, especially from George, Mann and Zubac, and from mid-distance shots from Reggie Jackson, the team hit the score: 69 a 66.
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Fourth Period – Suns 15 to 14: The last quarter was for taking shots below the criticism of both teams: 3 of 19 for the home team, 4 of 19 for the Suns. The Clippers touched the minimum advantage, but lost nine opportunities to pass on the scoreboard, between mistakes and blocks. They still had three free throws to tie the game. In the last seconds, the game of free kicks decided the duel.
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Jogo 1 (20/06) – Phoenix 120 x 114 Los Angeles
Jogo 2 (22/06) – Phoenix 104 x 103 Los Angeles
Jogo 3 (24/06) – Los Angeles 106 x 92 Phoenix
Game 4 (06/26) – Los Angeles 84 x 80 Phoenix
Game 5: Monday (06/28), 10 pm – Phoenix vs. Los Angeles
Game 6: Wednesday (06/30), 10pm – Los Angeles v Phoenix (if necessary)
Game 7: Friday (02/07), 10pm – Phoenix vs. Los Angeles (if necessary)
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