BBNBA: Booker and Suns bounce back with Game 4 win

kass_stumbo

(Getty Images)

After a tough Game 3 loss, the Phoenix Suns managed to bounce back impressively with an 84-80 win over the L.A. Clippers last night. It certainly wasn’t pretty, but here are the highlights:

RECAP:

Phoenix relies heavily on former ‘Cat Devin Booker to put points on the board, but he struggled offensively in Game 3. Though he has led the Suns in scoring eight of their 14 playoff games so far, the Clipper defense shut him down almost totally on Thursday night. This, coupled with shooting woes from the rest of the Suns roster, made it very hard for them to stay competitive.

Last night was a different story. Booker scored 25 points in Game 4, propelling the Suns to a much-needed victory. Though the 25 is still just a tad lower than his postseason average of 27.1, it sure isn’t bad — especially considering he is wearing protective mask due to a broken nose he suffered in Game 2. The bad news, though, is that he went just 8-22 from the field and 0-5 from three, and turned the ball over six times. He fouled out in the final minute.

Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul added 19 and 18 points, respectively. Ayton had a heck of a performance on the defensive end, ending with 22 rebounds and four blocks.

Deandre Ayton has 15 points and 9 rebounds.

So enjoy these highlights. #RallytheValley pic.twitter.com/wP7F7VlkTs

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) June 27, 2021

Paul George led the Clippers again with 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. Reggie Jackson added 20 points of his own, followed by Ivica Zubac’s 13 points and 14 rebounds. That couldn’t outweigh their horrible shooting night, though.

Both teams struggled offensively. The Suns shot 36% overall and just 20% from three, with the Clippers going 32.5% overall and 16.1% from three. So it was largely a defensive battle — and Phoenix won it. The Suns out-rebounded and out-blocked the Clippers, pushing them over the edge in a close one.

With last night’s win, the Suns now lead the series 3-1. If they win it, it will be their first NBA finals appearance since 1993, giving them a shot at their first NBA title in franchise history. But not so fast, Phoenix fans. L.A. has proved they can claw their way back in a series. In fact, Clippers head coach Ty Lue is pretty confident they can.

“We beat Utah, the number one in the West, four games in a row. So it’s very doable.”

Ty Lue is confident the Clippers can overcome the 3-1 deficit against the Suns. pic.twitter.com/pYswiBsDXG

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 27, 2021