There was reaction. The Suns tie the tie against the Clippers, make it 1-1 and head to Los Angeles, where the morbid series will continue. The most interesting of the first round by narrative, talent and competition. We’ll see if it’s also for equality: for now, there is. After the spectacular initial victory of the Angelenos, the Arizona team became strong at home and reacted to their fans. And it cost: the third quarter ended with a 92-87 that left everything open. And with more than 3 minutes remaining, their rivals were still 6 points away (115-109). But the locals prevailed, with intermittent minutes from DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul, the emotional weight that pushes you in the Footprint Center, the need to win without becoming a dangerous urgency and, above all, the performances of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Sometimes no further analysis is needed: That’s enough.
Phil Jackson said that the playoffs were decided by them “talent and luck”, emphasizing the first and without rejecting the second that does not depend so much on you but sometimes serves to tip the balance. The Suns have plenty of talent, who with the signing of Durant ran out of bench depth but put together a conglomeration of stars, some generational and others with the mission of being. But you have to do one very important thing, something that one of those players with immense quality like Chris Paul has understood, like many others, in that NBA that waits for no one, including him: winning is not easy. never is. And the point guard moves along that fine line, away from a ring that had two victories in 2021 and with a unique ability to play basketball. But without that title that, after all, everyone is looking for and that sometimes some find. And that serves to put the finishing touch to many resumes that, on too many occasions, have been left without writing that page of their own history.
Monty Williams decided there was no room for nonsense and did something very basic, but no less effective for that: he put Booker and Durant on track for more than 44 minutes. The first finished with 38 points, 9 assists and only 3 turnovers, 14 of 22 from the field, 4 of 7 from triples and 6 of 6 from free throws. The second, undefeated with the Suns until the defeat in the first round, got 25+6+5; he lost 5 balls and missed all 4 3-pointers he attempted, but went 10 of 19 on his particular shooting series. On his way to 35 years of age, his capacity is still immense and there is no decline in sight, although more is expected of him in the face of these playoffs. and the step forward can come in Los Angeles. That is where the great stars grow, in rival fields, before other people’s hobbies, against publics that lurk. We will see if the best Durant arrives at that moment or we still have to wait for him. Anyway, if this is the less monstrous version of him, blessed version.
Durant and Booker weren’t alone: Ayton and Chris Paul were there too. The pivot, again with Monty Williams pointed out in relation to his person, he went to 14 points and 13 rebounds, but only attempted 10 shots (he scored 7). It gives the feeling that it produces every time it receives, but they use it little in the pick and roll and, above all, they give him a sometimes very poor number of balls to the post. One of the many issues to be resolved but that nobody will say anything about when the games turn into victories. Paul, for his part, he went to 16 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, he only committed one loss… and it was decisive in the end: in the last 3 minutes, he hit a jump shot, stole a ball from Russell Westbrook, set up Ayton, and scored again from midrange. Brilliantly, the best Paul emerged. Of course, almost 38 minutes on the track: too long for a body about to reach 38 springs, punished by the passage of time and fatigued as the rounds go by and the matches accumulate. It is obvious, but it must be said: not all of us are LeBron James.
The Clippers, meanwhile, can leave with a good feeling on their way to Los Angeles. Everybody favored the Suns and they scratched the first gameapart from competing in the second. Kawhi Leonard worked very well again (31+8+7, with 3 steals, 11 of 20 from the field, 3 of 5 in triples and 6 of 7 in free throws) and Russell Westbrook showed, again, a strangely good, this time also in scoring: 28+5+5, 9 of 16 shooting, 2 of 5 three-pointers, 8 of 8 free throws and only 3 turnovers. We’ll see if the contribution of the point guard and the physique of the forward, who went almost 39 minutes this time after more than 41 minutes in the first game, is sustainable, a decision that Tyronn Lue justified by saying that this was what had tipped the balance. The Clippers were in the game almost until the end, losing 15 balls, shooting below 44% from the field and 11 of 30 from 3-pointers. It’s not bad, but it can be improved. Good news, therefore, for them, who are 1-1 and heading home. In general, the first two games of the series have been better. Now it’s time for the rest: the best. The morbid.
|
8
terrence ross
|
|
3
chris paul
|
|
18
Bismack Biyombo
|
|
twenty-one
T. J. Warren
|
|
35
Kevin Durant
|
|
1
Devin Booker
|
|
10
Damion Lee
|
|
0
Torrey Craig
|
|
22
deandre ayton
|
|
2
josh okogie
|
|
14
Landry Shamet
|
|
eleven
Jock Landale
|
|
55
Darius Bazley
|
|
12
Ish Wainright
|
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8
terrence ross
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
3
chris paul
|
37 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 8/13 | 0/1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
18
Bismack Biyombo
|
14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0/0 | 3/5 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
twenty-one
T. J. Warren
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
35
Kevin Durant
|
44 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5/6 | 10/15 | 0/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
1
Devin Booker
|
44 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6/6 | 10/15 | 4/7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
10
Damion Lee
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Torrey Craig
|
31 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 5/8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
22
deandre ayton
|
31 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 7/10 | 0/0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
|
2
josh okogie
|
fifteen | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/2 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
14
Landry Shamet
|
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Jock Landale
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
55
Darius Bazley
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
12
Ish Wainright
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
10
Eric Gordon
|
|
44
Mason Plumlee
|
|
33
Nicolas Batum
|
|
2
Kawhi Leonard
|
|
8
Markus Morris Sr.
|
|
0
Russell Westbrook
|
|
23
Robert Covington
|
|
24
Norman Powell
|
|
40
Ivica Zubac
|
|
14
Terence Mann
|
|
7
Amir Coffey
|
|
17
Jason Preston
|
|
4
Brandon Boston Jr.
|
|
5
Bones Hyland
|
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10
Eric Gordon
|
32 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/3 | 4/9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
44
Mason Plumlee
|
13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
33
Nicolas Batum
|
19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
2
Kawhi Leonard
|
38 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6/7 | 8/15 | 3/5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
8
Markus Morris Sr.
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Russell Westbrook
|
36 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8/8 | 7/13 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
23
Robert Covington
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
24
Norman Powell
|
28 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4/4 | 4/8 | 0/3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
40
Ivica Zubac
|
29 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4/6 | 2/7 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
14
Terence Mann
|
25 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2/2 | 1/1 | 2/2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
7
Amir Coffey
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
17
Jason Preston
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
4
Brandon Boston Jr.
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
5
Bones Hyland
|
14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/2 | 23 | 0/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
