The Phoenix Suns burned the LA Clippers in Game 1 to take an early series lead. Will the Suns go back to back and bury the Clippers in a deeper hole? Or will the Clippers head back to Hollywood with the series tied at 1-1. Check out our preview of Game 2 of Clippers vs. Suns below.
The Clippers saw their four-game win streak in the playoffs come to an end last Sunday, as they lost to Phoenix in Game 1 of the 2021 Western Conference finals to the tune of a 120-114 score. They also failed to cover the spread as 4-point road underdogs. Reggie Jackson, however, continues to spew fire in the playoffs. He scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field to provide Paul George much-needed support. George had 34 points on a salty 10-of-26 shooting. What head coach Ty Lue would like to see in Game 2 is the other role players stepping up and becoming factors again just like in the Utah Jazz series. Kawhi Leonard has not been ruled out for Game 2 but it’s fair to assume that he’s not going to be out on the floor this coming Tuesday. Terance Mann, Nic Batum, and Marcus Morris Sr. combined for just 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting in Game 1.
The Clippers are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games overall.
The Suns are back at it again. Despite not having Chris Paul on the floor, Phoenix relied on a total team effort to get the job done in Game 1. Devin Booker led the team by posting a monster triple-double of 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in 44 minutes of action. Cameron Payne started in lieu of Paul and had 111 points to go with nine assists, while Torey Craig and Cameron Johnson provided the spark off the bench. The Suns look like a team that can survive without Paul, but they sure are a much better team with CP3 around. Paul doesn’t have a timetable for return, as of this writing, but his status appears to be more optimistic than Leonard’s. Booker is averaging 29.0 points in the playoffs, while Ayton, who had 20 in Game 1, is making 15.6 on 71.6 percent shooting from the field.
The Suns are 8-0 against the spread in their last eight games overall.
