The Phoenix Suns have been terrific, to say the least, in the playoffs. They haven’t lost a game since the first round. They are on cruise control and looking to continue the good times rolling in Hollywood when they play Game 3 against the LA Clippers at Staples Center. Will the Suns go up 3-0? Or will the Clippers finally get a W? Check out our preview of this game below.
The Suns got the job done in the first two games of the series without even needing Chris Paul. But things could get a whole lot worse for the Clippers, with a reported optimism on his availability for the third game of the Western Conference finals. In any case, the Suns have shown they can survive without Paul, with Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and especially Cameron Payne stepping up. Payne has been a revelation. He led the Suns with 29 points to go with nine assists in Game 2’s 104-103 win, while Ayton had 24 points and 14 rebounds. That includes the game-winning dunk he threw down near the end of regulation. Payne appears to be capable of handling the duties in the backcourt while Paul is out and Ayton is still a matchup problem for the Clippers, who are struggling to contain him defensively. Ayton is averaging 16.3 points on 72.6 percent shooting from the field in the playoffs.
The Suns are 7-1 against the spread in their last eight when their opponent has allowed 100 points or more in their previous game.
The Clippers have been down this road before — twice even in this playoffs. Paul George and company also lost the first two games in the first round against the Dallas Mavericks and in the second round against the Utah Jazz, and in both of those series, the Clippers came back to advance to the next round. Despite their losses, the Clipper did not look overpowered in both defeats. They’re just not capitalizing on the breaks in the end game, which you could easily tell from George’s missed free throws in the clutch in Game 3. Playing back at home for the first time in the series should get the Clippers a nice boost. One thing about LA is that it’s shooting the ball well from deep, connecting on 40.7 percent of their threes through two games of the series. George and Reggie Jackson are hitting 4.0 and 3.5 threes per game in the series.
The Clippers are 4-0 against the spread in their last four home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
