NBA playoffs: Top moments from Phoenix Suns' Game 4 win over LA Clippers
It came down to the wire on Saturday, but it was the Phoenix Suns that walked away victorious in Game 4.
The Clippers shook up the series in a big way on Thursday, winning Game 3 106-92 for the franchise's first Western Conference finals victory in its long history, despite the return of Phoenix Suns superstar Chris Paul, who missed the first two games of the series due to health and safety protocols.
But on Saturday, the Suns defeated the Clippers 84-80, snapping their 14-game losing streak against LA at Staples Center – and beating the Clippers at home for first time since Dec. 30, 2013 – to take a commanding 3-1 lead before the series heads back to Phoenix.
The Suns are 6-2 all-time when taking a 3-1 lead and teams with a 3-1 series lead are 251-13 (.951) in NBA playoff history.
Here are Saturday's top moments:
LA Clippers 80, Phoenix Suns 84 (Phoenix leads series 3-1)
For the fourth time this series, Deandre Ayton scored the first bucket of the night. Hot off 18 points and nine rebounds in Game 3, Ayton set the tone for the Suns early in Game 4, with 11 points and six rebounds in the first quarter.
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On the other hand, the Clippers went 1-for-6 out of the gate and quickly found themselves down 12 midway through the first frame. They were able to close the gap a bit thanks to Paul George – who led the Clippers with eight points and four rebounds – but it wasn't enough, as LA found itself trailing, 29-20, heading into the second quarter.
The Suns went 12-for-24 in the first, while the Clippers struggled, going 7-for-25.
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Luke Kennard got things going for the Clippers in the second quarter, but it wasn't enough to swing the momentum LA's way, as the Clippers went scoreless for the next six minutes following Kennard's bucket.
It was the Suns – led by Ayton – that dominated the second quarter. Ayton picked up where he left off in the first frame, finishing the first half with 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
The Suns also received a scoring boost from Cameron Payne, who sunk a huge 3-pointer as the minutes ticked down in the second quarter. Payne returned to Game 4 after playing only four minutes in Thursday’s Game 3 before exiting with a left ankle injury, but it didn't appear to be slowing him down.
The Suns led, 50-36, heading into the second half as the Clippers struggled to find a rhythm. LA was 29.5% – including 18.2% from 3-point range – from the floor in the first half, and both George and Reggie Jackson went 3-for-11 to close out the first half.
In the third quarter, Suns' forward Mikal Bridges came up with a huge block to set the tone for the Suns.
As the third quarter got underway, CP3 scored seven points in the first six minutes after scoring only four points in the first half. He finished with 11 points in the third.
Ayton had a quiet quarter with just two points, but he made a big impact for the Suns by adding eight rebounds and two more blocks in the third frame – setting a playoff career high in the process.
On the other side, Jackson finished the third quarter strong, making this 3-pointer with 3:35 left to play look easy. He added nine points in the third frame to keep the Clippers within arm's reach of the Suns.
The Clippers shot 11-for-20 in the third quarter, while the Suns went 6-for-22.
Heading into the final frame, the Clippers found themselves trailing by just three points, and it's safe to say Kawhi Leonard – who is out indefinitely for the Clippers – was anxiously awaiting the comeback run.
Tensions were running high as George and All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker got into it on the court as the fourth quarter kicked off.
The Suns went 1-for-8 to start the fourth, while the Clippers went 1-for-10. Both teams struggled to connect, and with 6:34 left to play, Phoenix's lead had all but evaporated.
The fourth quarter came down to the wire, as both the Suns' and Clippers' star players delivered down the stretch.
With 1:05 left to play, Booker fouled out, and Terance Mann cut it to 3-point game with 53.1 left to play.
In the end, the Suns finally closed things out – after a lengthy fourth quarter – with Ayton leading the way by scoring 19 points and grabbing a whopping 22 rebounds, the third-most by a Suns player in a playoff game, trailing only Charles Barkley (24 and 23).
Booker went 8-for-22 from the field and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line to lead the Suns with 25 points, while George led the way for the Clippers with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists before also fouling out.
The Suns are now one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals, and CP3 is one win away from his first Finals appearance.
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