Winning Streak Continues: LA Clippers Defeat Phoenix Suns 111-95

Before it even started, the highly anticipated Western Conference Finals rematch between the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns was already a shell of what fans had hoped it would be. With Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Devin Booker, and DeAndre Ayton all sidelined, this matchup was without the star power that makes it so exciting.

With so many players out, each team had to rely on their depth. Starting with Phoenix, without DeAndre Ayton, they were especially short on interior defense. JaVale McGee got the start; however, once he went to the bench, the Suns went small. With Jae Crowder as the tallest man on the floor for Phoenix once McGee checked out, the Clippers were able to get their offense going inside the paint.

During McGee's first stint on the bench during that first quarter, Reggie Jackson made a concerted effort to get inside and score. After Jackson scored 8 quick first quarter points, coach Monty Williams went back to McGee for the remainder of that first quarter. Recognizing that they needed him in a game like this, the Suns played JaVale for 25 total minutes; however, he was severely outplayed by Ivica Zubac.

In 24 minutes, Ivica Zubac had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks, while posting a +9 plus/minus. Foul trouble sent him to the bench midway through the 3rd quarter, but his impact up until that point helped change the game for the Clippers.

The Clippers led after one quarter, starting the game off with a solid defensive effort. After one, Phoenix had just 21 points on 10/27 from the field and 1/9 from deep. While some of that was missed shots on relatively clean looks, the Clippers did a good job defensively in that frame without their three best wing defenders.

While the Clippers' defense kept them in the lead during that first quarter, their offense starting catching up before halftime. Much of this was due to Luke Kennard, who entered the break with 11 points on 2/2 from deep. Kennard finished with 16 points on 3/5 from deep. The Clippers also got a big first half from Marcus Morris, who entered halftime with 10 points on 4/6 from the field. He picked up where he left off in the second half, finishing with a game-high 24 points on 10/16 shooting. He has now scored 20+ points in four of his last six games.

After one half of basketball, the Clippers led Phoenix 56-44. A combination of collective offensive contributions and solid defensive effort gave them a nice buffer at the break. After a back-and-forth third period, the Clippers took a 10-point lead into the final frame. This is when they pulled away, and finished Phoenix off.

With a collective scoring effort, and defensive intensity against Chris Paul, the Clippers dominated that final frame. Without his co-star, Chris Paul had just 9 points on 4/14 from the field. Neither he nor his teammates could mount a comeback in that final frame, falling by a final score of 111-95.