27 Scored By George leads Clippers over Chris Paul and Phoenix Suns in Game three. George scored 27 points and the Clippers pulled away in a dominant third quarter, beating newly returned Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns 106-92 on Thursday night in Game three of the Western Conference finals. According to Clippers guard Reggie Jackson said, we continue to chip away try to find ways we can be better and impose our will on opponents, we showed a lot of heart a lot of fight.
The Clippers cut their series deficit to 2-1 ending the Phoenix Suns franchise record playoff winning streak at nine games. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, our guys keep grinding, keep fighting, we never give up.
Kawhi Leonard remained out with a right knee sprain leaving George to carry the load again. After missing two crucial free throws in a one point loss in Game 2, George had 15 rebounds and eight assists and played a game high 43 minutes abd he made 6 of 7 free throws. George did a great job of just moving on and having a great game for us, Lue said.
The Suns got Paul back after he missed the first two games while being sidelined since June 16 because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
The former Clipper who was booed heartily during intros had 15 points and 12 assists, but was 5 of 19 from the field. Cameron Payne, who so ably filled in for Paul in the first two games went down with a left ankle injury after playing four minutes and did not return.
We missed him a lot, Suns guard Devin Booker said. According to Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said, he played Paul too much in his first game back.
Probably got tired, but it hurt us when Cam could not come back so I left Chris out there for a longer stretch and that’s on me. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 18 points.
Jackson added 23 points for the Clippers and Ivica Zubac had 15 points and tied his career playoff high with 16 rebounds. The Game four is Saturday night at Staples Center. After Phoenix won the first two games by a combined seven points, the teams played a close first half. George pumped up the Clippers going into the locker room with a thunderous one-handed dunk.
That probably killed their momentum a little bit, according to Jackson. We are fortunate to have a guy like that that can do a little bit of everything. Los Angeles quickly went to work in the second half in front of 17,222 raucous, Thunder Stix pounding fans.
They took control with the biggest run of the game, a 21-3 spurt that left them leading 71-56 in the third. Terance Mann got it going with six straight points and Jackson scored four in a row before George scored inside.
Zubac dunked off George pass and made a pair of free throws. The Suns were limited to a 3-pointer by Paul.
Williams said, they just brought it, we just did not match their force.
Booker picked up his third and fourth fouls in a 42-second span during the Clippers' run. Booker wearing a clear mask to protect his broken nose after he and Patrick Beverley banged heads in Game two was 5 of 21 from the field, making only one of seven 3point tries, and finished with 15 points.
Jae Crowder, who assisted on Deandre Aytons winning dunk on Tuesday, fouled out with 4:51 remaining. He had nine points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Suns were just 35 of 90 from the floor, despite getting decent looks. We weren’t sound at all, to Williams he said. They played good defense, but we did not run our offense the way that we have been running for most of the playoffs.
George capped the third by banking in a 3-pointer from just inside midcourt, and it beat the buzzer, stunning the fans and sending the Clippers into the fourth leading 80-69. He nearly bobbled the ball along the right sideline, with Booker and Cam Johnson pressuring, before getting the shot off.
Luke Kennard opened the fourth with a 3 from the right corner getting fouled and making the free throw. Marcus Morris hit a three before George got fouled. He confidently made both, keeping the Clippers ahead 89-71.
Bookers basket drew the Suns within six, but Jackson answered with five straight points and George made a pair of free throws.
Booker Nose spoke to retired player Richard Hamilton on how to play wearing a mask. Hamilton broke his nose twice during the 2003-04 season and wore a clear plastic mask. It became his trademark and he wore it the rest of his career.
Nose feels fine Booker said, confirming it was broken in three places. He had it reset and received several shots of painkiller.
Marcus Morris was close to being scratched after dealing with a sore knee. Instead, he came off the bench. He hit two big 3 pointers in the second half and finished with eight points. He still did a great job, said Mann, who started in Morris place.
Hit some shots and played great defense in there battling for every rebound.
Phoenix Suns Fell to 10-3 in the playoffs, losing for the first time since May 27 against the Lakers at Staples Center in Game three of the first round.
Booker and Beverley were called for double technicals in the third...!!
Paul and Booker each missed their first six shots of the game and were both 2 of 10 with seven points each in the first half.
Los Angeles Clippers Zubac is the first Clipper with a double double in the first half of a postseason game since De Andre Jordan on April 30, 2017, against Utah. Longtime fan Billy Crystal sat courtside...!!
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