Paul George missed two free throws with eight seconds remaining which would have given the Clippers' a lead by one point.
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The Los Angeles Clippers came incredibly close to levelling their series against the Phoenix Suns but just couldn’t pull it off. Paul George missed two free throws with eight seconds remaining which would have given the Clippers’ a lead by one point. The Suns kept the ball after they missed a game-winner attempt which went out of bounds off of the Clippers. With only 0.9 seconds remaining, the Suns drew up a perfect lob pass to Deandre Ayton, who dunked it home for a 104-103 win.
JAE CROWDER INBOUNDS IT TO DEANDRE AYTON FOR THE DUNK TO PUT THE @SUNS UP 2-0!#ThatsGame #NBAPlayoffs#WeAreTheValley pic.twitter.com/ltuQI6lxNl
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2021
With Chris Paul missing, the Suns received big-time performances from Cam Payne, he led all scorers with a game-high 29 points while Ayton poured in 22 points and 14 rebounds of his own. Devin Booker also contributing 20 points.
On the other side, Paul George led the Clippers with 26 points but he needed to attempt 23 shots to reach that total. Not the most efficient performance from Los Angeles’ lone All-Star in the lineup. In the end, it wasn’t enough to get the job done.
Game 1 belonged to Devin Booker. Game 2 belonged to Cameron Payne. With Booker shooting an underwhelming 5 of 16 from the field and missed second-half minutes after a blow to the nose, it was Payne that stepped up with a career-high 29 points on 12 of 24 shooting. Inside of the arc, he shot 10 of 16.
? @campayne goes off for an #NBAPlayoffs career-high 29 PTS to go with 9 AST, powering the @Suns‘ Game 2 victory! #ThatsGame
Game 3 – Thursday, 9pm/et, ESPN pic.twitter.com/Tz4CumvBul
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2021
Payne tossed up a variety of floaters, bank shots and scoops when the Clippers dropped deep. He was racing around the big men and they couldn’t get a hold of him. Payne, a minimum salary backup who was in the G League as recently as last season, is suddenly a three-level scorer capable of playing starter-calibre minutes with Chris Paul out.
That’s what Phoenix has built. It isn’t just about the stars. It’s a roster full of players who can take over games for brief stretches. When Booker went down after a bloodied nose, Cam Johnson stepped up. He made all five of his shots in Game 2. E’Twaun Moore gave the Suns viable backup minutes. This is what makes this Suns team special, it is deep enough to compete even without their main man. The Clippers came close to winning both of these games in Phoenix. They lost because the Suns had more players they could trust.
After Paul George missed those two critical freebies in the final moments of Game 2, he closed the night a disappointing 5 of 10 at the line. In a one-point loss, any one of those shots could have sent this game to overtime. Two would’ve won it for them.
Paul George to the rim for the lead
Devin Booker jumper in response.
Paul George again.7.8 seconds left on ESPN. Suns ball. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/go9S51ibud
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2021
George played 41 minutes in Game 2. He has averaged over 41 minutes since Game 5 of the Dallas series. The Clippers have played every other day since then, making tonight’s loss their 11th game in 21 days. His struggles throughout the night support the theory that he was tired. He shot only 10 of 23 from the field, and in the playoffs thus far, he has shot almost 88 percent from the line in fourth quarters. The misses themselves were ugly, but that doesn’t necessarily have to reflect on George’s overall postseason run.
The Clippers now trail 0-2 for the third time this postseason. This series isn’t over. The Clippers have proven twice that they’re capable of overcoming 2-0 deficits. These two teams will meet again on Thursday for Game 3.
