All the talks entering this series and game 1 majorly focused on the All-star players who were unavailable, Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard.
All the talks entering this series and game 1 majorly focused on the All-star players who were unavailable. Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard. But the story coming out of Game 1 will be the back-and-forth battle between Devin Booker and Paul George. The two went at it all day long as the Phoenix Suns beat LA Clippers 120-114 in the Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Booker finished the win with the Phoenix Suns’ first playoff triple-double since Steve Nash back in 2005. The All-Star guard was masterful on the offensive end. He recorded 40 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Devin Booker is the 3rd youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point triple-double in the playoffs. Only Luka Doncic and Oscar Robertson have done so at a younger age. @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/o4UItF4FSC
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) June 20, 2021
On the other side, George led the charge for the Clippers finishing the game with 34 points, five assists and four rebounds. But, in the end, it wasn’t enough to overcome Booker and the rest of the Suns.
With the Phoenix Suns up two points with 22 seconds left, Booker got the ball on an after-timeout-play, noticed there wasn’t a single Clippers player within striking distance, he drove to the rim for a two-handed dunk. The crowd roared as Booker went off for a 40-point triple-double. He went toe-to-toe with each L.A. defender put in front of him and kept knocking down shots.
The @Suns win Game 1 vs. LAC behind @DevinBook‘s first career #NBAPlayoffs Triple-Double! #ThatsGame
40 PTS | 13 REB | 11 AST
Game 2: Tuesday at 9pm/et on ESPN. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/w6SgPrfRV7
— NBA (@NBA) June 20, 2021
This performance from Booker almost made you forget that this team was missing their key man Chris Paul.
Terance Mann, who had the game of his life scoring 39 points against the Utah Jazz in Game 7, scored just 9 points in this game. Mann, Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum combined to score 20 points. George and Jackson carried a majority of the offensive workload combining for 58 points. With Kawhi Leonard’s status still unknown, the Clippers need far more from those three players to have a fighting chance in this series.
Creatin’ space… SPLASH. ?? pic.twitter.com/7RUCfspZcw
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 20, 2021
It can’t be completely up to George to carry this team every game. Morris and Batum need to knock down shots. If L.A.’s role players don’t show up, this could be a very short series.
Both teams entered this game without their important players. While it’s still unclear about the status of both Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard, the Suns are likelier to get their All-Star back sooner than the Clippers.
Paul has been out due to health and safety protocols. Depending on the guidelines by the league, there’s a possibility that he could return for Game 2 on Tuesday. For the Clippers, Leonard didn’t travel with the team to Phoenix, he continues to receive treatment on his knee. The Clippers would love to have Leonard back, but if he’s dealing with an ACL injury, then it could be risky to rush him back. All eyes will be on the return of these two players as this series moves forward.
The Phoenix Suns have the early momentum in this series as they look to defend their home floor and put themselves in a position to advance to the NBA Finals. These two teams will meet again on Tuesday for game 2.