It was an all out slugfest for the Phoenix Suns by the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Suns kicked off their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, and to the majority’s surprise, L.A. has made it a series.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Phoenix found life again in the second half, and found their way back into the game. They’d fallen behind due to a slow start in the first quarter.
As the blow-for-blow contest went down to the final seconds, the Clippers were able hit some clutch three-pointers while sealing Game 1.
First Quarter Drought Proves Costly
A 15-0 run in the third quarter definitely allowed the Suns to have a late battle. If not for the poor first quarter showing, the Suns may have been up by a decent margin by the fourth quarter.
Phoenix only recorded 18 points in the first quarter. Also, the Suns shot a horrid 31.8 percent from the field. Kevin Durant was a cold 0-4 from the field to finish the quarter.
Clippers guard Eric Gordon, on the other hand, was spectacular in the first quarter. His 12-point performance helped create the 30-18 score gap at the end of the quarter.
Phoenix was able to return the favor in the second quarter, scoring 36 points compared to L.A.’s 29.
Two-Way Booker
Devin Booker has long been known and lauded for his abilities on the offensive end. While that was needed and supplied on Sunday, he did the same defensively.
Booker took control in clutch moments throughout the game. He ended the game with three blocks, while also contributing some key charges drawn. The 26-year-old also managed four steals.
Booker also went on to pour in 26 points while shooting 10-of-19 from the floor. This will be deemed one of Booker’s more rare performances. Not because of the scoring, but because of his momentum-shifting defense.
Durant was also able to contribute heavily, ending the game with 27 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds. He had five crucial assists during a critical run in the second half to help the momentum.
In the end, the Suns couldn’t stand up to the barrage of three-pointers from the Clippers late. That and a lack of rebounding led to the Game 1 demise.
