Clippers and Suns Set for Game 1 Clash
The Los Angeles Clippers take on the Phoenix Suns at Phoenix Suns Arena on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their Western Conference finals series.
The Clippers (0-0) are just 48 hours removed from accomplishing the highly improbable feat of garnering a fourth consecutive victory over the Utah Jazz to notch a semifinal-round upset. What made Los Angeles' triumph all the more noteworthy was the fact they won the final two games without Kawhi Leonard (knee), with the latter a 131-119 victory on Friday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Terance Mann paced the Clippers with a career-high 39 points, supplementing them with two rebounds, one assist and two steals. Paul George supplied 28 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Reggie Jackson delivered 27 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and three steals. Nicolas Batum turned in 16 points, seven boards, two assists, three blocks and two steals. Patrick Beverley finished with 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block.
The Clippers will remain without Leonard for Sunday's game.
The Suns (0-0) will certainly come into Sunday's Game 1 clash with plenty of rest, as their last game came a week ago when they toppled the Denver Nuggets by a 125-118 score to complete a four-game, semifinal-round sweep. Chris Paul led the Suns with 37 points, adding seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Devin Booker posted a 34-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included four assists and one steal. Mikal Bridges furnished 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Deandre Ayton tallied 12 points, seven boards, one steal and one block.
The Suns will be without Paul (COVID-19 protocols) for Sunday's contest.
Sunday's game marks the fourth meeting between the teams since the start of the regular season. The Clippers have prevailed in two of the first three games.
The Clippers (0-0) are just 48 hours removed from accomplishing the highly improbable feat of garnering a fourth consecutive victory over the Utah Jazz to notch a semifinal-round upset. What made Los Angeles' triumph all the more noteworthy was the fact they won the final two games without Kawhi Leonard (knee), with the latter a 131-119 victory on Friday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Terance Mann paced the Clippers with a career-high 39 points, supplementing them with two rebounds, one assist and two steals. Paul George supplied 28 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Reggie Jackson delivered 27 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and three steals. Nicolas Batum turned in 16 points, seven boards, two assists, three blocks and two steals. Patrick Beverley finished with 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block.
The Clippers will remain without Leonard for Sunday's game.
The Suns (0-0) will certainly come into Sunday's Game 1 clash with plenty of rest, as their last game came a week ago when they toppled the Denver Nuggets by a 125-118 score to complete a four-game, semifinal-round sweep. Chris Paul led the Suns with 37 points, adding seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Devin Booker posted a 34-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included four assists and one steal. Mikal Bridges furnished 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Deandre Ayton tallied 12 points, seven boards, one steal and one block.
The Suns will be without Paul (COVID-19 protocols) for Sunday's contest.
Sunday's game marks the fourth meeting between the teams since the start of the regular season. The Clippers have prevailed in two of the first three games.
Sixers, Hawks To Collide In Pivotal Game 7
The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday evening in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Sixers had their backs against the wall in Game 6 and things looked a bit complicated at the start, but they eventually turned things around and escaped with a huge win that forced a decisive Game 7. During Friday's win, Seth Curry and Tobias Harris ended as the top scorers for the Sixers, as both ended with 24 points -- Harris also pulled down five rebounds, while Curry notched three rebounds and two dimes. Joel Embiid finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Ben Simmons only ended with six points and nine rebounds, but Tyrese Maxey looked impressive off the bench and contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. The Sixers need more from Simmons, need consistency from Embiid and need another big night from Harris and Curry to get the job done in front of their fans. Losing this game after ending the regular season as one of the best teams in the Conference would be a massive failure.
The Hawks, on the other hand, are surprisingly alive in the race for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they failed to close things out in Game 6 after allowing the Sixers to turn things around despite Atlanta's impressive start. Despite the loss, Trae Young was the best player for the Hawks in this game and finished with 34 points and 12 assists, while Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter both had double-doubles as well -- Capela contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Huerter chipped in with 17 points and 11 boards. Danilo Gallinari came off the bench and contributed 16 points. No other Atlanta player scored in double digits in this one. The Hawks know everything they can accomplish from now on it's a bonus in what has been a very successful season for them, but they should be extremely motivated since they're just 48 minutes away from reaching the Conference Finals for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
The Sixers had their backs against the wall in Game 6 and things looked a bit complicated at the start, but they eventually turned things around and escaped with a huge win that forced a decisive Game 7. During Friday's win, Seth Curry and Tobias Harris ended as the top scorers for the Sixers, as both ended with 24 points -- Harris also pulled down five rebounds, while Curry notched three rebounds and two dimes. Joel Embiid finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Ben Simmons only ended with six points and nine rebounds, but Tyrese Maxey looked impressive off the bench and contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. The Sixers need more from Simmons, need consistency from Embiid and need another big night from Harris and Curry to get the job done in front of their fans. Losing this game after ending the regular season as one of the best teams in the Conference would be a massive failure.
The Hawks, on the other hand, are surprisingly alive in the race for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they failed to close things out in Game 6 after allowing the Sixers to turn things around despite Atlanta's impressive start. Despite the loss, Trae Young was the best player for the Hawks in this game and finished with 34 points and 12 assists, while Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter both had double-doubles as well -- Capela contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Huerter chipped in with 17 points and 11 boards. Danilo Gallinari came off the bench and contributed 16 points. No other Atlanta player scored in double digits in this one. The Hawks know everything they can accomplish from now on it's a bonus in what has been a very successful season for them, but they should be extremely motivated since they're just 48 minutes away from reaching the Conference Finals for the first time since the 2014-15 season.