For 36 minutes Sunday, Russell Westbrook struggled mightily to make a shot.
By thwarting Phoenix’s final shot, the Clippers’ midseason addition greater than made up for it.
Amid a three-for-19 capturing evening, Westbrook by no means hesitated when Kevin Durant’s long-armed protection denied a straightforward entry go to Kawhi Leonard with 17 seconds left. Westbrook backed down Phoenix’s Devin Booker within the put up earlier than drawing a foul with 17 seconds to play. Strolling to the free-throw line for the primary time on the evening, he made each to push the Clippers’ result in three.
“My complete profession I delight myself each season to do every part,” Westbrook stated. “I believe I’m a kind of guys who can do every part each evening. Like I’ve all the time advised you guys, no matter is required of me to win the sport, I’ll do it.”
Coach Tyronn Lue advised Westbrook, who scored 9 factors, to not be annoyed by his capturing, a midgame message Westbrook stated he was grateful to listen to.
Needing one final cease, the Clippers defended with Westbrook, Leonard, Eric Gordon, Terance Mann and Nicolas Batum. Solely Westbrook factored into the possession.
Booker sought an isolation in opposition to him, then tried to drive to his left — solely to be stripped of the ball by Westbrook, who threw it off Booker whereas leaping out of bounds to provide the Clippers possession. The risk was ended, the sport stolen, a 1-0 collection lead seized in a 115-110 Clippers victory.
“You convey us far more than scoring the basketball,” Lue had stated. Westbrook, he added, was “phenomenal.”
Leonard offered the mandatory scoring punch, with 38 factors in 42 minutes. This heavy of a workload, Lue stated, was why the Clippers had managed his minutes so rigorously all through the season.
“It’s one win,” Lue stated, “however I like what we did tonight.”
Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard shoots over Phoenix Suns ahead Torrey Craig throughout Sport 1 on Sunday.
(Matt York / Related Press)
Lue has by no means been one to overreact to collection openers, which explains why the Clippers entered 0-3 in them underneath Lue, but had gained two playoff collection. He advised The Occasions in early April that the uncertainty surrounding what an opponent will run leaves him to “form of throw it out the window since you don’t know what they’re attempting to do.”
Getting into Sunday with out All-Star Paul George, who is taken into account a protracted shot to seem in the course of the first spherical whereas he rehabs a sprained knee, had modified these calculations, Lue acknowledged.
“We don’t have numerous margin for error so it’s probably not a feel-out recreation for us,” Lue stated earlier than tipoff.
It was exceptionally tight. The Suns made 39 pictures, the Clippers 41. The Clippers made 4 extra three-pointers, the Suns made three extra free throws.
Durant scored 27 factors, however his greatest work within the first quarter got here, unexpectedly, on protection. Purposefully sagging off of Westbrook, he drew a pair of missed bounce pictures early within the shot clock — precisely the form of pictures Westbrook had studiously averted since becoming a member of the Clippers. Westbrook missed his first seven pictures and after the final walked again on protection as Phoenix ran again for a dunk.
But in opposition to a rotation of defenders together with Westbrook, Gordon and Batum, Durant was not the drive many feared after his superlative capturing season. Even at almost 7 ft tall, he missed his first 5 pictures and didn’t see a straightforward, open look till halfway by the second quarter whereas taking part in in opposition to a physicality the Clippers vowed can be important to remain within the collection.
Clippers guard Russell Westbrook elevates above Suns guard Devin Booker for a layup.
(Matt York / Related Press)
Westbrook, who discovered all of Durant’s offensive tics as Oklahoma Metropolis teammates for eight seasons, blocked one shot from behind and poked away his dribble.
“I cherished our physicality,” Lue stated.
The dam couldn’t maintain eternally. Scoreless throughout his first 13 minutes, Durant scored 17 in his remaining 9 of the primary half, seeming to search out the solutions as the sport went on. Holding each Durant and Booker in in the course of the half’s remaining minutes may have been a raffle, as each had two fouls, with Booker narrowly avoiding a 3rd. It paid off: When the 2 mixed to attain 17 of Phoenix’s final 19 factors earlier than halftime, the Clippers’ lead had dwindled from 16 to 5.
That benefit was gone simply seven minutes later. Westbrook’s capturing struggles continued however had been no outlier because the Clippers went 4 minutes with out scoring, a drought made extra damaging by Phoenix scoring 15 unanswered factors to guide 77-68. When Phoenix couldn’t preserve management, mustering simply 4 factors within the quarter’s remaining 4 minutes, the Clippers stayed calm and pulled even behind a lineup of Leonard and 4 reserves to enter the fourth quarter tied.
With Leonard having already performed 34 minutes, Lue took a danger with lower than 10 minutes to play and changed him with Westbrook, not as a result of his offense ever recovered, however as a result of he was “too good defensively.”
Gordon’s 27-foot heave late within the shot clock pushed their result in 109-103 with 93 seconds to play, however the margin wouldn’t maintain. It was Westbrook who lastly sealed it.