KD, Book, CP3 carry Suns to Game 4 win over Clippers
Apr 22, 2023, 2:58 PM | Updated: 8:14 pm
Kevin Durant #35 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns react to the bench after a stop in play during the first quarter of Game Four of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals following a 112-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 on Saturday.
Suns stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant carried the Kawhi Leonard- and Paul George-less Clippers with a combined 61 points at Crypto.com Arena.
Durant led the team with 31 on 9-of-17 shooting, including going 3-for-4 from three-point range and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.
He also added 11 rebounds and six assists in what was his first 30-point playoff game for Phoenix.
“It’s definitely good when all three of us are aggressive and try to make plays and try to play fast-paced and I think today we all did a solid job,” Durant told reporters postgame.
“We’re still growing, we’re still trying to learn each other, still trying to figure out the best way to operate around each other.”
"It's definitely good when all three of us are aggressive and try to make plays and try to play fast-paced and I think today we all did a solid job. We're still growing, we're still trying to learn each other, still trying to figure out the best way to operate around each other." pic.twitter.com/jnWPQYyuTY
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 22, 2023
Booker picked up right where he left off in Game 3 with 30 points, his third straight game of 30-plus points.
The Suns shooting guard also had nine rebounds, seven assists and three in nearly 42 minutes played.
Hold that pose king👑pic.twitter.com/77gmuuG4ip
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 22, 2023
The Suns also got a big contribution from point guard Chris Paul, who scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Two of those came on this insane baseline fadeaway jumper.
THE POINT GOD🤯pic.twitter.com/zMxiFRm4W2
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 22, 2023
“Just playing this game for a long time, we learn in different ways,” Paul told reporters postgame. “I’ve never played with this much talent where people are doubling off of me.
“Like I said last game, I’ve never shot that many open shots. So it’s something that I’m getting used to, trying to figure out when to pick your spots, when to be aggressive and figuring this thing out on the fly.”
Chris Paul says he's never played on a team with this much talent before.#RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/2s7AxEW6au
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 22, 2023
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For the Clippers, guard Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 37 points, his second consecutive game with at least 30 points.
He finished the contest shooting 17-of-29 from the field, 3-for-6 from deep.
The Suns got very little help on the scoreboard from their bench, with four players combining for nine points.
UP NEXT
The Suns look to close out the series in Game 5 at Footprint Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app and ArizonaSports.com, with the pregame show slated for 6 p.m.
