On June 28th, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs are underway. The following is a preview of tomorrow’s games:
Clippers (1-3) VS Sun (1-3) (09:00)
In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals series, the Suns finally defeated the Clippers 84-80, winning the match point with a total score of 3-1. According to reports, this is the lowest score in all games in the NBA this season. According to statistics, the final result of the final series was 52 wins and 4 losses. The last time the team led by 3-1 but lost the conference finals was the 2016 Thunder. In addition, the Suns are only one victory away from entering the finals after 1993. If the sun wins again tomorrow, not only will they become the first Western Conference team to enter the Finals since California since 2014, but they will also become the second second-seeded team to advance from the Western Conference since 2013. It is worth mentioning that since Chris Paul entered the league, he is only one game away from the finals again. When Paul played for the Rockets in 2017, he led the Warriors 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals, and eventually failed to qualify for the Finals.
Most people will attribute the reason for the rise of the Suns this season to the joining of Chris Paul. Indeed, Paul gave the Suns a huge improvement, but the team can go to this day, it is definitely not the credit of Paul alone. Ayton, who played in the playoffs for the first time in his career, is also the key to the Suns’ success. The 2018 draft pick has a double-double record in the Suns’ past two victories, including 19 points and 22 rebounds in G4. Under Ayton’s protection, the Suns limited the Clippers’ shooting percentage to 32.5% and three-pointers shooting 16.1% (5 of 31 shots). So far in this series, when Ayton is the main defense, the Clippers have only shot 35.3%.
The key G5 battle will be held at the Suns’ home court, and the difficulty is predictable for the Clippers. Clippers coach Tyronn Lu said in an interview that Kawhi Leonard will stay in Los Angeles and will not go to the G5 Suns away game with the team. This means that the Clippers can only rely on the existing lineup to fight. In G4, Paul George was in poor form. He made 5 of 20 field goals, 1 of 9 3-pointers, 12 of 18 free throws, 23 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. According to statistics, this is the 11th time in George’s personal playoff career that he has shot 25% or less in a single game, ranking third in history. Tomorrow is a life and death battle, the Clippers need George to take on more responsibilities.
Speaking of the team’s current 1-3 behind, Clippers coach Tyronn Lu said: “We still have the possibility to complete the comeback, which is very feasible. We must focus on winning the first quarter of tomorrow, and then start from there. Keep going.” In addition, Lu said that taking into account the current player status and injury situation, he will consider arranging for Mann to start in the next game. It is worth mentioning that when the Clippers were still behind in the last 5 minutes of the playoffs this season, the final result was 0 wins and 8 losses.
Expected starting lineups for both sides
Clippers: Paul George, Reggie Jackson, Ivica Zubac, Marcus Morris, Patrick Beverley
Suns: Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton, Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Jay Crowder
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