The Phoenix Suns won a close one on Tuesday night as they stole what might have been a road win for the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Suns were still without their future hall of fame point guard Chris Paul and the Clippers were sans superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. Game 2 was a battle of skills with both teams refusing to back down.
The Suns eventually came out on top thanks to guard Cameron Payne and off course Devin Booker. Payne scored a season high 29 points adding 9 assists and 1 rebound. Booker had 20 points with 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and potentially a broken nose as the Suns won 104 to 103.
Late in the third quarter Booker and Patrick Beverley’s faces collided leaving the two players bleeding and being sent to their locker rooms to get cleaned up. The incident looked strangely familiar as Suns’ fans will remember point Guard Steve Nash breaking his nose in a very similar situation. Both players returned to play in the fourth quarter of Game 2.
Game 2 was a rollercoaster to say the least. After Booker was sent to the locker room the Suns looked panicked and struggled to make plays as Payne was resting on the bench. During that point Clippers star Paul George saw his chance to take the lead and did not miss it. By the fourth quarter the Suns found themselves trailing the Clippers.
Clippers and Suns battled hard in Game 2
The Suns got a lucky break though with seconds left Paul George was fouled with a chance to push the lead to 3 points but he missed both foul shots and Phoenix grabbed the board and called a quick time out.
After a Suns inbound play and a missed three point attempt the team got another lucky break as the ball went out of bounds last touched by the Clippers. With 0.7 seconds left in Game 2 with the win on the line the Phoenix “the Suns drew up a perfect lob pass to Deandre Ayton, who dunked it home for the win.” said by CBS Sports.
Many sports fans can’t help but feel for Paul George as he has been slandered time and time again by fans about his playoff play and just as it looked like things were looking up, the Clippers lost a heartbreaker. However, the Suns who played a great game, made the right plays and delivered when it mattered most.