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Clippers steal Game 1 behind Leonard, Westbrook
Nearly every shot Russell Westbrook threw at the rim on Sunday night clanked right back towards the Footprint Center floor. But while the game is and has always been about buckets, the future Hall of Famer showed there are other ways to provide a bucket-like impact as the LA Clippers secured a 115-110 Game 1 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Westbrook struggled with his shot all night long, finishing a paltry 3-for-19 from the field en route to only nine points. But with the game approaching its pivotal moments, it was Westbrook who supplied the biggest and most memorable plays. As Clippers shot after Clippers shot caromed off the rim in the final minute, Westbrook used his veteran guile and hustle to win second- and third-chance opportunities for the Clippers before stepping to the free throw line and sinking two clutch tries to push the Clippers back in front by three. Westbrook wasn’t done, though. When Phoenix star Devin Booker attempted to drive to the rim late, Westbrook blocked the shot and threw it off of Booker to secure the Clippers possession, and the game along with it. “My whole career, man, I've been priding myself every season to do everything,” Westbrook told gathered media in Phoenix after the game. “I think I'm one of those guys that can do everything each and every night. Like I've always told you guys, whatever's needed of me to win a game, I'll do it.” Alongside the nine points, Westbrook finished with 11 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals. “The dude has more energy than most people I've ever seen on the court,” Eric Gordon said postgame. “So, we definitely needed it. He made some spectacular plays towards the end and it's all about winning, and he's proven it.” While Westbrook supplied the hustle and defensive grit that the Clippers desperately needed in Game 1, it was their silent assassin, Kawhi Leonard, who led the way on the offensive end. Leonard poured home a game-high 38 points on 13-for-24 shooting, scoring 25 in the second half alone as he outscored Phoenix’s trio of Booker, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul during that time. “He [Leonard] was great,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said postgame to gathered media. Leonard played 42 minutes in Game 1, the third time this season he’s played at least 42 minutes, and the second time in the last 11 days. The Clippers, and Leonard to a lesser extent, caught some flak throughout the season for the way that they monitored the minutes and workload of the two-time Finals MVP. But it’s that gameplan, that diligent preparation, that had the Clippers ready to unleash Leonard in full force during Game 1’s victory. “That's what we've been saving up for,” Lue said. “This moment here in the playoffs, we have to play heavy minutes, especially with PG being out, being short-handed, and like I said, he was great tonight.” Eric Gordon made his Clippers postseason debut, a far cry from when he was drafted by the team back in 2008. The 34-year-old made his mark early as he scored 12 points in the first quarter to pace the Clippers before finishing with 19 for the game, including a big three-pointer late in the fourth. Norman Powell supplied 14 points off the bench while Terance Mann added 10. The Clippers, as a team, shot 44.1 percent from the field and 32.3 percent on three-pointers. Hardly impressive numbers. Prior to Sunday’s Game 1, the Clippers had been 2-23 in franchise history all-time in the playoffs when they shot 45 percent or worse from the field and 33 percent or worse on three-pointers in the same game, according to Stathead. It was their first win when doing so since Apr. 22, 2006, an 89-87 win against the Denver Nuggets. But it was their first win on the road after being 0-14 all-time in the postseason. The Suns played right into the Clippers’ hands for most of the night as the ball routinely found Torrey Craig and Deandre Ayton. The two combined for 40 points on 31 shots, mostly buoyed by Craig’s season-high and playoff career-high 22 points. But the ball finding those two more meant it was out of the hands of Kevin Durant. The Suns’ superstar finished with 27 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in 45 minutes. However, Durant attempted just five shots in the second half. It was a situation the Clippers would gladly take nine times out of ten. The Clippers’ best bet going into this series was winning the math battle, something that they seem sure to do just based on Phoenix’s shot profile after the acquisition of Durant. In Game 1, the Suns attempted only 19 three-pointers. It made up 23 percent of their shots. The Clippers, to their credit, hoisted up 31 threes, including 10 in the fourth quarter alone. The 31 triple tries accounted for 33 percent of their total field goal attempts. Extending their series lead in Game 2 could very well hinge upon their ability to get up more three-pointers than Phoenix is willing to take. Game 2 is on Tuesday night, and suddenly the pressure rests squarely on the shoulders of the Phoenix Suns and their core group that was heavily favored in this series against a Clippers squad missing Paul George. A win on Tuesday would give the Clippers a stranglehold heading back to Los Angeles. But it’s one game at a time, one step at a time. Or, as was the case on Sunday night, one Russell Westbrook hustle play at a time. |
