The Phoenix Suns will look to push the Los Angeles Clippers to the edge of elimination this Sunday. The Clippers, on the other hand, hope to pull off a stunner at home to guarantee another home game.
Catch this game live on Sunday, April 23, at 3:30 AM, Manila time
Away: Phoenix Suns (2-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Chris Paul
- SG: Devin Booker
- SF: Kevin Durant
- PF: Torrey Craig
- C: Deandre Ayton
After a rough start to the series, the Suns have finally taken the lead following a 129-124 victory in Los Angeles last Friday. Devin Booker smoked the Clippers for 45 points just a game after he torched them for 38. Booker finding his rhythm for the second game in a row wasn’t a good sign for the Clippers, who are already missing the services of their top two perimeter stoppers in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The absence of the Clippers’ superstar duo also makes the tandem of Booker and Kevin Durant even more impossible to stop for Los Angeles– or at least keep up with offensively — while at the same time significantly lightening the load of Phoenix on defense. That can be summed up as well by the fact that in Game 3, the Suns went to the free-throw line 46 times to just 25 for the Clippers. The Suns will enter Game 4 with a 5-2 record against the spread in their last seven games versus the Clippers in LA.
Home: Los Angeles Clippers (1-2)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Russell Westbrook
- SG: Eric Gordon
- SF: Norman Powell
- PF: Nicolas Batum
- C: Ivica Zubac
The big news out of Los Angeles is that Leonard will not be playing for the second time in this series due to a knee issue. With Leonard ruled out of Sunday’s contest, the Clippers are expected to have another heavy dosage of Russell Westbrook and Norman Powell following the pair’s explosive performance in Game 3. Westbrook put up 30 points with 12 assists and eight rebounds last Friday, while Powell went nuclear and scored 42 points on 15/23 shooting from the field.
It’s quite a lot to ask for Powell to be as hot again from the field as he did in Game 3, but in any case, the Clippers will have to get more from Eric Gordon. The former Indiana Hoosiers star scored only six points in Game 3 on six shots. He should be taking more shots with PG3 and Kawhi out. Gordon had a total of 26 shots in Games 1 and 2. The Clippers showed in Game 3 that even though they’re severely outmatched in terms of depth, they still have players who can keep them competitive. Los Angeles is 5-1 ATS in its last six games after a loss.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Suns (-7) cover the spread.
Over/Under: The total (225.5) hits the Under.
