Kawhi Leonard had 38 points and the Clippers, led by Russell Westbrook, outworked the Suns late to pick up a Game 1 playoff win over the Phoenix Suns.
with 17 seconds left. Backing down Phoenix’s Devin Booker in the post, the Clippers nursing a one-point lead, Westbrook drew a foul with 17 seconds to play. As he walked to the line to shoot his first free throws of the game, Westbrook went back to the previous night.“I’m like, oh yeah, I envisioned myself like, OK, I was in the gym by myself last night and before I left the court, I hit two free throws,” Westbrook said. “Knocked them down.
With 38 points in 42 minutes, Leonard did the heavy lifting necessary on offense to carry a team that is not expected to have Paul George back from his right knee sprain during the first round. After carefully monitoring his workload during his first season back from knee surgery, Leonard was allowed to push the limit to claim the team’s first Game 1 victory in a playoff series in Lue’s three seasons.tp;With 12 points and 15 rebounds, center Ivica Zubac outplayed his counterpart, Deandre Ayton.
“You bring us way more than scoring the basketball,” Lue had said. Westbrook, he added, was “phenomenal.” Westbrook stayed in not because his offense ever recovered, but because he was “too good defensively,” Lue said, and because of his rebounding acumen. With 2:43 to play, Westbrook collected a miss by Gordon and found Leonard for a three-pointer that pushed the Clippers’ lead to four.Injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as well as problems with consistency, have the Clippers as underdogs when the playoffs start Sunday in Phoenix.
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