Deandre Ayton made a go-ahead alley-oop dunk off an inbound
pass with 0.7 seconds remaining as the Phoenix Suns earned a 104-103 victory
over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in the
Western Conference finals.
اضافة اعلان
Cameron Payne scored a career-high 29 points for the Suns,
and Ayton contributed 24 points and 14 rebounds. Devin Booker scored 20 points,
playing after getting his nose bloodied late in the third quarter and receiving
stitches.
The Suns increased their playoff winning streak to nine
games.
Payne stepped up to make 12 of 24 shots from the field and
had nine assists with no turnovers. He was starting at point guard for the
second consecutive game with Chris Paul in health and safety protocol after he
reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Paul George scored 26 points and Reggie Jackson added 19 for
the Clippers, who fell behind 2-0 in their third consecutive series. They
rallied to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and came back against
the top-seeded Utah Jazz in the conference semifinals.
George missed a pairPhoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) waits
for a review of his game-winning shot against the Los Angeles Clippers in the
second half during game two of the Western Conference Finals for the 2021 NBA
Playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena, June 22, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)
of free throws with 8.2 seconds
remaining that gave the Suns a chance to win the game.
The
Clippers were playing their fourth consecutive playoff
game without forward Kawhi Leonard, who is out due to a sprained right knee.
Game 3 is set for Thursday night in Los Angeles, where the
Clippers have won their past four after losing their first three home contests
to Dallas.
The teams traded the lead multiple times in the final
minute. The Clippers took a 101-100 advantage with 30.9 seconds remaining on a
layup by George that came after Ivica Zubac blocked Payne's layup attempt.
Zubac had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.
Booker put the Suns back in front 102-101 on a contested
jump shot from the elbow of the key with 27 seconds remaining, but George
answered with an 18-foot jump shot for a 103-102 lead with 22.2 seconds left.
After Patrick Beverley forced Booker into a turnover with
9.3 seconds remaining, George could have given the Clippers a three-point
advantage, but he missed two free throws. He was 5 of 10 from the line in the
game.
Mikal Bridges missed a 3-point attempt with 3.3 seconds
remaining that would have given the Suns the lead, but the Clippers tipped the
ball out of bounds with under a second left. Jae Crowder then lobbed the
inbound pass toward the rim, with Ayton slamming down the game-winning basket.
Los Angeles could not get off another shot before the final
horn sounded.
Read more
Sports
.jpg)
.jpg)
