Short-handed Clippers stun Suns early, hold on to clinch top-5 finish
Russell Westbrook has 16 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists for his first triple-double of the season and the Clippers build a 31-point lead in the first quarter then stave off Phoenix late for a 105-92 road win. The No. 4 seed remains their goal.
By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX — Russell Westbrook had a triple-double, and the Clippers clinched a playoff berth on Tuesday night, officially avoiding the play-in tournament by withstanding the Phoenix Suns’ late rally for a 105-92 win that guaranteed them at least a top-five finish in the Western Conference standings.
Westbrook had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists for his first triple-double of the season and the 199th of his career, as the Clippers built a 31-point lead in the first quarter before holding on late.
It was an embarrassing early showing for the Suns, who are fighting to stay out of the play-in tournament. They eventually rallied to cut the margin to 91-84 with 6:45 left on Bradley Beal’s free throw, but couldn’t get closer.
The Clippers – who were playing without All-Stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard – have won four straight and seven of eight. They host the Suns on Wednesday night in the second game of the home-and-home series.
“Our will to win was great,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We came out with a defensive mindset, we were really physical, offensively we were clicking. This is a hell of a win against a really good team.”
Paul George led the Clippers with 23 points while Ivica Zubac added 17 points and 13 rebounds. All five starters scored in double figures, with Terance Mann adding 17, Amir Coffey contributing 13 and Powell adding 10.
Westbrook had a standout game in his first start since November.
“No surprise on my end because I know I prepare very well,” Westbrook said. “I take a lot of time to prepare for games, no matter how much time on the floor. I’m grateful for my teammates, believing in me.”
Phoenix shot just 2 for 19 from the field in the opening quarter as boos became progressively louder from the home crowd. The Clippers built a 35-4 lead in less than 10 minutes, when Phoenix went nearly six minutes without scoring.
Fans sarcastically cheered when Devin Booker hit two free throws to stop the drought.
Kevin Durant led the Suns with 21 points while Beal had 19. Booker finished with 12, shooting just 1 for 11 from the field.
The Clippers continued to build their lead in the second. Bones Hyland hit a 3-pointer that made it 51-14 – which was the largest lead of the night – and they took a 66-33 lead into the halftime break.
Booker, Durant and Beal combined to shoot 4 for 25 from the field before the break. The Suns have dropped two straight.
“We got some good looks early, we missed them,” Booker said. “They were hot and that’s a bad combination for us.”
Phoenix showed some life in the third quarter, cutting the margin to 84-68 heading into the fourth. Coach Frank Vogel elected for a five-guard lineup for most of the second half, hoping the Suns could shoot their way back into the game.
It actually worked for a while, but they couldn’t overcome 8-for-35 shooting (23%) from 3-point range.
Both teams were short-handed, though the Clippers, who turned the ball over 18 times, were in worse shape. Leading scorer Leonard sat out his fifth straight game because of inflammation in his right knee, and Harden (8.6 assists per game) was dealing with inflammation in his right foot.
Phoenix was playing without starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who has a sprained right ankle.
It was the final home game of the season for the Suns, who close the regular season with three road games against the Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves.