Suns thump Clips, head to first Finals since 1993
LOS ANGELES — Chris Paul led the Phoenix Suns into their first NBA Finals in 28 years, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 130103 on Wednesday night to close out the Western Conference finals in six games.
Paul scored 41 points and Devin Booker added 22 to send the Suns to their third finals appearance in franchise history. They will face either the Atlanta Hawks or Milwaukee Bucks, who are tied 22 in the East finals.
Paul reached the NBA Finals for the first time on the same Staples Center court where he helped bring the Clippers to respectability over six seasons that ended in 2017. The 36yearold guard punished his old team with 31 points in the second half and tied his playoff career high of 41 — the same amount Paul George had in pushing the Clippers to a road win in Game 5.
“I’m just so happy for all the people around me,” Paul said on the court after the game, “and the Clippers are my family, too. These fans, Billy Crystal, that’s my family. This is a team I have the utmost respect for, I’ll always be a Clipper.
“But this group right here, this group right here,” he said, gesturing at his Suns teammates wearing NBA Finals hats.
The West trophy glinted under the arena lights as orangeclad Suns fans outcheered boos from Clippers fans.
“This is what we set out to get tonight, so we didn’t want to go back to Phoenix without it,” Booker said.
Phoenix is the first team to reach the NBA Finals after a 10year playoff drought. The Suns last made the NBA Finals in 1993, when they were led by Charles Barkley and lost to Michael Jordan and Chicago in six games.
Their only other finals appearance was in 1976, a loss to Boston in six games.
Marcus Morris led the Clippers with 26 points despite playing on a sore knee. George had 21 points and nine rebounds coming off his career playoff high that staved off elimination on the road and brought his team home for another chance.
But the exhausted Clippers — who rallied from 02 series deficits in getting to the West finals for the first time in franchise history — had little left in the tank. They were again without twotime NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who has been out with a right knee sprain, and center Ivica Zubac, who missed his second straight game with an MCL sprain in his right knee.
HawksBucks injuries:
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday after getting an MRI on his injured left knee.
Meanwhile, Atlanta center Capela is questionable with eye inflammation after taking an elbow late in a Game 4 win and guard Trae Young is questionable with a bruised ankle. Head coach Nate McMillan said a decision on whether Young can play would likely be made shortly before tipoff.