Clippers Stun Suns
Rebounding, Hot Field Goal Percentage Leads Los Angeles
On Wednesday, the Clippers beat the Suns at their own game, shooting 54.4 percent in field goal percentage en route to a 122-97 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.
The Suns bested Los Angeles 130-123 in a barn burner in Game 1 Monday night at America West Arena.
"Tempo wasn't exactly what we needed," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said after that contest.
Suns guard Raja Bell claimed that his team wasn't worn and that they felt good during the opening game of the Best of 7 series in the Valley of the Sun.
Too bad Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni's squad could not sustain itself. Often looking tired and out of sorts, the Suns fell well short of its season average of 108 ppg and, defensively, allowed the Clippers to go its own way offensively, scoring 20 points more than the Phoenix defense typically allows.
Dunleavy's Clippers shot 44.4 percent or 4 of 9 beyond the arc. What's more, Los Angeles made good on 20 of 25 free throw attempts.
Offensively, in particular, the Suns were out of sync and just not themselves. Phoenix was shot just 36 of 79 in field goals and shot just 34.6 percent in three-point land (9 of 36).
Perhaps one of the biggest shortcoming on Wednesday was under the boards where the Clippers snagged 57 total rebounds - 38 on the defensive boards. Phoenix netted just 26 rebounds - just 5 boards on the offensive side of the court.
The Clippers' forward Elton Brand led all scorers with 27 points. Seven-foot center Chris Kaman smashed the boards with 16, to help lead Los Angeles.
Bell led the Suns with 20 points. League MVP Steve Nash chipped in with 8 assists in a losing effort for the Suns.
The Suns are 0-4 in the 2006 playoffs when they fail to score fewer than 100 points.
The series resumes after a contest in Los Angeles Friday. Games are scheduled at 8 p.m. ET followed by another game in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. ET. If necessary, the two additional games are slated later in the week.
Published by Marc G. Auber
I spent almost a decade working for various daily newspapers in my area. For the most part, I was a staff writer, but I also worked in photography, copy editing and pagination. My educational background larg... View profile
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- ... the Clippers beat the Suns at their own game ...
- The Clippers' forward Elton Brand led all scorers with 27 points.