Clippers beat writer Mirjam Swanson breaks down the matchup between the fourth-seeded Clippers and the second-seeded Suns and makes her series prediction
(best-of-seven, all times PT) Game 1: Sunday at Phoenix,12:30 p.m. (ABC) Game 2: Tuesday at Phoenix, 6 p.m. (ESPN) Game 3: Thursday at L.A.,6 p.m. (ESPN) Game 4: Saturday at L.A.,6 p.m. (ESPN) *Game 5: June 28 at Phoenix,6 p.m. (ESPN) *Game 6: June 30 at L.A.,6 p.m. (ESPN) *Game 7: July 2 at Phoenix,6 p.m. (ESPN) *if necessary Clippers won the regular-season series,2-1 Jan.1: Clippers 112, Suns 107, at Phoenix Suns Arena Feb.17: Clippers 113, Suns 103, at Staples Center Feb.19: Suns 109, Clippers 101, at Phoenix Suns Arena Suns (regular-season rank) … category… Clippers (regular-season rank) 51-21… Season Record… 47-25 115.3 (7th)… PPG… 114.0 (10th) 100.8 (1st)… Opp. PPG… 107.8 (4th) 49.0 (2nd)… FG Pct.… 48.2 (5th) 37.8 (7th) … 3-pt Pct. … 41.1 (1st) 83.4 (2nd)… FT Pct.… 83.9 (1st) 42.9 (23rd)… Rebounds… 44.2 (16th) 26.9 (3rd)… Assists… 24.4 (16th) 7.2 (19th)… Steals… 7.1 (20th) 4.3 (25th)… Blocked shots… 4.1 (29th) 12.5 (4th)… Turnovers… 13.2 (7th) At the start of the second round, Paul George was being serenaded by the Utah faithful with “over-rated” chants. To end the series, he heard it from the Staples Center crowd too, but those fans had a different message: “M-V-P!” Alongside Kawhi Leonard and, for the past two games, without his co-star, George proved an elite, multi-dimensional faciliatory when the Clippers needed him most against the Jazz. In the Clippers’ four consecutive victories over the top seed, George averaged 31.8 points,9.3 rebounds,5.3 assists and 1.5 steals. He shot 47.8% from the field and 44.1% from 3-point range. And the Clippers won the 164 minutes he played by 64 points. It’s worth noting he also played inspired basketball this regular season against the Suns, averaging 32.3 points on 60.7% shooting from deep in three outings. His backcourt mate Reggie Jackson has emerged as postseason hero, stepping up as a dependable volume scorer – especially in the two games without Leonard, when he averaged 24.5 points on 58.1% (18 of 31) shooting. In their four second-round wins, the Clippers won the 132 minutes Jackson played by 50 points.… Chris Paul, a pillar of the Clippers’ Lob City era, played himself into the NBA’s MVP conversation in his first season with the Suns. He finished fifth in voting after averaging 16.4 points,8.9 assists,4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals and leading Phoenix to its first playoff berth in a decade. Despite suffering a right shoulder injury in the first round against the Lakers, the likely future Hall of Fame point guard dismantled Denver in a second-round sweep, averaging 25.
