Clippers force Game 7 after beating Suns
Friday, May 19th
Final Score: LA Clippers 118, Phoenix 106
Hot-shooting Los Angeles Clippers pounded Phoenix, as Elton Brand and Corey Maggette combined for 22 points in the fourth quarter, 118-106, to force a Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Brand poured in 30 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked five shots while Maggette added 25 points and eight boards, as the Clippers evened the series after losing Game 5 in double-overtime on Tuesday.
Quinton Ross had a career-high 18 points, and Chris Kaman tallied 15 points and 10 boards for LA, while Sam Cassell had 15 points and eight assists. The Clippers shot a franchise playoff-record 61.5 percent from the field and outrebounded Phoenix, 48-28.
"We're a team that's built for the playoffs," Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We can play big, we can play small, we can play fast, we can play slow. We're changing styles and we hope we get to change it one more time."
Shawn Marion had another spectacular all-around effort with 34 points, nine rebounds and six steals for the Suns, who will face a Game 7 for a second consecutive series with the decider against the Clippers coming Monday night in Phoenix. Leandro Barbosa added 25 points and Steve Nash contributed 17 points and 11 assists for the Suns, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Lakers in the first round.
"I think it's the best shot we have, get to the conference finals with a game in Phoenix on three days' rest," Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't think we could ask for anything more."
The seventh game will again pit two teams at opposite ends of the playoff spectrum. The Suns are trying to make it to the West finals for a second straight year, while the Clipper franchise has never been to the conference finals.
"I think after playing well tonight we have some momentum, but we're going on the road," Brand said. "They're going to be revved up also, so there could be some momentum shifting to our side."
The Suns were behind by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, but cut the deficit to 88-81 heading into the fourth after a fabulous flurry. Kaman's hook shot boosted LA to an 86-70 lead with 1:49 remaining in the period, but Barbosa hit consecutive three-pointers and Marion followed with another shot from beyond the arc.
Phoenix, however, didn't have an answer for Brand or Maggette. The duo combined for LA's first 17 points of the fourth, as the Clippers built their margin to 105-88 with 6:31 to go after a Brand running jumper, sending the Clipper faithful into a frenzy. The Clippers led by double digits the rest of the way.
It was a great defensive effort for the Clippers on Tim Thomas, who had just three points after scoring 25 on Tuesday for Phoenix.
"We know their weak spots," Maggette said. "I think the biggest thing, we take Tim Thomas out as well as Shawn Marion, we have an opportunity to win. Tonight it was Tim Thomas."
The first quarter was separated by two big runs. Marion's three-pointer boosted the Suns to an 18-13 lead with 6:33 left in the period, but the Clippers responded with a 16-3 spurt.
However, Barbosa dominated late in the opening quarter and into the early moments of the second with 13 straight Phoenix points. The Suns erased a 29-21 deficit late in the first, as Barbosa's three-point play with 0.2 seconds left in the period boosted Phoenix to a 32-31 edge.
The Clippers used a 13-4 run to expand to a 10-point lead late in the second quarter. Maggette had eight of those points and Ross finished the spurt with a turnaround jumper, extending LA's cushion to 50-40 with 4:50 remaining in the half.
Ross had a spectacular first half, going 8-of-10 from the field for 16 points, and ending it with a jumper at the buzzer for a 62-50 Los Angeles advantage. The Clippers shot an astounding 61.9 percent from the field in the opening 24 minutes, with Brand and Ross combining to go 15-for-20.
Game Notes
The Suns are 2-4 all-time in Game 7s of the playoffs...The Clippers have never been involved in a Game 7 since the franchise moved from Buffalo. The only seventh game in franchise history came in 1975 when the Washington Bullets beat the Braves in the Eastern Conference semifinals...Maggette's points are a career-best in the playoffs...Boris Diaw had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Phoenix, while teammate Raja Bell had 13 points. Bell, who had the big shot to force double-OT on Tuesday, made 2-of-9 from the field...The road team in Game 7s in NBA history is 17-76. Most recently, the Pistons defeated the Heat 88-82 in Game 7 of the 2005 Eastern Conference finals at Miami.
Source: Vipsports
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