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The Los Angeles Clippers followed the road warrior trend that spread across the start of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Clippers joined the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat in taking Game 1 on the road as a lower seed. The Clippers win might have been the most surprising given the momentum the Phoenix Suns were riding into the postseason. With the Game 1 loss, the Suns are no longer undefeated with Kevin Durant in the lineup. The Suns will now have to regroup and come out with much more urgency to avoid going down 0-2 before they head to Los Angeles.
Overall, the Suns had solid individual performances across the roster. Durant had a near triple-double with 27 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds, while Devin Booker poured in 26 points and put forth an incredible individual effort on the defensive end. Suns fans would certainly take this performance from their two stars and expect it to culminate in a victory, but the Clippers had different plans on Sunday. Led by a 38 point outburst from Kawhi Leonard, the perennial playoff star returned to his usual postseason caliber. The Clippers also received a big performance from Eric Gordon with 19 points, while Russell Westbrook nearly had a triple double himself. Westbrook didn't shoot the ball that well from the floor, but his hustle plays down the stretch were imperative to a Clippers win.
The Suns will look to bounce back Tuesday night, playing with a little more pressure breathing down their necks. After Game 1, they need to make certain changes in order to even the series. Here are 3 key adjustments the Phoenix Suns must make after the Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
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*Stats via ESPN
Mimic Los Angeles Clippers' Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook shot an abysmal 3-19 from the field in Sunday's win against the Suns. In typical Westbrook fashion, this did not stop him from making a substantial impact on the game. Westbrook had 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and 9 points total. Albeit the shooting woes, he made key play after key play down the stretch. He hit two huge free throws with 17 seconds remaining to put the Clippers up 111-108. On the next possession, he shut down Devin Booker defensively, blocking his layup attempt and hitting it out of bounds off of Booker to give the Clippers possession. This essentially sealed the game for the Clippers.
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If the Suns want to win Game 2, they can't allow Westbrook to out-hustle them all over the floor. He already proved he doesn't need to score to change the game, in this case making the biggest defensive play of the contest. Simply put, the Suns need to work as hard as Westbrook, or he is going to make them pay. The Suns need to adopt the mentality that Westbrook plays with; scoring or not, play each play like it's the last and good things will happen. If the Suns can play with the same level of intensity as Westbrook, they should find more success in Game 2.
Phoenix Suns must contain Kawhi Leonard
Containing Kawhi Leonard is easier said than done, especially when it comes to the playoffs. There were question marks surrounding how Leonard would play going into the 2023 NBA Playoffs, but he silenced those pretty quickly. He went off for 38 points, shooting 13-24 from the field, and he added 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He went 3-5 from the 3-point-line, with 2 of them coming on back-to-back possessions late in the fourth quarter. In Game 1, Leonard was the best player on the floor.
The Suns are not going to take Leonard out of the game, but they can't let him drop nearly 40 points if they want to win Game 2. They need to do a better job at getting the ball out of his hands early in the shot clock, and should prioritize sending a second man his way whenever he touches the ball. The Suns can live with guys like Westbrook and Gordon hitting shots, but will be kicking themselves if they lose Game 2 behind another big effort from Leonard. If the Suns do a better job against Leonard, their chances of winning Game 2 and evening the series skyrockets.
Get the ball to Kevin Durant in crunch time
With 1:24 left on the clock in Game 1, Kevin Durant made a beautiful catch-and-shoot 3-pointer that only hit nylon, putting the Suns within one possession at 109-106. Durant didn't touch the ball again on offense for the rest of regulation, and of course, the Suns went on to lose. Not only did Durant go for 27 points, but he was highly efficient, including 10-10 from the free-throw line. He has shown time and again that he can hit the big shots, and he wasn't given the opportunity in Sunday's Game 1. In Game 2, the Suns need to force the ball into his hands with the game on the line.
This is not advocating against Devin Booker in any way, it is just a testament to how lethal of a scorer Durant is. He was the first 55-40-90 player in NBA history this season, seemingly playing the best basketball he has ever played. Booker had his chance to make a big bucket in Game 1 and was shut down by Russell Westbrook. If the Suns want to win Game 2, they will let Durant have the ball in his hands as the clock winds down.
