The Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Russell Westbrook, however, did all he could for the Clippers in the loss, scoring 37 points for LA. In the end, Westbrook didn't receive much help amid the absences of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Suns' stars Kevin Durant and Chris Paul called out Westbrook's critics after the game.

“When he retires, people are really gonna tell the truth about how they feel about his game,” Durant said, via Tomer Azarly. “Right now, it's the fun thing to do, [they] make a joke out of Russ. The way he's been playing since he got with the Clippers, showed everybody who he really is.”

“I feel like the only people to do that is the people who don't know basketball,” Paul added. “Don't know what it's like to compete. I know for me, Russ is one of my closest friends… people that do that, talk crazy, probably wish they could be in that situation.”

The Suns ultimately earned a 112-100 victory over the Clippers despite Russell Westbrook's impressive effort. Kevin Durant led the charge for Phoenix with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Devin Booker scored 30 points, dished out seven assists, and reeled in nine rebounds. Chris Paul added 19 points of his own to go along with nine dimes. Deandre Ayton's performance also can't be ignored, as he posted 15 points and 13 boards.

This Suns team is dangerous. Their roster isn't as deep as it once was, but it's incredibly star-studded. When Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton are just the third and fourth best players on a team, that is telling of how talented that team truly is. The Suns will look to close out the series in Phoenix on Tuesday night.