The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers were neck-and-neck throughout Game 1 of their playoff series on Sunday. However, a hot shooting streak from LA late in the final quarter doomed what could have been a brilliant postseason start for the Kevin Durant-Devin Booker-Chris Paul trio.

With less than three minutes left and the Clippers just ahead by one, 100-99, Kawhi Leonard stepped up big time for LA and drained back-to-back triples in a span of 36 seconds to give them some nice cushion. An Eric Gordon deep trey off a Leonard assist with 1:33 left made it a 9-4 run for the Clips as they took the 109-103 lead.

For Durant, that moment was really the difference-maker in the contest. He pointed out that it was an “evenly played game” before the Clippers caught fire from beyond the arc.

“I thought it was an evenly played game until they hit those three straight 3's,” Durant said in his postgame presser.

True enough, the Clippers couldn't have chosen the best time to drain those triples. It forced Kevin Durant and the Suns to play catch-up right after that, and in the end, they just didn't have enough.

It surely didn't help Phoenix that the Clippers played great defense, particularly in crunch time. Russell Westbrook pulled off a crucial stop on Devin Booker with 15 seconds left, effectively denying the team any hope for a comeback.

It remains to be seen what adjustments will the Suns make in Game 2, but they really need to be at their best on Tuesday since they can't afford to go to LA down 0-2.