NBA Playoff Picks 4/16 – LA Clippers @ Phoenix Suns
by Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com
The fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (44-38) visit the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns (45-37) in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs tonight on TNT. Phoenix is a 7-point favorite and the total is 226. The teams split their four meetings during the regular season with the road team winning road team winning all four games. Kevin Durant did not play in any of the regular season matchups. This will be the first time former Oklahoma City teammates Durant and Russell Westbrook will meet in the playoffs. They played eight seasons together and made the 2012 NBA Finals.
THE SKINNY ON BOTH TEAMS
Both teams entered the season with championship expectations and were projected to be among the top teams in the West but they ended up with lackluster regular season records and in the 4-5 slot. The Los Angeles Clippers are in year four of the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George pairing and a championship seems like a long shot as Paul George will miss the start of this series after injuring his knee on March 21. The Clippers were never at full strength this season as Kawhi Leonard missed 30 games and Paul George missed 26 games. Both players put up an identical 23.8 point per game average.
The Clippers picked up Russell Westbrook on February 20 after he was traded away by the Lakers and then released by the Utah Jazz. He averaged 15.8 points, 7.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 21 games with the Clippers. Westbrook had his season-high in points (36) with the Clippers and scored 20 points or more in three of his final four games of the regular season. Center Ivica Zubac averaged 10.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, all were career-highs and he was one of the few Clippers who wasn’t injured, load managed or traded this year as he played in 76 games.
The Phoenix Suns made the NBA Finals in 2021 and won a league-high 64 games last season before getting upset by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals. After a disappointing 30-27 start to the season, Phoenix acquired 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade on February 9. Durant has only played in eight games with Phoenix due to injuries but he has averaged 26 points per game on 57% shooting from the field and 53% from 3-point range, Phoenix won all 8 games that Durant played.
Three-time All-Star Devin Booker missed 29 games this year but averaged a career-high 27.8 points per game, along with 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. 12-time All-Star Chris Paul is still going strong at age 37, he averaged 13.9 pts, 8.9 asts, 4.3 rebs and 1.5 stls across 59 games. Despite rumors of a strained relationship with head coach Monty Williams that dates back to last season’s embarrassing Game 7 loss to Dallas, center Deandre Ayton put together one of his best seasons as a pro. Ayton averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds across 67 games.
THE PICK
Phoenix is undefeated with Durant and are arguably the best team in the NBA when everyone is available, Lay the 7 with the Suns!
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