The final blow for the Clippers appeared to be starting center Ivica Zubacs sprained right MCL keeping him out of Game 5.
Through four games of the Western Conference finals, Zubac led the Clippers in plus-minus (plus-25) and had arguably been the second-best Clipper. He held his own for stretches against Deandre Ayton, who admitted Zubac got the better of him in Game 3. The Clippers were minus-22 with Zubac off the floor, losing the small-ball and DeMarcus Cousins minutes. Their successful strategy against Utah wasnt working against Phoenix.
After a pivotal Game 4 slugfest went the Suns way, and the Clippers seemingly expending all of their remaining energy, Zubacs absence would be too much to overcome for the already short-handed Clippers. Logic dictated the Suns would close them out in five.
Phoenix was back home with an NBA Finals trip on the line. The energy ahead of Game 5 was electric. Beat LA! chants rained down during warmups. There were few in the arena not wearing some shade of orange. This was the Suns moment. The Suns would bash the Clippers inside with Ayton, the rare 7-foot center who could hang with wings and guards. Phoenix, which was 2-0 in elimination games this postseason, winning both games on the road, was primed to take care of business in an advantageous situation.
But similar to their series comebacks against Dallas and Utah, the Clippers shifting to small-ball lineups nearly full-time they were without a traditional center for 37 of the 48 minutes of Game 5 unlocked the floor for driving lanes for Paul George, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. to attack isolations and switches. The Clippers jumped out to a 20-5 lead and essentially led the rest of the game.
The result: A 116-102 Clippers win in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, cutting the Suns series lead to 3-2 as it shifts to Los Angeles for Game 6. The Suns, once comfortably up 2-0 and then 3-1, now must refine their defense and counter the Clippers small-ball attack.
I think they spaced us out well running their small-ball lineup, which opened the paint, Devin Booker said. But as a team, we still have to guard with five people. Its never a one-on-one matchup. So all five have to be locked in, and even the bench has to be ready. So we have to show bodies and help each other out there.
The Clippers relentlessly attacked the Suns in transition and then surgically targeted them in the half court, seeking matchups against Booker, Chris Paul, Cam Johnson and Dario Saric.
The Suns were plus-58 in points in the paint through the first four games of the series. The Clippers outscored them 58-32 in the paint in Game 5 despite Zubacs absence.
Thats not something you would have expected, especially with them not having Zubac tonight, Suns head coach Monty Williams said.
The Suns made several runs, including taking a 62-61 lead with 8:27 left in the third quarter and getting to within four points with 6:58 remaining in the game. But each time Phoenix closed the gap, LA responded. Postgame, Williams said the Suns defense, particularly not guarding the ball, was the primary reason for the loss.
Four of the Clippers first nine shots were against Booker. The Clippers clearly made an effort to find him in transition and in pick-and-rolls. The Clippers scored 23 points and shot 10 of 14 on possessions that Booker was primary defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 10 made field goals was the most against Booker this postseason.
The Suns first defensive possession set the tone for the game. With the Clippers in transition, Booker and Ayton botched their communication on the Jackson assignment. Jackson was Bookers man, so this is probably on Booker more than Ayton. Booker doesnt see Ayton is in the mix, so he steps up and points that he has Morris, who is screening for George.The miscommunication causes both defenders to step up against George.
Jackson is wide open on the left wing. Paul rotates over, but hes too late, as he doesnt want to give up an open 3-pointer to Patrick Beverley in the left corner either. Jackson, whos shooting 41.5 percent on 3s in the postseason, cans the triple.
We gave them a lot of open shots early, Paul said. They got their 3s going. I think thats a team that plays off confidence when theyre making shots. We gotta try to get the right people shooting.
The Suns more often than not allowed the wrong people to shoot. They were slow to adjust against Morris, who pounded Booker in the mid-post. They inexplicably lost Jackson off the ball and were late to help against him. And George had his way with whichever poor Suns defender was assigned to him or switched onto him, driving, pulling up and stepping back into basket after basket.
George caught fire in the third quarter, dropping 20 points en route to a playoff-career high 41 points. He roasted any and every Suns defender, drilling some ridiculously difficult shots.
He sought out Booker on switches and Ayton in drop coverage. In this clip, Ayton ends up on George in transition a risk in the cross-matching against smaller lineups and George easily glides by him for a layup.
When you have trouble guarding the ball straight up, it either puts you in rotations, or that guys gonna start scoring, Johnson said. So we just need to do a better job overall. We need to do a better job being in shifts and do a better job of playing team defense. Its just something we gotta get better.
This is another example. Beverley, who isnt known for his transition play, takes the ball coast to coast as no Suns defender picks him up until hes below the 3-point line. He blows by Paul, who gives a half-hearted effort, and is somehow able to get to the rim before Ayton rotates.
All five Suns defenders were in front of Beverley for a majority of this clip. They did the legwork of getting back inside the arc but didnt stop the ball, a basic basketball tenant. This is about as bad as transition defense gets.
I didnt think we showed them enough bodies, Williams said. Even when they were in one-on-one situations, I thought we were spread out. We looked at it halftime and you could see nothing instead of seeing Suns bodies and arms. Even when they were in isolation situations with Paul and Reggie and Morris, we didnt show them enough bodies.
A large part of the Suns success against the Clippers small-ball lineups was Ayton crushing them on the offensive glass and finishing around the rim. Even when the Clippers were making shots, the Suns could go at them on the other end. Thats why the Clippers countered with more Zubac. Ayton had been the best Sun in the series. But in Game 5, Ayton only scored 10 points (on 5-of-9 shooting) and grabbed 11 rebounds, three offensive. The Suns were minus-22 in his 37 minutes, the worst mark on the team.
The Clippers somewhat neutralized him by hitting first and throwing multiple bodies at him in the paint.
Watch Terance Mann battle with Ayton on his roll after switching onto him. He initially grabs him, a foul thats rarely called in a postseason setting, and then digs his leg into him as Ayton tries to seal and post in the middle of the key. Mann pushes Ayton away from the basket and into a fading hook shot that barely grazes rim.
Aytons nine offensive rebounds in Game 4 swung that game. Ayton getting only three offensive rebounds with Zubac out is an emphatic win for the Clippers defense.
Here, the Clippers do a solid job of gang rebounding. Nicolas Batum boxes out Ayton. Jackson, hanging around, tips the ball to George. The Clippers have three rebounders around Ayton. They were constantly pushing, grabbing and colliding with him in the paint. They dictated the physicality of the game.
I thought they put a lot of bodies on DA, Williams said. When he was diving, he saw two bodies, three bodies at times. When he was trying to get to the offensive boards, he had two guys boxing them out. That means that the corner guys can come in and get some offensive rebounds. He had an imprint on the previous game, and they did a really good job of sending bodies to him tonight. Hes gonna figure that out. Well show him on the film.
This was the Suns worst defensive performance of the postseason. They made a slew of mistakes. They werent on a string defensively. They will likely need to make some tactical adjustments ahead of Game 6, but their defensive improvement starts with cleaning up their shoddy transition defense and being more alert and on time with their help and backside rotations.
Phoenix was a top-six defense in the regular season and is second in the postseason. The Suns have fared well in the small sample of small-ball matchups in this series.
I think we still helped each other in that area even when they spaced us out in the previous games, Booker said of their paint defense earlier in the series. But you can blame it on everybody. A lot of straight-line drives and no help, at the same time. This is a five-man defense. Its been that way the whole season, and we have to be better.
But the Suns didnt look like themselves in Game 5. All postseason, they have been a low-mistake team that plays with poise. They had 14 turnovers in Game 5 and fouled at inopportune times. Perhaps they were nervous. Or maybe this was their collective inexperience catching up to them for one game. Closing out a Western Conference finals series is different than winning in the quarterfinals or semifinals. Each round gets harder.
The Clippers also are an incredibly resilient group. The Suns shouldve known this was coming. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue might be the best in-series adjuster in the league. George is playing like his peak Indiana and Oklahoma City days. The Suns are going to have to be more selective with how they switch against him or shade over with more help when they do.
Zubacs status for Game 6 is unknown. The Clippers will remain small if hes out, playing Cousins opportunistically against Saric.
Phoenix has two more opportunities to close out this series and advance to the Finals. The depleted Clippers might not have another hand left to play, barring Zubac or Kawhi Leonard returning. The onus is on the Suns to counter.
We will be better in the next game, Williams said.
Slater: Chris Pauls play is the Suns most pressing problemMurray: Paul George leads Clippers veteran movement in Game 5
(Photo: Matt York / Associated Press)
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How the Clippers' small-ball attack broke the Suns' defense in Game 5 - The Athletic
