Phoenix Suns (61-24) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (56-32)
June 26, 2021 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: Los Angeles Clippers 1; Over/Under: +220
(Get latest betting odds)
The Los Angeles Clippers will be looking to square up the series against the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 at the Staples Center on Saturday night.
The Phoenix Suns will be hoping to bounce back and take a commanding 3-1 series lead after getting routed by the Clippers in a 106-92 loss in Game 3 on Thursday. Chris Paul returned to the starting lineup and finished with 15 points, 12 assists and three steals, Devin Booker added 15 points with five assists, DeAndre Ayton led the team in scoring with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while Mikal Bridges chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Suns shot just 38 percent from the field and 10 of 32 from the 3-point line as they held the Clippers to just 17 points in the second quarter to take the narrow lead at halftime, before getting blown out in the second half where they managed just 44 points as they struggled mightily against the defense of the Clippers. Paul shot just five of 19 from the field while Booker shot just five of 21 from the field while Cameron Payne scored just two points before exiting the game with an ankle sprain.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers needed to come out firing as they know the season will be practically over if they fell behind 3-0 in the series and they did just that on Thursday against the Suns. Paul George led the team in scoring with 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, Reggie Jackson added 23 points on nine of 17 shooting while Ivica Zubac had a big game of 15 points with 16 rebounds and two blocks. As a team, the Clippers shot 45 percent from the field and 12 of 34 from the 3-point line as they kept the Suns in check in the first half, before pouring in 60 points in the second half to come away with the crucial win. Patrick Beverley finished with just eight points and six rebounds, but his on-ball defense kept the Suns’ Booker off balance all night.
Looking at the betting trends, the Suns are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a loss of more than 10 points, 4-1 ATS in their last five road games and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games, 3-8-1 ATS in their last 21 games following a loss of more than 10 points and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
Head to head, the under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings in Los Angeles, the Suns are 1-10 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Los Angeles and the Suns are 6-16 ATS in the last 22 meetings overall.
The Clippers would’ve been kicking themselves after missing on a chance to level the series in Game 2, but they made up for their misses in Game 3 as they smothered the Suns in what was basically a must-win game on Thursday. The Suns got a major boost with Paul returning to the starting lineup, but Paul didn’t quite look like himself and the Suns made the mistake of really slowing down their offense which really hurt their rhythm the entire game. Payne has been great for the Suns in this series and he is expected to be back after leaving Game 3 early with an ankle sprain. The Suns didn’t quite match the intensity of the desperate Clippers on Thursday and it cost them, but I think they’ll bounce back here and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
