PHOENIX — It’s time to RALLY THE VALLEY!
The Phoenix Suns will play the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.
The Suns (45-37) are the 4th seed and the Clippers (44-38) are the 5th seed in the West. It’s a rematch of the 2021 Western Conference Finals.
Remember the Valley Oop? – where the Suns beat LA in 6 games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1993?
The Suns have never lost a playoff series to the Clippers (2006, 2021).
Here are five early storylines to follow.
KD is the difference-maker
Kevin Durant is really good in the regular season – KD in the playoffs is even better.
As Monty Williams put it on KD’s impact in the postseason, “There’s perhaps no better player in the league than Durant to help.” The Suns haven’t lost with KD in the lineup – a perfect 8-0.
Since arriving in Phoenix, Durant is averaging 26 points, shooting 57% from the field. Aside from the left ankle sprain slip during pregame warmups on March 8th – KD has been as advertised. He’s THE difference-maker.
He’s THE guy that makes others around him better – and OPEN. THE guy to get you a basket when needed. THE guy the Suns have been missing the past few years when their season ended in the NBA Finals in 2021 and in the 2nd round in 2022.
Despite being limited to just 47-games this season because of injuries, the 13-time All-Star shot a career-best 56% from the field and is 22-1 in his last 22-games played. THOSE ARE VIDEO GAME NUMBERS.
He ages like fine wine – only gets better.
KD vs. Kawhi, KD vs. Russell Westbrook
A couple of intriguing matchups. Kevin Durant vs. Kawhi Leonard – two of the very best in the game. By the numbers – they are the only two players season with 20+ PPG, 50+ FG% and 40+ 3P%, but have rarely played against each other recently due to injuries.
They’ve only met twice in the regular season in the past five years and haven’t meet in the playoffs since KD was a member of the Thunder and Kawhi was with the Spurs in 2015.
This postseason will mark their sixth series meeting. Kawhi missed the entire postseason last year recovering from an ACL injury. Durant has a lot of respect for Leonard. Listen below.
Former longtime OKC Thunder teammates will also faceoff for the first time in the playoffs. Durant vs. Russell Westbrook.
No Paul George?
One of the Clippers top stars will miss the start of the series. Paul George is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered on March 21, according to the Athletic.
George is expected to begin the series on the sidelines. LA is 6-3 since George went down. Can Kawhi Leonard carry it by himself against a loaded Suns team? George couldn’t do it by himself against a loaded Suns team in 2021 --- and this year’s Suns team is better.
After clinching the 5th seed, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue admitted his team has to stop having breakdowns and that they’ve had way to many breakdowns the past few weeks (since George has been out).
X’s and O’s
The Suns are clearly the better team. They know it. Keys to victory – win the turnover battle, expose Russell Westbrook, make it a high-scoring game, guard 1-ON-1 matchups and take away their threes.
My prediction: Suns in 4.
#WinItForAl
Simple. This is the last season for Suns legendary broadcaster Al McCoy. He’s been The Voice of the Suns for 51 seasons and is the longest tenured play-by-play voice in the NBA. McCoy, who just celebrated his 90th birthday in April, has seen it all except --- see the Suns win an NBA title. WIN IT FOR AL!
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