The Los Angeles Clippers are down 3-1 against the Phoenix Suns. Coach Tyronn Lue has been in this position before, when his Clevland Cavaliers were down 3-1 in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors in 2016. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were able to bring the series back and win. Chris Paul, who plays on the Clippers, also squandered a 3-1 lead over the Houston Rockets when he was a part of the Clippers. The Suns were able to take advantage of the Lakers, Nuggets, and now the Clippers due to injuries on each of those teams. Other than a short shoulder contusion injury to Paul (plus a Covid scare) and a scary but brief nose injury to Booker, the Suns have been healthy. That has been their greatest advantage.
Kawhi is missing due to a sprained knee, although rumors claim it may be more serious than that. Paul George spoke about Kawhi’s health after the Game 4 loss. “I can’t speak for him, to the health of Kawhi,” George stated. “If he’s not 100, we don’t want him out there. I mean, that’s just as a brother, as a teammate. His health long term is more important than what’s going on now. I can’t speak on the extent of his injury or, you know, what he [can] and cannot give us. Like I’ve been saying, his health is just more important than anything else.”
The Suns play the Clippers back in Arizona on Monday.