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Tyonn Lue, Clippers face series of adjustments against Suns

April 14, 2023

PLAYA VISTA — It’s the playoffs, where a team has potentially seven chances to get it right. Seven games to find the right matchups, to figure out the most effective schemes, the right defense and the best offense.

Seven games, if that’s what it takes, for another chance.

The Clippers (44-38) open their best-of-seven playoff series against the Phoenix Suns (45-37) on Sunday with an eye on moving forward, on another opportunity to win their first NBA title. But like any game of chance, the Clippers need strategy, skill and a whole lot of luck to get past Kevin Durant and Co.

“We’ve just got to see how it goes,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “I think just seeing how a team tries to attack on both ends, who they try to attack defensively and how they try to attack us offensively.

“You put a lot of prep into just one game because once the first game is over, things are going to change. You’ve got to prepare for it, and so our biggest thing is we just want to see the first game and see how they try to attack us, and then just kind of go from there.”

What’s not going to change is the Suns’ talent level. They are loaded with future Hall of Famers, All-Stars and former MVPs at key positions, all of whom are poised to give the Clippers problems if they don’t correct their mistakes in a hurry. But first, they need to focus on Durant.

The Suns are 8-0 when the two-time NBA champion has been on the court since being acquired from Brooklyn. He averaged 26 points and shot 57% from the field in those eight games, and given his length, Durant’s mid-range jumper is nearly impossible to guard, a task that will take a team effort.

“I mean, he’s a great player. These are the fun parts of it,” Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said. “Just going out there, getting to compete against a guy like him that’s been doing it year after year. Everybody is going to have to take the challenge, not just me. It is a team sport, so …”

Guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker also could make the Clippers pay with their ability to find the open man or shoot the ball themselves. Booker leads the team in scoring (27.8 ppg) and is dishing out 5.5 assists per game. Paul, a playoff veteran, is averaging 13.9 points and 8.9 assists.

“They’ve got a lot of great scorers on their team that can put the ball in the basket at a very high level and have been doing it for a very long time, between Kev, Book, CP, even T-Ross (Terrence Ross) – a lot of guys that are great isolation scorers,” point guard Russell Westbrook said. “We’ve just got to do a good job of guarding and finding ways to help each other out.”

The Clippers, however, have their own talent pool, starting with Leonard, who finished the regular season not only healthy but strong. In his past eight games, he averaged 24.3 points, shot 52.2% from the field, grabbed 7.5 rebounds and had 4.7 assists.

Guard Norman Powell came back from a shoulder injury and picked up where he left off. The one-time Sixth Man of the Year candidate scored in double figures in the six games since his return and is averaging 17 for the season despite missing nearly a month of games.

Westbrook has continued his campaign to fit in with the Clippers with his aggressive play and leadership.

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Lue said he is confident his players can withstand whatever the Suns throw at them.

“I think we’ve got to be the more physical team because if we allow those guys to run around and get to their spots, with Booker shooting 50-something percent from mid-range, KD shooting almost 60 percent, CP shooting 50 percent. We’ve just got to be physical.

“I think that’s going to help our defense, just being physical, being into bodies, not let those guys move around and roam freely, so that’s got to be our mindset going into Game 1.”

CLIPPERS VS. SUNS

First-round series schedule (best-of-seven), all times PT

Game 1: at Suns, Sunday, 5 p.m.

Game 2: at Suns, Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Game 3: at Clippers, Thursday, April 20, 7:30 p.m.

Game 4: at Clippers, Saturday, April 22, 12:30 p.m.

x-Game 5: at Suns, Tuesday, April 25, TBD

x-Game 6: at Clippers, Thursday, April 27, TBD

x-Game 7: at Suns, Saturday, April 29, TBD

x – if necessary

Orange County Register

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Tyonn Lue, Clippers face series of adjustments against Suns

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