Who do the Suns play next? Phoenix’s playoff path explained
Phoenix Suns advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals
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Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (Image via Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns have been an impressive dominating force in the NBA. They’ve been a force to reckon with the past couple of seasons. However, with the addition of Kevin Durant, the Suns’ roster looks as strong as a solid brick wall. They proved their agile and authoritative gameplay in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns-Clippers series was a much-anticipated matchup for many fans. Although this series featured Russell Westbrook facing off against Kevin Durant, the Clippers were fierce competitors with the passion to win.
The series kicked off with Game 1 being played in Phoenix. The visiting LA team put on an absolute thriller of a show as they beat the Suns 115-110. Although Kawhi Leonard put up a scintillating 38 points game, Russell Westbrook was the hero of the game. Prior to the fourth quarter, Westbrook had a forgetful time with his shooting as the guard went 3-19 for field goals. However, his defensive gameplay ensured that Durant was locked up from scoring heavy numbers. The Clippers locked in their win on the back of an excellent defensive play by Westbrook to Devin Booker.
Game 2 was an important encounter for Phoenix as losing two back-to-back games at home would make the series difficult to win. While Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook put up an impressive 31 and 28 points, respectively, LA failed to make the series 2-0. Booker played an authoritative 44 minutes for the Suns, scoring 38 points. The visitors fell 109-123 as the Suns defended their home court to make the series 2-1.
Ahead of Game 3, the Clippers’ front-running player, Kawhi Leonard, suffered a knee sprain leading him to be ruled out. Without him, LA was put up with the huge task of defending their home court. The visitors outscored the home side 136-130 as Booker’s (47 points) excellent scoring form continued.
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What is the road ahead for the Phoenix Suns?
The Phoenix Suns managed to keep their winning run intact as they picked up wins in Games 4 and 5. Although the Clippers had a formidable start to the series, Phoenix walked away with a 4-1 series win. While Devin Booker was the front-running scorer for the Suns, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul played their supporting roles to perfection. Although Game 4 was a high-scoring encounter, the Clippers fell short by six points. The visitors fell to the home side 130-136 as Booker erupted for 47 points.
Phoenix has now advanced to the Conference Semi-Finals. According to the NBA playoffs bracket, they will now lock horns against the Denver Nuggets. Although Booker and Co. have played exceedingly well, the Nuggets will not be easy to win over. Led by Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets have been the most dominating team in the West. While the two-time MVP leads from the front, Denver has an excellent talent-stacked roster with the likes of Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Michael Porter Jr. Moreover, they would be riding high in confidence after a 4-1 series blowout against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Needless to say, the series between these two teams would surely be exciting. On one side, the Suns have gotten as close as the NBA finals to win a championship title. On the other hand, are the Denver Nuggets, who have the thirst to win after their first-round exit last year. Although these are early days to be certain about who wins, one thing is for sure. The team that holds their nerves better will find themselves walking into the Conference Semi-Finals.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)