Historic effort from Suns' duo helps Phoenix survive shorthanded Clippers
The Phoenix Suns needed a strong effort from the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to survive the Los Angeles Clippers, 112-100, in Game 4 of their first-round series Saturday.
Durant and Booker topped the 30-point mark in the Suns' win, joining some elite company. Durant and Booker are only the third tandem to score 25 or more points in each of their first four postseason games, joining Hall of Fame pairs Elgin Baylor and Jerry West (1962) and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal (2003).
Scoring a team-high 31 points, Durant led the Suns' in scoring, followed closely by Booker, who finished with 30. Durant shot 53% from the field and went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Booker shot 48% from the floor, finishing 3-of-6 from three.
Phoenix needed every bit of Durant and Booker's combined 61 points on Saturday against the Clippers. Even with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out of the lineup, Russell Westbrook nearly carried the Clippers to victory on his own.
Westbrook turned back the clock against the Suns, recording 37 points, six rebounds and four assists in the loss.
If the Suns, now up 3-1 in the series, hope to close out the Clippers in Game 5 Tuesday, they'll likely need even more from Durant and Booker, as Los Angeles doesn't seem likely to go quietly.
So far, both have pulled their weight. Through four postseason games, Durant is averaging 27.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists, while Booker has posted 34.8 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
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