Suns in control after beating Clippers for third straight time

Kevin Durant recorded 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and Devin Booker added 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the visiting Phoenix Suns moved one victory away from the second round of the Western Conference playoffs by getting past the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 112-100 in Game 4 on Saturday.

Chris Paul had 19 points and nine assists, while Deandre Ayton added 15 points with 13 rebounds as the Suns return home for Game 5 on Tuesday with a 3-1 first-round series lead.

Phoenix has won three consecutive games after dropping the series opener at home 115-110 last Sunday.

Russell Westbrook scored 37 points for the Clippers but his stellar play in the series has not been enough to overcome the loss of two Los Angeles stars.

Paul George has not played since March 21 for the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard has not played in either of the last two games of the series. Both are dealing with knee injuries and Leonard might not be available in Game 5 either.

Norman Powell scored 14 points and Terance Mann added 13 for the Clippers, who are making their return to the playoffs after advancing to the Western Conference finals in 2021.

The Clippers were within 93-91 with 7:11 remaining on a driving layup from Westbrook. But the Suns pulled in front 100-93 with 5:36 remaining on a Durant 3-pointer.

Paul put the victory away for the Suns, first hitting a 3-pointer with 3:39 remaining for a 107-96 lead then making a fall-away 20-footer from along the baseline when he thought the shot clock was running out, even though it had just been reset after a Torrey Craig shot clipped the rim. The basket gave Phoenix a 109-96 advantage with 2:58 remaining.

Eric Gordon scored 10 points for the Clippers, who shot 43.5 percent from the field compared to 48.8 percent for the Suns. Phoenix was 21 of 27 from the free-throw line while Los Angeles was just 8 of 10.

Los Angeles led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter, but the Suns made their push before halftime, taking a 48-47 lead into the break despite shooting 37.8 percent in the opening two quarters.