Suns vs Clippers Game 3 Odds, Picks, Lineups and Injury News
- The Suns and Clippers meet in Game 3 of the conference finals on Thursday night
- Phoenix enters as a slim 1.5-point favorite
- Get the odds, preview, injury report, and prediction below
For the third straight time in the postseason, the Los Angeles Clippers are in a 0-2 hole after losing a heartbreaker to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. Now, the Clips head back home for a crucial Game 3 on Thursday with their backs against the wall.
Game 2 came right down to the wire, with Monty Williams drawing up a picture-perfect play as the Suns won it with a Deandre Ayton alley-oop at the buzzer from a ridiculous Jae Crowder pass. Los Angeles had their opportunity to take the lead for good late in the final period, but Paul George missed two free throws that proved to be costly.
Big news for Phoenix as Chris Paul returns to the lineup on Thursday from health and safety protocols, but Kawhi Leonard remains out for the Clips with a knee sprain.
Bet the Suns or Clippers to Win Game 3 BOOSTED to +150 Odds at DraftKings
Suns vs Clippers Game 3 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Suns | -1.5 (-108) | -118 | Ov 221 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +1.5 (-112) | +100 | Un 221 (-110) |
Odds as of June 23rd
Injury Report
The Suns will be thrilled to have floor general Chris Paul back in the rotation on Thursday. He’s been in quarantine with his family in LA for the past week and was officially deemed available on Wednesday.
LA still remains without Kawhi Leonard, who is rehabbing an ACL sprain. We still don’t know the severity of the injury but there’s currently no timetable for his return.
Chris Paul has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and "intends" to return for Game 3 of the WCF after missing the first two games, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/6gJOJVayH5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 23, 2021
Suns vs Clippers Projected Lineups
| Chris Paul | PG | Reggie Jackson |
| Devin Booker | SG | Patrick Beverley |
| Mikal Bridges | SF | Paul George |
| Jae Crowder | PF | Marcus Morris |
| Deandre Ayton | C | Ivica Zubac |
Suns Looking Unstoppable
A lot of people had doubts that Phoenix could sustain its dominance without CP3. However, they’ve had absolutely no problems doing so with two key victories on home court with Game 2 being a back-and-forth thriller.
While Devin Booker had a quieter night with just 20 points, it was the energetic Cam Payne who showed out and led the offense. The former Chicago Bull, who was out of the league for several years before signing with the Suns in the offseason, dropped 29 while also dishing out nine assists.
Deandre Ayton continued his impressive play as well, with 24 points and 14 boards, which marked the fifth time in the postseason where the big man has registered a 20+ point and 10+ rebound performance. He was ultimately the difference-maker after slamming home the winning basket, too.
Had to defend home court!
𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐒. pic.twitter.com/ALBpwSCsfJ
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 23, 2021
Despite shooting a mere 23% from downtown, the Suns absolutely destroyed the Clippers in the paint, outscoring them 60-30. For a team that’s usually quite reliant on the three-ball, it was a different dynamic that led them to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. With Paul back in the fold, it’s going to be a scary sight for Los Angeles.
Do or Die For Clippers
This is familiar territory for the Clippers but a win here is a must because going down 0-3 is recipe for disaster. LA had their chances to take home a victory on Tuesday, but they couldn’t put away the Suns.
On paper, Paul George had a solid night. He had 26 points, six dimes, and six boards on 10-for-23 shooting from the field. While he did also score his team’s last six points in the fourth quarter, it was his struggles at the line that gave Phoenix the chance to win it.
PG is an 84% shooter from the charity stripe, but he missed two massive ones in crunch time. If he hit them both, the Suns would’ve needed a three to force overtime.
Nonetheless, there were certainly some positives for Ty Lue to take away from this tough loss. They figured out a way to slow down Booker, who has been absolutely unstoppable in the playoffs. Lue opted to start Patrick Beverley, who did a solid job containing the Phoenix superstar.
Keep fighting. Game 3 on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/JlzW0QOwy4
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 23, 2021
The Clippers are now in familiar territory. While this defeat will undoubtedly sting, Los Angeles has shown the ability to respond when down in a series. The question is, can they do it against a Suns team who have been annihilating everybody so far? That, we’ll have to see.
Prediction
LA has made a serious statement to even be at this point without Kawhi. But, the Suns are firing on all cylinders right now and with Chris Paul back initiating the offense, it’s hard to bet against them. I’m taking Phoenix to roll into LA and cover the spread on Thursday night at Staples Center.
Pick: Phoenix Suns -1.5 (-108)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
