Clippers vs. Suns score: Devin Booker scores 47 as Phoenix eliminates Los Angeles, will face Denver next

Suns post a 50-point third quarter, but still have to battle down the stretch

The Phoenix Suns took care of business on Tuesday night with a 136-130 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 of their first-round series. After losing Game 1 at home, the Suns bounced back to win four in a row and take the series, 4-1. They'll now advance to the second round, where they'll face the No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets. 

Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with a playoff career-high 47 points, to go along with eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Kevin Durant went for 31 points of his own and Deandre Ayton chipped in 21 points and 11 rebounds. As a team, the Suns shot 54.3% from the field in another terrific offensive display. 

With their offense getting anything it wanted, the Suns pulled away to lead by 20 in the second half, and appeared in line for a comfortable finish. Instead, the Clippers came storming back with some incredible 3-point shooting and had multiple chances to tie or take the lead in the final minutes. They could not capitalize, however, and the Suns escaped with the win. 

Norman Powell led the way for the Clippers with 27 points, while Mason Plumlee put up 20 points and 10 rebounds. They had seven double-digit scorers in the game, and all nine players who checked in scored at least one basket, but they could not get enough stops throughout the night, and now the squad that had realistic visions of contending for a title is once again denied. 

Here are some key takeaways from Game 5.

Booker delivers again

Devin Booker has been arguably the best player in the playoffs so far, and he furthered his case with another stunning performance in Game 5 to get the Suns over the line. He poured in a playoff career-high 47 points on 19 of 27 from the field and added eight rebounds and 10 assists. 

With that performance, Booker became the first player in NBA history with at least 45 points and 10 assists in a series-clinching win. In addition, he passed Charles Barkley for the most 30-point games and most 40-points games in Suns franchise playoff history; Booker now has 17 30-point outings and six 40-pointers. If all of that wasn't enough, he joined Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players with multiple 45-point games on at least 60 percent shooting in a first-round series. 

Booker did most of his work in the third quarter, when he outscored the Clippers by himself, 25-24. The variety in his attack during that frame was something to behold. He made at least two shots from 3-point land, midrange, the paint and the restricted area. No matter what the Clippers threw at him, he had an answer. 

Clippers can't capitalize down the stretch

Once the Suns pushed the lead to 20 points early in the fourth quarter, the game felt over. The Suns' offense was firing on all cylinders, while the Clippers seemed to have run out of gas. Then, just as the Suns took their foot off the pedal, the Clips found some extra fuel in reserve. 

During a 1:33 stretch in the middle of the fourth quarter, the Clippers made 3-pointers on four consecutive possessions to turn a 15-point deficit into a three-point deficit. There were multiple times during the run where the camera panned to a bewildered Monty Williams on the sideline and we got some great reaction shots. 

From there, the Clippers were right back in the game and had multiple chances to tie or take the lead. But they just couldn't make that one play to get them over the hump. Russell Westbrook missed an open layup that would have tied the game with 2:19 remaining; Nic Batum bricked an open go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:18 to play; Norman Powell turned it over with 1:02 remaining as they trailed by two; Westbrook threw the ball away with 51 seconds left in a four-point game. 

Suns set up showdown with Nuggets

The Suns had to work more than everyone expected, especially once Kawhi Leonard joined Paul George on the bench, but they got past the Clippers all the same and are now on to the second round, where they'll face Nikola Jokic and the No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets. 

This is the matchup we were all hoping to see, and it will be fascinating to see how the Suns respond to a tougher test. There's no question they can score the ball; they have the highest offensive rating of any playoff team at 122.5 points per 100 possessions. At the same time, they have some real concerns about their lack of depth and did not defend the Clippers all that well, even after Leonard went down. 

Same old story for the Clippers

The Clippers and their fans have unfortunately heard this story too many times before: a promising team sees its playoff hopes dashed by ill-timed injuries. This time around, the Clippers were without both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George due to knee injuries. Leonard tweaked his knee in Game 1 and missed the final three games of the series, while George didn't play at all after spraining his knee late in the regular season. 

As a result, the Clippers' season ends early yet again. Since they acquired by Leonard and George in the summer of 2019, those two have played in only 24 playoff games together and they've won three total series. The one year that both were actually healthy, they choked in the bubble and blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the second round. 

[Apr 26, 2023 at 12:41 am ET · Jack Maloney]

Final: Suns 136 -- Clippers 130

The Suns survived a major, major scare down the stretch, but they held on to eliminate the Clippers in Game 5 and advance to the second round, where they'll face the Denver Nuggets. Devin Booker led the way with 47 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in another stunning playoff performance, while Kevin Durant added 31 points, six rebounds and four assists. 

The Clippers had seven players score in double figures and made a valiant comeback late in the game, but ultimately made a few too many mistakes in the closing minutes and will no go home early once again

[Apr 26, 2023 at 12:36 am ET · Jack Maloney]

Clippers' crucial mistakes

The Clippers have had a few chances to tie or take the lead here, but haven't been able to capitalize. On three straight possessions Russell Westbrook missed a layup in transition, Nic Batum bricked a wide open 3-pointer and Norman Powell turned the ball over. Now, they're down by four with a minute to play and have no timeouts remaining 

[Apr 26, 2023 at 12:28 am ET · Jack Maloney]

Here come the Clips

The Clippers will just not go away. They've just gone on another 9-0 run in less than a minute to cut the deficit to six and force a Suns timeout. The Clippers deserve so much credit for the way they'v continued to fight all series long despite missing their two best players since Game 2. 

[Apr 26, 2023 at 12:20 am ET · Jack Maloney]

Clippers showing signs of life

The Clippers have suddently ripped off a 19-9 run to cut the deficit down to 10. They're still in serious trouble with just six minutes to play, but they have a little bit of life after appearing to be out of gas at the end of the third quarter. Suns should still close this out, but they may have to work a bit harder down the stretch

[Apr 26, 2023 at 12:09 am ET · Jack Maloney]

Flagrant 1 on Hyland

The Clippers have been assessed another Flagrant 1 foul, and once again the victim was Bismack Biyombo. This time, the big man took an unnecessary hit from Bones Hyland, who had his foul upgraded after a brief review by the refs. Clippers are melting down 

[Apr 26, 2023 at 12:05 am ET · Jack Maloney]

Third quarter: Suns 111 -- Clippers 94

The Suns really pulled away towards the end of the third quarter and are now in full control entering the fourth quarter. This one seems pretty much over. Devin Booker is putting on another masterclass; he's got 41 points, six rebounds and eight assists on 17-23 from the field. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, has added 25 points of his own. This type of offensive display is exactly what the Suns had in mind when they made the trade to add Durant. 

[Apr 25, 2023 at 11:54 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Flagrant 1 on Westbrook

Westbrook just came flying in from the weakside for a block but instead whacked Bismack Biyombo on the arm with a ton of force. The refs went to the monitor to review the play and upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1 on Westbrook for the unnecessary windup. Seemed like the right call

[Apr 25, 2023 at 11:50 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Booker makes Suns history

Devin Booker is in the middle of another tremendous performance, and just hit a 3-pointer to push the Suns' lead to eight points. He's now up to 35 points on the night, which gives him 17 30-point playoff games for his career. That moves him past Charles Barkley for the most in Suns franchise history