Phoenix Suns vs LA Clippers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 18/04/2023, 10:06  by Joseph King | Modified on 18/04/2023 at 11:06 in NBA Predictions

Game two in the NBA Western Conference first round sees the Phoenix Suns looking to rebound as they host the Los Angeles Clippers in this best-of-seven series. The Clippers got the game one victory as heavy underdogs and can take a massive step towards the next round with a win here before heading back to LA for games three and four. Despite falling down 1-0, the oddsmakers still have the stacked Suns as 1.53 favorites to advance to a second round matchup against the winner of the Denver vs Minnesota series. The Clippers come in at odds of 2.65 to win the series.

Kawhi Leonard showed everybody why he just may be playing the best basketball of anyone in the playoffs with a scintillating game one performance which saw him drop 38 points, five rebounds and five assists. He will have to play at a similar level if the Clippers are to upset the odds yet again in game two as Los Angeles once again comes into this matchup as significant underdogs. However, the Clippers proved to have some surprises up their sleeve courtesy of head coach Ty Lue. Lue presented a number of matchup mixups which included having Leonard guard Suns center Deandre Ayton, which threw a spanner in the works for the Suns pick-and-roll game plan which involved isolating Devin Booker on Clippers big Ivica Zubac. 

Suns’ head coach Monty Williams will now have to make the necessary adjustments or he could see his team with title aspirations on life support heading back to Los Angeles. Phoenix simply must start game two better if they are to even up this series as game one’s 12 point deficit after the first quarter proved too much to overcome. Expect superstar Kevin Durant to come out more aggressively in the first quarter of this one after going 0-5 in the first 12 minutes in game one. Durant is key to Phoenix’s title hopes but the 34-year-old played just eight regular season games with his new team before suffering an ankle injury. The good news for Suns fans however, is that Phoenix was a perfect 8-0 in those games with game one in the playoffs representing KD’s first loss with his new teammates.