By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX — Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, and Russell Westbrook shook off a rough shooting night to make some key contributions down the stretch as the Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns, 115-110, in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series on Sunday.
Eric Gordon added 19 points and hit a late 3-pointer that kept the Clippers ahead. Westbrook shot just 3 for 19 from the field but made a pair of free throws with 17.7 seconds left for a three-point lead, then blocked Devin Booker’s layup attempt at the other end and swatted the ball off of Booker to give the Clippers the ball with 10.1 seconds remaining.
Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Suns, who lost for the first time with him on the court. Phoenix acquired the two-time NBA Finals MVP from Brooklyn in February and injuries limited him to eight games – all Suns wins.
Devin Booker added 26 points for Phoenix, which will try to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night at home.
The fourth-seeded Suns trailed 109-103 with 1:33 remaining but scored the next five points. The fifth-seeded Clippers grabbed multiple offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession before Westbrook made his critical free throws. He finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocked shots and two steals.
The Clippers led for much of the night until midway through the third quarter. Torrey Craig made back-to-back buckets, including one on a powerful fast-break dunk, to push Phoenix ahead 70-68.
It was part of a 15-0 run that put the Suns ahead 77-68. The Clippers, led by Leonard’s 12 points in the third, recovered to tie the score at 81-all heading into the fourth.
Leonard – a two-time Finals MVP playing his first playoff game since June 14, 2021 – did much of his damage from the mid-range, but moved behind the 3-point arc in the game’s late moments. He hit a 3-pointer with 2:36 left and…
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