Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Chris Paul scored 22 points, Blake Griffin added 20 and the Los Angeles Clippers handled the Phoenix Suns, 112-101, at the US Airways Center Tuesday night in what was the final game of the season for both teams.
The Clippers led by as many as 30 points in the second half, but the Suns made a run against Los Angeles' bench late to trim the lead to 11. That was as close as they would get.
The Clippers scored 69 points in the first half, thanks much in part to some hot shooting from Paul, who ended up with six three-pointers in the win.
As a team, Los Angeles buried 15 triples. It shot 48 percent from the floor overall.
The Clippers ended the season with a 56-26 record and won 14 of their final 15 contests. They will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The Suns went a disappointing 39-43 a year after they won a surprising 48 games and just missed the postseason.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek would like to see Phoenix improve upon things that don't show up in the box score for next season, per the Suns' official Twitter feed:
He is also focused on developing the team's young talent:
Archie Goodwin led Phoenix with 18 points.
| Chris Paul | A- |
| Blake Griffin | A |
| DeAndre Jordan | A- |
| J.J. Redick | C- |
| Jamal Crawford | D+ |
| Rest of Team | B |
| Eric Bledsoe | C- |
| Markieff Morris | B+ |
| Archie Goodwin | B |
| P.J. Tucker | B+ |
| T.J. Warren | B- |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: A-
Chris Paul was brilliant.
The floor general was red-hot, going 8-of-17 from the floor and making six of his 11 attempts from deep. He did a great job of using screens to get loose for good looks and also utilized his elite ball-handling ability to shake defenders.
Paul scored 22 points and also handed out six assists in 29 minutes, committing only one turnover.
It's safe to say he is in playoff form.
Blake Griffin: A
Blake Griffin was a man possessed in the first quarter.
The forward hit his first six shots, draining jumpers from all over the floor and shooting the ball with confidence.
He cooled off afterward, missing six of his last eight field-goal attempts, but the damage was already done.
Griffin ended with an impressive line of 20 points, eight rebounds and five dimes. He also went a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
DeAndre Jordan: A-
DeAndre Jordan's activity was devastating to the Suns in the first half.
Jordan went for 13 points and 14 rebounds overall and was crucial in helping the Clippers gain separation from Phoenix in the second quarter. He dominated the glass on both ends, keeping offensive rebounds alive for extra possessions, and was a great rim-deterrent.
Jordan shot 6-of-7 and was a game-high plus-22 in 31 minutes.
J.J. Redick: C-
J.J. Redick not have a particularly strong night.
While he did hit a pair of backbreaking triples in the second period, Redick made only four of his 11 shot attempts overall, going 2-of-6 from long range. He missed a couple of good looks.
Redick scored 12 points and contributed very little else, logging only one rebound and one assist in 23 minutes.
Jamal Crawford: D+
This was Jamal Crawford's fourth game back from his calf injury, and you can tell that he still is not 100 percent.
Crawford went just 4-of-12, going 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. The lift just isn't there yet, and you wonder how long it is going to take for him to fully get his legs back underneath him.
Hopefully, it happens soon, because the Clippers desperately need him for the playoffs.
At least he did this, according to the team's official Twitter account, though:
Crawford scored 10 points and dished out four assists.
Rest of Team: B
Matt Barnes had an off night, missing six of his seven shots and going 0-of-5 from distance. He only scored three points, but he did chip in seven boards and three assists.
Spencer Hawes shot the ball well, recording 13 points off 5-of-7 shooting, but he made a couple of mistakes late in the game (not taking an open three-pointer and fumbling a pass) that resulted in Doc Rivers pulling him.
Lester Hudson continued to impress, making four of his five shots and draining all three of his long-range attempts for 11 points.
Phoenix Suns
Eric Bledsoe: C-
Eric Bledsoe had a rough outing.
The stocky floor general struggled on both ends, going just 4-of-14 from the field (0-of-5 from three-point range) and having some difficulty hanging with Paul on the perimeter defensively.
Bledsoe took some tough layups in traffic and was just not able to get them to go down, with a couple of them going halfway down and rimming out.
Because he was Phoenix's only dependable guard threat, he was harassed for most of the evening, and his performance suffered as a result.
He ended up with 10 points, nine dimes and six rebounds.
Markieff Morris: B+
Markieff Morris was solid.
The big man put together a nice all-around effort, going for 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Morris flashed some very impressive moves in the post, using his quickness and craftiness for some buckets inside.
He went 7-of-13 from the floor and only turned the ball over once.
Archie Goodwin: B
If you're a Suns fan, you must be excited about seeing Archie Goodwin next season.
The Kentucky product flashed his potential in the loss, posting 18 points off a 6-of-11 clip. He was very aggressive, attacking the rim without fear and drawing contact in the process. He made a couple of treys and went 4-of-7 from the charity stripe.
Goodwin did turn the ball over five times, but the kid is only 20 years old. He's still learning on the job.
P.J. Tucker: B+
You have to give P.J. Tucker credit. The man gives 100 percent regardless of circumstance.
The hard-nosed wing tallied 17 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes, hustling all over the floor and displaying great leadership for his young teammates on both ends. There were numerous instances where he was very vocal in directing traffic on the defensive end.
Tucker made six of his 10 field-goal tries and buried a pair of triples.
T.J. Warren: B-
T.J. Warren played a hefty 43 minutes against the Clippers, and while he wasn't superb in terms of scoring the basketball (10 points off 5-of-12 shooting), he did other things that demonstrated his potential.
Namely, I am talking about playmaking.
Warren dished out six assists, displaying very solid court vision both in transition and in the half-court set. Plus, he registered only one turnover.
Warren is another Phoenix prospect we should all be interested in seeing next year.
Rest of Team: B+
Gerald Green, who had been in Hornacek's doghouse for much of the season, scored 16 points off the bench. He shot 6-of-10 and went 4-of-8 from downtown, helping put a little scare into Los Angeles late in the second half.
Dave King of Bright Side of the Sun had some fun with that:
Big man Earl Barron scored nine points, even draining a pair of triples.
Finally, Jerel McNeal contributed seven points off 2-of-4 shooting. He added three steals in 15 minutes.
