CHRIS Paul collected 18 points and nine assists to lift the visiting Phoenix Suns to a 100-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Devin Booker and Jae Crowder each scored 17 points and Deandre Ayton recorded 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Suns, who evened their best-of-seven series with Los Angeles at two wins apiece. The teams reconvene in Phoenix on Tuesday for Game 5.
LeBron James had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who saw Anthony Davis exit the contest with a strained left groin following a drive to the basket with 48.3 seconds left in the second quarter. Davis made just two of nine shots for six points before departing.
Phoenix exploited Davis’ absence in the third quarter, outscoring Los Angeles by a 27-15 margin to take an 81-65 lead. James sank a free throw to trim Phoenix’s lead to 95-88 with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter. Crowder stopped the momentum by drilling a corner 3-pointer with 1:23 to play.
CLIPPERS 106, MAVERICKS 81
Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Los Angeles even its Western Conference first-round playoff series against host Dallas with a win in Game 4.
Paul George added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who lost the first two games of the series in Los Angeles before bouncing back to win the next two on the road. Reggie Jackson scored 15 points.
Mavericks All-Star Luka Dončić, who had averaged 38 points in the first three games of the series, was limited to 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. He made just nine of 24 shots from the field, including one-for-seven from 3-point range. — Reuters
