:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69527641/1233741711.0.jpg)
The Phoenix Suns are in the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly 30 years as they went on the road and finished off the Los Angeles Clippers SCORE in Game 6 on Wednesday night. Phoenix has not been in this position since the 1992-93 season as they await the winner of the Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks series.
Phoenix held a steady lead throughout the game, and Chris Paul took over late in the third quarter as the Suns pulled away. Los Angeles went on a bit of a run to cut the lead to 89-82, but Paul responded by going on an 8-0 run as Phoenix entered the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead. Paul led all scorers with 41 points on 16 of 24 shooting from the floor including 7 of 8 from the three-point line with eight assists.
Phoenix shot 36.1% from three-point range during the postseason coming in, but they knocked down 54.8% of their shots from long range, finishing with 17 made 3-pointers.
Deandre Ayton made a huge difference down low, finishing with 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Suns. Jae Crowder added 19 points, and Devin Booker scored 22 points on 10 of 26 shooting.
The Clippers were once again without their star Kawhi Leonard, who had not played since June 14th due to a knee injury that was sustained during the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles was led by Marcus Morris Sr., who scored a team-high 26 points with nine rebounds.
The spread closed with the Suns as one-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, and that is where plenty of wagers went in this game. Phoenix received 75% of the bets and 70% of the handle to cover the spread. The total closed at 215, and DraftKings bettors bet the under 57% of the time with 62% of the handle. As slight favorites with a -114 moneyline, the Suns had 58% of bettors on their side with 72% of the handle.
The Suns played without Cameron Johnson, who has played a key role off the bench. He sat with a non-COVID illness, so we’ll see if he will return to the floor for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The Suns entered the game as -155 favorites to win the championship, which would be their first in franchise history, and they are in a good position especially with injuries to stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young in the Eastern Conference Finals.