5 reasons why LA Clippers lost 103-130 against Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals | 2021 NBA Playoffs

#3 Paul George looked tired against the Phoenix Suns

Nothing but respect for Paul George, he gave it everything he had. 💯 pic.twitter.com/PdZCcQIFaj

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 1, 2021

All the minutes that Paul George played for the LA Clippers in the postseason had finally caught up to him. However, it's not an excuse for his poor outing against the Phoenix Suns.

George looked gassed in Game 6, and his shots were just flat for most of the night. The seven-time All-Star had 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 from the three-point arc. He still managed to grab nine rebounds but had a team-worst -25 plus/minus for the game.

#4 LA Clippers couldn’t protect the paint

Paul George #13 reacts as he falls to the court under Luke Kennard #5 and Nicolas Batum #33

Not only did the LA Clippers lose the battle of the boards, but they also lost points in the paint. The Phoenix Suns had 54 points in the shaded area compared to just 34 points for the Clippers. The Suns’ interior defense is a major reason for this, but there’s another factor that affected it.

Part of the reason for this huge discrepancy was the LA Clippers’ tendency to look for shots from behind the arc instead of taking easier mid-range shots or drives. The starters alone took 29 attempts from three but were ice-cold for most of the night.

#5 Chris Paul had an MVP performance for the Phoenix Suns

Chris Paul #3 holds the Western Conference Championship trophy

If there was one person who was solely responsible for the LA Clippers' loss, it was the Phoenix Suns' Chris Paul.

Paul put in a performance for the ages in the clinching game of the series. His 41 points included a career-high 31 points in a single half.

After dropping 37 in the series-clincher against Denver, Chris Paul poured in 41 Wednesday night against the Clippers.He became the oldest player in postseason history with 35 points in consecutive close-out games within a postseason.The previous oldest? Michael Jordan. pic.twitter.com/NJ7oU6XW7Q

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 1, 2021

The Phoenix Suns point guard ran rings around his defenders, from Patrick Beverley to Terrance Mann and Paul George. There was no one to keep him from dissecting the LA Clippers' defense.

Paul made 16 of his 24 shots from the field, including a sizzling 7-of-8 from three-point range. He also added eight assists, four rebounds and three steals in a sensational all-round performance.

The fourth quarter was all his as he scored 19 big points to put the LA Clippers away for good.

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