The Suns and Clippers are about to face off in one of the most intriguing playoff matchups we’ve seen in a long time. The Suns only recently returned to relevancy, having made the postseason for the first time since 2010 this year. The Clippers however, are coming off an incredibly disappointing playoff run from last year, where they blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets during the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Clippers almost fell of again this year though, going down 0-2 against the Dallas Mavericks to start the first round. They bounced back though, winning in seven games. They then took down the top-seed Utah Jazz, once again overcoming an 0-2 hole to eventually win in six games, even doing so without Kawhi Leonard during the final two contests.
Phoenix had their own dark moments though, as Chris Paul suffered a shoulder injury that put the team at risk against the Los Angeles Lakers early during the first round. After healing up though, the Suns went on a run, winning the series in six games. Shortly after, they swept the Denver Nuggets, coming into this series with a league-best 8-2 postseason record.
But with some injuries still in place, and some innovative lineups likely to be seen, this series could go in several different directions. For the Suns though, here are five keys to success in the Western Conference Finals that could tilt the matchup in their favor.