The Los Angeles Clippers have crashed out of the 2023 Playoffs after losing Game 5 to the Phoenix Suns and falling to a ‘gentlemen’s sweep’ by the franchise.
Fans were shocked to see the same story of injuries plague the franchise once again as they go through their fourth season in the Paul George and Kawhi Leonard era without success to show for it.
Moving on. pic.twitter.com/qPScFdvXJh
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 26, 2023
Lakers fans were extremely happy to see their city rivals’ season end in this fashion.
Russ choke to end the Clippers season, you can’t write it any better than this pic.twitter.com/O6AEexFw1O
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) April 26, 2023
The Clippers played every game really hard and had chances to win despite being severely out-talented, earning the respect of fans.
So much respect for this Clippers squad
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 26, 2023
Lakers fans took this opportunity to mock their championship-less rivals for another season.
Clippers is still in quarantine 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/W9pyk1Am5A
— ً❼ (@CookedByLakers) April 26, 2023
More mockery was aimed at Clips fans using the iconic Russell Westbrook quote of ‘win, lose, just have fun’.
Win lose or Cancun just keep having fun right clipper fans pic.twitter.com/zJPCEpGf0M
— ⚜️SSB⚜️ (@aujlaxxo) April 26, 2023
Devin Booker’s third-quarter explosion essentially won the Suns this game, causing fans to give Booker his flowers.
25 point quarter, Devin Booker been the best player in the NBA Playoffs
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 26, 2023
Despite Westbrook’s struggles in the elimination game, he’s earned the respect of real NBA fans through the hustle and grit he showed all throughout his run with the Clippers this season.
Really rough final game, but I can’t get behind any Russell Westbrook slander after this series.
He joined the Clippers to be a 3rd option at most, and ended up being their primary option while guarding Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
Rough final game, but he battled all series.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 26, 2023
Suns fans even started talking about a possible Devin Booker statue when his career is said and done.
This is what Devin Booker’s statue in front of Footprint Center is going to look like. pic.twitter.com/uH4uNKQNvK
— Suns Are Better (@SunsAreBetter) April 26, 2023
Devin Booker was a superstar, scoring 47 points while Kevin Durant chipped in 31. Norman Powell scored 27 but was held back by a bad Russell Westbrook performance, scoring 14 points and shooting 16.7% from the field.
The Clippers couldn’t compete with the talent of the Suns without their stars and injuries have spilled water on yet another Clippers season.
What’s Next For The Clippers And Suns?
The Clippers roster, as it stands, will cost the franchise $201 million next season. That’s $10 million more than it did this season and doesn’t factor in re-signing Russell Westbrook or Mason Plumlee. The team has to make major moves to even make their roster financially viable for next season, let alone competitive. The health of PG and Kawhi will cast a shadow over everything, as the Clippers will not be winning unless both players are healthy and on the court.
The Suns, meanwhile, will head into the second round to face the Denver Nuggets in an exciting matchup. The Nuggets won their series over the Timberwolves and will now have to contend with stopping Devin Booker, who averaged 37.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in the first round, along with Kevin Durant. Similarly, the Suns’ defense has been one of the weakest in the postseason, so stopping Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. won’t be easy.
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