Russell Westbrook's 37 points not enough for Clippers to tie series vs. Suns

The Los Angeles Clippers (5) fell to the Phoenix Suns (4) Saturday at Crypto.com Arena despite Russell Westbrook scoring 37 points, six rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes of action.

Westbrook, 34, and the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard or Paul George as the Suns took a 3-1 lead in the first-round series of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Russell Westbrook confronts Suns fan

Suns star Kevin Durant finished with a team-high 31 points to counter Westbrook's scoring onslaught.

Devin Booker had a quiet 30 points for Phoenix, while Chris Paul added 19 points and nine assists.

Clippers put up a valiant effort through three quarters before getting outscored by seven points in the final frame to lose 112-100 at home.

When will Paul George, Kawhi Leonard return?

George, 32, is recovering from a sprained knee and has no definitive timetable for his return.

He was the team's best scorer throughout the regular season with 23.8 points per game.

Leonard, 31, played the first two games of the series before missing the next two contests due to a right knee sprain.

It's unclear if Leonard will be available for Game 5 on Tuesday when the series returns to Phoenix. News broke Saturday of his sister getting sentenced to life in prison for murder.

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