Phoenix Suns set to open playoffs against Los Angeles Clippers April 16

The Los Angeles Clippers it is.

The Phoenix Suns will open the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Clippers after losing to them, 119-114, Easter Sunday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center.

Being a fourth seed in the West, the Suns (45-37) will have homecourt advantage against the fifth seeded Clippers (44-38).

Game 1 is set for April 16 at Footprint Center. The game time is to be determined.

The Suns and Clippers split their regular season series, 2-2.

"We know they’re a tough team," Clippers coach Ty Lue said. "Well coached, Monty (Williams) does a hell of a job. One of the best coaches in our league. And we know with (Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul), they definitely execute. So, we have to be on tight with our game plan, understand what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to take away. We can’t have a lot of breakdowns and we’ve been having breakdowns the last couple of weeks. We haven’t been as sharp defensively as we need to be but hopefully with five days to prepare, we should be a lot better. It’s a physicality and a mental thing."

The two teams met in the Western Conference finals two years ago when the Suns eliminated the Clippers in six games to advance to the 2021 NBA Finals.

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Saben Lee paced the Suns with a career-high 25 points Sunday as the team rested Durant (left ankle injury management), Booker (rest), Paul (rest) and Deandre Ayton (rest).

Bismack Biyombo (knee bruise), Cameron Payne (low back) and T.J. Warren (non-COVID illness) were also sidelined.

“Anytime you can go into the playoffs with a level of health or as close to 100%, you feel good about that,” Williams said. “Everybody at this time of the year is banged up, but we feel like we saw enough of our group together and we’ve had to prioritize health and being fresh, especially when you have a week off.”

Lee, a two-way player, got the start for Paul and played 44 minutes. Shooting 8-of-21 from the field, the Corona del Sol graduate had a season-high 10 assists to just one turnover.

“I’m grateful I got to play a lot,” said Lee, as his previous career-high for points was 22 set May 11, 2021, against Minnesota when he was a rookie with the Detroit Pistons. “Grateful for it for sure.”

The Suns had six players reach double figures in scoring as Darius Bazley posted 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Jock Landale scored 15 points, Landry Shamet chipped in 14 while Terrence Ross and Josh Okogie each managed 13 points.

Okogie received the Dan Majerle Award that’s given to the Suns player “who most personified the same hustle, grit and determination” Majerle showed as a player.

Norman Powell scored a game-high 29 points off the bench to lead the Clippers while Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook each finished with 25.

"We understand how they play," Williams said. "They look for matchups. You have to be able to have a great shift defense against those matchups. There were a few times that Kawhi had the ball at the top and they were looking for certain guys to be on him so that he could go play one-on-one. I think the more you score against them, you can get back to set your defense against that type of ploy, but the other side is the ability to guard two dribbles and not give up 3s and if we can guard a one-on-one environment, which is what they do a lot of and take away their threes, we think we can be productive against any team.”

The Clippers won despite shooting 5-of-23 from 3. They outscored the Suns, 37-28, in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. They were without Paul George (right knee sprain) and Marcus Morris (low back spasms).

“It’s been difficult," Leonard said. "What happened during the season. Guys getting injured. Now Paul is out. Like I said, we just have to buy in and see how it goes."

With the Clippers and Suns meeting, former Thunder teammates Durant and Westbrook will collide in the playoffs for the first time ever.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns set to open playoffs against L.A. Clippers April 16