PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker sat in a chair with a crooked and swollen nose, complete with tape on three fresh stitches.
He also had a big smile on his face, possessing Jay Crowder, recalling Deandre Ayton's tip-in dunks and a play that would live on in Phoenix Sans lore for a long, long time.
Ayton jammed an alley-up pass from Crowder with 0.7 seconds to spare, leading the Suns to a 104-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night.
It was a game that seemed like everything was over, but the Bookers Sons couldn't be denied.
"I believed it could happen," Booker said. "100 percent."
When Crowder lofted a high pass on an out-of-bounds play at the baseline, Sun was one down with 0.9 seconds remaining. A soaring Ayton roared in the disbelief of the crowd as he came down the lane and stuffed him through the net on LA's Ivica Zuback. Booker had a significant screen shot at Zubeck on the final play, which helped free Ayton.
The referee spent about a minute reviewing the play before ruling the basket. The Clippers didn't get a shot in the final 0.7 seconds, and Booker later spent some time with Clippers players Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins.
"They're my Kentucky people," said Booker with a grin. "I told him 'Go Big Blue.'"
The Sons have a 2-0 lead in the series going to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night. After rallying to defeat the Mavericks and Jazz, the Clippers would fight to a 2–0 deficit for the third time in these playoffs.
The crowd-to-eight connection negated a Clippers rally led by Paul George, who had 26 points.
George scored a lap with 31 seconds remaining to give the Clippers a 101-100 lead for their first advantage since the start of the third quarter. Booker responded with a jumper of his own with 27 seconds remaining.
George calmly took the ball into the next possession and drilled a long two-pointer to take a 103-102 lead.
But there was still much more to be done.
George missed two free throws with 8.2 seconds to spare and the Sons had a chance to win, but it looked like it wouldn't when Michal Bridges missed a corner 3-pointer and the ball went out of bounds.
Instead, it set up a crowdfunder for Ayton, who had been a staple in the paint for a long time throughout the game.
Even with his big night out, George's missed free throws loomed large.
"He's fine," said Clippers coach Tyrone Lew. "It's part of the game. Guys know that without him we wouldn't be in the game anyway."
The Sons have won nine straight franchise-records in the playoffs.
The Suns were led by Cameron Payne, who was brilliant when subbing for All-Star Chris Paul. He finished with a career-high 29 points. Ayton had 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Booker added 20.
"We had no answer for Cameron Payne," Lew said. "He got down all night. His speed and his quickness hurt us all night."
Payne repeatedly carved through the shear defense, making tough buckets on the rim with beautiful left-handed finishes. He made what looked like a crucial layup with about 90 seconds remaining, finishing over the glass to give Sun a 100-95 lead.
But the gritty Clippers responded and almost pulled it out.
It was a tough night for the stars from Game 1 to the last minute. Booker made only 5 of 16 shots from the field and missed part of the third quarter due to bleeding from the nose. George was 10 of 23 off the field and missed his first seven 3-point attempts before his late arrival.
Ayton continued his eye-opening performances in these playoffs. 1 overall pick in 2018 from Arizona has often been overshadowed by later picks in the same draft as Atlanta's Trey Young and Dallas' Luka Doncic. But he has carved a niche in Phoenix and now has a signature play that will live on in the history of the franchise.
The Sons were playing without Paul for the second game in a row. The 11-time All-Star has been in the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the past week and the team is not sure when he will return.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his fourth straight game with a right knee sprain, and he stayed in Los Angeles to seek treatment for the injury.
The action was physical from the opening minutes. Referee Scott Foster gave technical information to Crowder and Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr.
Thanks to Payne and Ayton, The Sun took a 48-47 lead at halftime. Payne led all scorers with 16 points before the break, culminating in his role as a fill-in starter for Paul. Ayton added 12 points, punctuated by a rising alley-up dunk on Zubaik.
Killer Booker, Beverly
Booker took a shot on the nose late in the third, when he hit a head-on with Patrick Beverly, who was playing a tough defense. The sans guard collapsed to the floor and was down for a minute, then walked back to the locker room with medical staff with a towel over his nose.
Beverly was also left bloodied on the forehead from the exchange and had to leave the game and change his jersey.
A foul call was made on Beverly. The referee ruled that it was not major. Booker jogged back on the court to a big roar from the crowd before the fourth quarter.
Tip-ins
Clippers: Lew rocked the starting lineup, using Beverly and Zubeck in place of Nicholas Buttham and Terrence Mann. ... Leonard and forward Serge Ibaka (back surgery) did not play. ... Morris struggled with pain in his right knee that limited him in Game 1, but he started on Tuesday.
Sons: Paul and forward Abdel Nader (right knee arthroscopy) did not play. ... The Sons had the same starting lineup for the second straight game, using Payne in place of Paul.