Cam Payne scores career-high in crazy Suns win over Clippers

The game will rightfully be remembered for Deandre Ayton’s winning alley-oop on an inbounds play with 0.7 seconds left, but the Phoenix Suns had contributors from all around the rotation in the Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Perhaps no player was bigger than guard Cam Payne, a former Oklahoma City Thunder player who started in place of Chris Paul, in COVID-19 protocols for the second game in a row.

Payne scored a career-high and game-best 29 points on 12-for-24 shooting, helping lead the Suns with Paul out and guard Devin Booker struggling to break free of the immense pressure from the Los Angeles defense.

Payne had 16 points in the first half to give the Suns a one-point lead at the break and then scored 13 in the final two quarters. He also had nine assists, two steals and two blocks in the game.

Booker scored 20 points on just 5-for-16 shooting, and had to come out to receive stitches after his and Patrick Beverley’s heads collided during a play.

But Booker shined through when it mattered, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead shot with 27 seconds to play.

Former Clippers wing Paul George immediately answered, hitting a jumper less than five seconds later to retake the lead.

Beverley forced a turnover on Booker on the next play. Beverley batted the ball out of bounds, but Booker’s hand was touching the ball on his dribble down after Beverley swatted at it, so it was out on Booker.

At this point, the Clippers led by a point with less than 10 seconds to play. George received the inbounds pass and was fouled.

However, George missed both free throws. He finished the game with 26 points but made only five of his 10 free throw attempts, more misses than he has had from the line in any one game since he played for the Indiana Pacers.

After an errant 3-point shot by Mikal Bridges was tipped out of bounds by Terance Mann, who was fighting for the board, Ayton won the game with an alley-oop off an inbounds pass from Jae Crowder.

The Suns took a 2-0 series lead, and now Paul could return for Game 3. If he can, the former Thunder star will try to take a 3-0 lead and get within a game of his first NBA Finals.

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