The Los Angeles Clippers will try to even the NBA’s Western Conference finals at two games apiece when the series resumes Saturday evening at Staples Center, with Marcus Morris Sr.’s availability a game-time decision, coach Tyronn Lue said.
Morris’ sore left knee prompted Lue to take him out of the starting lineup Thursday, but the 6-foot-8-inch forward was well enough to play 23 minutes, 47 seconds and score eight points in a 106-92 victory.
Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard will miss his sixth consecutive game because of a right knee sprain.
Phoenix guard Cameron Payne is probable after not playing during the final three quarters Thursday because of a left ankle sprain.
The Suns did not have “a normal practice” Friday “so it’s hard to evaluate but we think he’s getting better,” coach Monte Williams said.
“He was able to get out on the floor and shoot a little bit and put the ball down and he’s walking around fine,” Williams said.
Payne started the first two games of the series when Chris Paul was unable to play because of the league’s health and safety protocols, and scored a game-high 29 points in a 104-103 victory in Tuesday’s Game 2.
Following Thursday’s loss that ended Phoenix’s team-record nine-game playoff winning streak, Williams said the Suns “didn’t play with the desperation necessary to win a game like that consistently.”
Phoenix backup forward-center Dario Saric said his team needs “to be kind of wild at some point, just go hard” in Game 4.
In Game 3, “we were kind of giving them some space for them to operate,” Saric said. “For next game, I think we need to be kind of close to them, breathing on the neck.”