Booker T

You've just got to love the NBA Playoffs. The intensity is turned up a notch from the Regular Season; everyone is fighting for the ball like it's the last day of their lives; punches are thrown; bodies are hurled; once easy lay-ups become an ill-advised adventure to the free-throw line.

And of all the match-ups; it's hard to see beyond this first round encounter between the Phoenix Suns & the Los Angeles Clippers; two teams stacked with players and legitimate contenders for the NBA Championship.

Indeed as we took to the floor for the series; there was no less than four Top NBA 75 Players in the Hall of Fame; talking about Kevin Durant & Chris Paul of the Suns; and Kawhi Leonard & Russell Westbrook of the Clippers; and that is not to say the injured Paul George and the Suns' offensive machine Devin Booker. So you get why there is so much hype around this series.

After battling each other to a standstill in Games 1 & 2; the Clippers were dealt a blow in Game Three when Leonard was ruled out through injury along with George. And even though they came out with great defensive intensity; they were soon overpowered by the Suns' superior offense; in particular Booker who drove in time and again without rim protection from the small-ball Clippers.

In fact; the Clippers weer so small at one point that they had a line-ip of Westbrook & Bones Hyland at guard Normal Powell & Eric Gordon at forward & 6'5" Terance Mann at center. It was also the first time in history that a point guard (Westbrook) was chosen for the tip-up. In Leonard's absence; it was Norman Powell who stepped up big time with a colossal 42 points in 41 minutes; being brave and taking the shots like a confident man should.

In the end though; it was not enough to stop the well-rounded Suns; who relied on the dependence of Kevin Durant; Chris Paul and the hot hand of Booker's 45 points to seal the win; and wrest back the much-vaunted home-court advantage. We cannot wait for Game 4.