Game 3 of the Western Conference series between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers tips off Thursday. The series will shift to Los Angeles, where the Clippers will try to use home-court advantage to grab a 2-1 lead. This matchup is also a featured Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s highlight some players to consider for your lineups.
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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns
Captain’s Picks
Kawhi Leonard ($16,500 CP): With rest days and restricted playing time left behind in the regular season, the Clippers have unleashed Leonard in this series. He has logged at least 39 minutes in both games, scoring 55.8 and 57.5 DKFP, respectively. Their chances of advancing to the second round are clearly on his shoulders with Paul George (knee) out, which means Leonard should carry a high floor into Game 3.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Clippers SF/PF Kawhi Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Suns.
Devin Booker ($15,600 CP): The Suns couldn’t afford to lose both games at home, so they had to come away with a victory in Game 2. They turned to Booker, who scored 38 points on 14-for-22 shooting from the field. He wasn’t just a scorer, either, dishing out nine assists. He’s going to play a ton and have the ball in his hands often, making him an ideal option for this important position.
UTIL Plays
Russell Westbrook ($9,400): After shooting an ugly 3-for-19 from the field in Game 1, Westbrook rebounded to shoot 9-for-16 in Game 2 on his way to scoring 45.3 DKFP. Dating back to the regular season, he has now scored at least 44.3 DKFP in each of his last three games against the Suns. With the energy of the home crowd behind him, look for Westbrook to provide another valuable all-around stat line.
Torrey Craig ($5,400): Things are setting up nicely for Craig. The Suns have a loaded starting five, so the opposing defense can’t focus much attention on him. The Suns also have a weak bench, which means Craig and the rest of their starters have to play a lot. The result has been Craig scoring 31 and 30.3 DKFP, respectively, in the first two games. After shooting 39.5 percent from behind the arc during the regular season, Craig’s 3-point shooting prowess should again help him provide value.
Eric Gordon ($5,200): Gordon has been inserted into the starting five with George out. Not only is he starting now, but he has logged exactly 32 minutes in both of the first two games of this series. He can do plenty of damage from behind the arc, and he has nailed a combined seven 3-pointers in this series. While his contributions in other departments will likely be lacking, he’s still worth considering at his reasonable salary.
Fades
Deandre Ayton ($7,800): Ayton’s contributions are mostly limited to points and rebounds. During the regular season, he only averaged 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.8 blocks. The Suns don’t need him to score as much now that Kevin Durant ($17,100 CP; $11,400) is healthy, and the Clippers have a tough center duo in Ivica Zubac ($9,900 CP; $6,600) and Mason Plumlee ($6,000 CP; $4,000) that won’t make things easy for Ayton. After scoring no more than 31.3 DKFP in either of the first two games, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ayton continue to provide limited production.
THE OUTCOME
The Clippers won Game 1 in Phoenix, swinging home-court advantage in their favor. Keeping it could be the key to them winning this series. The Suns were 28-13 at home during the regular season, but just 17-24 on the road. However, a lot of those losses came without Durant. I do expect the Clippers to drop one of these games at home, but I don’t think that loss will come in Game 3.
Final Score: Clippers 114, Suns 110
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (PHX vs LAC)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.