Getty Torrey Craig guards Kawhi Leonard
Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig threw a playful jab at Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard ahead of Game 2.
Craig said Leonard got away with a few travels in Game 1.
Craig and the Suns have to do a better job on Leonard in Game 2 if they want to even up the series. Leonard was incredible in Game 1, finishing with 38 points while shooting 13-of-24 from the field, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in 42 minutes. It was his first playoff game since 2021. The Clippers defeated the Suns by a final score of 115-110 to steal home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.
If the Suns lose Game 2, the series could be over since Games 3 and 4 are in Los Angeles.
Torrey Craig Played Well in Game 1
Craig played well in Game 1. He had 22 points and four rebounds while shooting 9-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3. Craig led the Suns with a plus-minus of +14 and All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker was proud of the way the 32-year-old played.
“Yeah, I mean he did great in it,” Booker said about Craig after Game 1. “Just playing in that pocket. If teams are gonna play it like that, put fives on him, then he can just do it like that. He played unbelievable tonight on both ends. Yeah, hell of a game by Torrey.”
Craig averaged 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists during the regular season in 79 appearances. He becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale wrote in February that the Los Angeles Lakers should go after Craig.
“Defensively capable wings who can hit open treys are on almost every team’s shopping list,” Favale wrote. “They are especially critical for the Lakers, who still don’t have an inarguable two-way wing on the roster. Torrey Craig hasn’t always met the two-way requirements. But he’s downing almost 40 percent of his threes this season while injecting his usual dose of under-the-radar offensive rebounding. And though he’s more suited to playing the Jae Crowder, bigger-and-slower-assignments-only role these days, he promises more defensive maneuverability than most of the Lakers’ incumbent non-bigs.”
Kevin Durant Talks About Kawhi Leonard
Kevin Durant told reporters after Game 1 that Leonard is a “tough cover.” The two Finals MVPs are the best players on their respective teams.
“I mean, he’s a tough cover,” Durant said about Leonard. “He can score from all areas. He was making shots there in the second half. He made some big 3s there in the fourth quarter. Just an all-time player. We gotta continue to be physical and deny his catches and make it as tough as we can on him.”
Durant had a fantastic all-around performance in Game 1. The one-time regular-season MVP had 27 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists while shooting an efficient 7-of-15 overall and 3-of-7 from 3-point range. KD will have to have another stellar performance in Game 2 for the Suns to win at home. The two-time champion also needs a victory badly, as he’s lost seven straight playoff games dating back to 2021.