2021 NBA playoffs: Deandre Ayton's winning dunk gives Phoenix Suns 2-0 lead over LA Clippers, lig...

ByESPN ESPN logo
Wednesday, June 23, 2021

The Phoenix Suns and the LA Clippers were in a back-and-forth struggle in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, and then chaos ensued.

With 30.9 seconds to play,Paul George's layup netted the Clippers their first lead since early in the third quarter. After a timeout, Devin Booker quickly nailed a 15-footer to give the Suns back the lead. George answered with a long 2 to put the Clippers ahead 103-102 with 22.2 seconds left. Following a Suns turnover and missed 3-pointer, George was fouled and went to the free throw line, hoping to give LA a three-point lead.

George would miss both free throws, and the Suns still had a chance.

After another missed 3 by the Suns and the ball being tipped out of bounds by the Clippers, head coach Monty Williams had 0.9 seconds to get Phoenix over the hump. Who's name would Williams call? Booker, right?

Nope, it was Deandre Ayton, as Jae Crowder alley-oop to the No. 1 pick of the 2019 NBA draft at the buzzer gave the Suns a 104-103 victory and a 2-0 series lead.

TeammateChris Paul led the praise on Twitter, as the NBA's biggest names took to the platform to show love to the game-winning play.

After the game, CP3 made sure to show love to the designer of the play.

Tyson Chandler, a member of the Suns from 2015 to '18, was reminded that the game-winner looked really familiar. As a Sun, he scored a winning basket against the Memphis Grizzlies running the same play.

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