The electric crowd inside Phoenix Suns Arena erupted when Chris Paul converted his second nifty driving finish in crunch time, putting the Suns up 99-92 with less than five to play.
It chanted “MVP” as Paul stepped to the free-throw line with 1:54 remaining, then collectively rose to its feet when two offensive rebounds with less than a minute to go all but sealed the Suns victory.
And as Devin Booker looked up into the stands when the final seconds ticked off, he cracked a smile and nodded his head.
The Suns will officially play a first-round playoff series this spring for the first time since 2010, clinching a top-6 spot in the Western Conference after beating the Clippers 109-101 Wednesday night at Phoenix Suns Arena.