UNC Basketball: Cam Johnson scores a dozen in Suns’ Game 1 victory

Former UNC basketball sharpshooter Cameron Johnson scored a dozen points in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

The best of Cameron Johnson’s second professional season hasn’t come in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, as the former Tar Heel is averaging just 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game during the Phoenix Suns’ impressive run through the first two rounds.

Not only has Johnson averaged fewer points and rebounds than he did in the regular season, he’s logged less minutes and hasn’t shot the ball with as much efficiency, either. He entered Sunday night’s Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals hitting just 37.8 percent of his shots, which is substantially south of his 42 percent mark that spanned from late December to early May. He is, however, knocking down 41.2 percent of his attempts from three-point range, a number markedly better than his 34.9 percent average from the shortened six-month season.

Johnson’s opening game of the conference finals were different, though, as he scored 12 points off the Phoenix bench that helped lead the Suns to a 120-114 victory over the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers. 10 of Johnson’s dozen points came in the first half, as he provided a nice spark for the Suns, who were without All-NBA point guard Chris Paul as he remains in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

After connecting on just 17-of-45 shots in the Suns’ first 10 playoff games, Johnson was 5-for-8 against the Clippers, including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc. He added four rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes of play — the most he’s logged since Game 2 of the team’s first round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Johnson and the No. 2-seeded Suns will be back on the court on Tuesday night for Game 2 against the Clippers as they look to take a commanding 2-0 lead before heading back to the Staples Center for Game 3.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Cameron Johnson, and UNC basketball alumni across the globe.