Suns Too Bright for the Clippers in LA
The Phoenix Suns play their second game in this young season in LA versus the Clippers and pullout the win with a final score of 125-119. The are in their second game of a 5 game home stand, and after dropping the first game against the Trail Blazers last night, they were hoping to pick up a bounce back win against a Phoenix team that has won their two last contests.
The Clippers got out to a early lead, and fast, scoring 37 points in the first quarter, while playing stifling defense, only allowing 20 points from a very strong Suns offense. Norman Powell continued his scoring ways and James Harden was hitting the 3-ball, and dishing the ball all around the court. He ended the night with a triple double. The Suns were without 3rd star Bradley Beal, who was out of tonight’s contest with a right elbow sprain. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant did a majority of the lifting offensively for the Suns in the first half, as very little volume production was coming from any of the other players on the Suns.
Ivica Zubac continued his great start to the season with a very productive 22 points and 12 rebound performance. He has been a bright spot for the Clippers this season and I am very excited to see his role continue to develop as the year goes along. Kevin Porter and Derrick Jones Jr. both played very productive minutes off the bench for the Clips and they were clicking on all cylinders going into the half with a 18 point lead, looking to right the ship and get their team back on track to help get them ready for the rest of this home stand.
But the Suns had other plans, the idea of not missing a shot was apparently a good from Mike Budenholzer and the Suns coaching staff. The Suns started the 3rd quarter shooting 15/15 from the field, and clawed all the way back from the 18 point deficit to make it a 2 point lead going into the final quarter. A lot of the comeback was not just because of Devin Booker and KD, but Royce O’Neale and Ryan Dunn, the savvy vet and young rookie helped provide the spark the Suns needed off the bench. Dunn shot 6/12 from the field and 4/9 from three, helping provide a career high 16 points for the Suns, while also providing lockdown defense on James Harden. And Royce O’Neale shot 7/8 from the field with 5 3PM on 6 attempts. These two were the reason that the suns were able to climb out of their huge deficit and make it a close game.
The 4th quarter went back and forth and came down to the wire. But it was the Suns who were the one’s who pulled away with the lead towards the end of the game. The ball got into the closers hands, which are those of DBook, and, very fittingly for this Halloween game, the slim reaper. Booker lead the game in scoring cashing in a total of 40 points and tying the bow on a big comeback to extend the Suns win streak to three, and giving the Clippers their second straight home loss.
The Suns did miss Beal in the first half, but the support of O’Neale and Dunn really vaulted this team into adding another win into the win column. Budenholzer has been doing a great job with this team, and he is putting in the right combinations of players, especially late in ball games to help close out games, or even come back and win them. Jusuf Nurkic has continued to compliment the stars of the Suns very well, and is even stretching the floor very well. Tyus Jones is being Tyus Jones still: not turning the ball over and getting the ball into his teammates hands to help most effectively set them up to score.
The Clippers need to figure out how to maintain leads, and also maintain momentum. The Clippers in the first half were moving the ball well, they were knocking down shots, they looked like the bigger, stronger and faster team. Then the second half rolls around and now it is a completely different story. Now, a lot of the reason the Suns coming back is from their inability to miss a shot, but with every shot it was as if their hearts were being ripped out of their hearts. They tried their best to stop it, but there was no answer for the Clippers. And the news doesn’t get better, because we still have no idea if/when Kawhi Leonard will be back on the basketball court fully healthy. The Clippers have the Thunder, the Spurs and the 76ers, which are all very tough games. If they can’t pull out at least 2 of 5 at home, then it seems it will be a tough hill to climb for the Clippers moving forward. The Suns start up a three game stretch at home in Phoenix Vs. the Blazers on Saturday, and then 76ers and Heat next week.
