PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns’ progress over the past week made Wednesday’s matchup with the surging Los Angeles Clippers an interesting test they were not prepared for in a 131-122 loss.
The Clippers (21-12) won their 11th game of their last 13, using that white-hot form to deliver the first punch to Phoenix (18-16) that closed the gap on the night. A 35-20 advantage in the first quarter led LA to maintain some ridiculous 60% shooting from the field with 15 3-pointers in the opening 36 minutes.
The celebration turned a little awkward for a moment.
There were signs of life in a 40-point Suns third quarter, nearly matching the Clippers’ 37. LA scored either 27 or 3 from the foul line and was held to 16 in the fourth quarter after the closest Phoenix came. The third frame was 15.
And then for the second game in a row, Bol Bol brought life to the game with his energy as a big man. He assisted on an Eric Gordon 3 on a short roll, hit his own 3 and got his offensive rebound back to bring Phoenix within 13 with 7:43 remaining. Whenever Bol did anything positive, he received the biggest crowd reaction of the night. So three plays in short order resulted in Suns fans coming full circle back into the game and erupting in a way that left the Clippers with more work to do.
Bol finished 5th at 4:19 and the Suns were trailing by eight, with the flow of the game dictating that it would be more if the Suns made enough stops. For LA this was already in a weird zone, with “oh we thought it was over” combined with “well the crowd is picking them up” combined with “wait are they doing ‘Bol Bol!’ Are you chanting?” So who knows what was going to happen.
But the result was the same as before, with the Clippers creating a good look from a 3 that was knocked down and a Suns turnover before Kawhi Leonard’s free throw calmly put the Clippers up by 13. Even after another strike from Phoenix, a powerful Leonard drive and James Harden step-back 3 were back-to-back daggers.
“I’m more concerned with how we started the game defensively,” Suns head coach Frank Vogel said. “I don’t think we had the temperament needed to defend an elite offense, a team with a lot of firepower. … They didn’t feel us in the first half.”
“We’ve got to start playing better with a sense of urgency and be ready to fight,” Suns guard Devin Booker said. “We were fighting an uphill battle the whole way. “We showed some things in the second half about what it looks like when we increase the energy and increase the intensity.”
The Suns again opted to keep the same starting lineup from Monday’s win, without Kevin Durant (right hamstring soreness), replacing him with Chimezi Metu. Given the matchup, this was a huge vote of confidence from the coaching staff.
Harden is a strong, big defender and the duo of Paul George and Leonard are huge wings teams are fortunate to have an ideal defender. Durant will likely be tasked with the Leonard matchup given his length and size, but there are still questions elsewhere.
And even considering the idea of avoiding man-to-man defense with switch-heavy schemes and moves like zone, Los Angeles will still get separation, because according to NBA statistics, they’re second in the NBA for separation frequency. Entered the night at number 1. While Metu has been strong defensively for the Suns, he hasn’t been tasked with much work on the ball, and the move on Wednesday was to defend a monster like Leonard. However, Metu only played 15 minutes, and Keita Bates-Diop produced his best effort in 21 minutes, marking either Leonard or George.
Grayson Allen also entered the equation, and he became a target of sorts for Leonard in the second half, especially.
Unless Beal gets more games, Allen has been Phoenix’s third-best player this year. The fifth starter spot heading into the season was thought to rotate depending on matchups, but Allen is so important to Phoenix’s offensive success and contributes so much elsewhere that there is no other possibility to consider. . But elite size or speed is where Allen’s on-ball defense could meet his match, a playoff fantasy that depends on his role and Vogel potentially having to select in April. This was on display when both Harden and Russell Westbrook were moving towards him.
Phoenix started playing straight without much turnovers, and because Bradley Beal was playing free guard off Terrence Mann (20.3% 3-point shooter this year), he was able to block some space like Jusuf Nurkic. This and the quick-fire duels on Leonard were fine.
However, the Clippers did a great job playing it out, Mann scored 12 points in the first quarter and George added 17 points. Mistakes were made in stopping George, who often broke free.
Still, this was not the primary issue. The issue was that the Suns lost their high energy levels and allowed it to reach them, leading to a spectacular seven-minute spell that took the wind out of their sails. LA was up to a few 50-50 balls early and lacked intensity elsewhere. The Clippers jumped on it even more to take a 15-point lead and Phoenix never shifted its mojo until it was too late.
L.A. adopted its usual ultra-aggressive strategy of attacking Booker on ball screens, doing the same for Beal when he wasn’t there with Booker.
The Clippers are very good at executing this, while it’s often a mixed situation for the Suns. Of the six turnovers, Booker did a very good job against it and didn’t have many chances in the first half. Those gifts left no room for error and the windows they got to shoot in the third quarter for 19 of their 35 points came when L.A. was on the move. His night on 11 of 15 shooting, especially the second half, was the best seen by Booker in the last series of games.
Phoenix scored 101 points over the last three quarters and made 12 triples in the second half to help get there. Gordon had 16 points off the bench while Bol contributed 14 points. Beal looked great, but like Booker on Monday, he couldn’t knock down shots. He was 7 of 20 for 21 points with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in 41 minutes.
Leonard didn’t see doubles the whole way and was in trouble after a scoreless first game when he finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. George had a lot of space all night with 33 points, which is a sign that the Suns’ defensive rotation was fine, but not at the level they need to be at to keep a talented team like the Clippers from playing so well. Was Needed. With one of the NBA’s best combinations of passing ability and floor vision in the last decade, Harden separated them with ease, finishing with 22 points and 11 assists.
This is a nearly impossible trio for any defense to stop, with both personnel and execution where the Suns really lag. Seeing both George and Leonard on this floor in those uniforms really made it feel like they were meant to be together forever. George was incredible in the 2021 Western Conference Finals against Phoenix, while Leonard was a terminator in the first round against the Suns last year before getting injured. They are capable of reaching those heights once again, and can do so together if they can ultimately stay healthy.
