Paul George led the Los Angeles Clippers with 33 points, followed closely by Kawhi Leonard’s 30-point contribution in their 131-122 win over the Phoenix Suns during Wednesday’s NBA action.
The Clippers showed impressive shooting efficiency, hitting 55% from the field and 53% from three-point range. James Harden, a relatively new addition to the team since his trade from Philadelphia, added 22 points and 11 assists. He expects the team’s cohesion to improve as they face various defensive strategies.
“We still haven’t figured it out because different teams guard us differently,” Harden said. “Once we’ve seen every defense, which probably won’t be until the end of the year, we’ll figure out how to attack.”
Despite this, the Clippers’ dominant performance in the first 40 minutes was enough to secure their fourth consecutive win and 13th in their last 15 games while ending the Suns’ four-game winning streak.
The Clippers have shown remarkable improvement, boasting an 18-5 record after an initial 3-7 start to the season. Despite a comfortable lead for much of the game, the Suns narrowed the gap to eight points in the fourth quarter. Norman Powell’s crucial three-pointer, part of his 13-point performance off the bench, helped the Clippers regain momentum.
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Lue emphasized the need for smart plays and passing, especially when facing double teams. Devin Booker led the Suns with 35 points, and Bradley Beal added 21, albeit with less shooting efficiency. Kevin Durant missed the game due to hamstring soreness.
“It’s just making the right pass and making the right play — that’s what we’ve got to be good at,” Lue said. “We want teams to double-team us with all the shooting we have, but we just didn’t handle it the right way.”
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Suns coach Frank Vogel praised his team’s resilience but expressed concern over their initial defensive efforts. George, Leonard, and Terance Mann were significant contributors in the first half, helping the Clippers build a substantial lead.
“Really proud of how we competed — we didn’t give up on the game. That’s a positive attribute for our team,” Vogel said. “I’m more concerned with how we started defensively. I don’t think we had the necessary disposition to guard an elite offense.”
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The game was also marked by tension with the referees, leading to technical fouls against Booker and Beal. Phoenix announced their 100th consecutive sellout, including regular and postseason games.
“We’ve got to start games better and with a sense of urgency. Be ready for the fight,” Booker said. “We were fighting uphill the whole game. We showed some things in the second half, what it looks like when we turn up the energy and intensity.”
Looking ahead, the Clippers will face the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Suns host the Miami Heat, both games scheduled for Friday night.
