In a bounce back opportunity for both the Clippers and the Suns, the Pacific Division Rivals duked it out for three quarters until the Clippers readily took control of the game, winning 138-111.
Game Summary
Whew, well that escalated quickly. If anyone was wondering where the Clippers shooting went last night against the Lakers, it turns out they were saving all their shot-making for tonight. Though the scoreboard may indicate it was a tale of two halves, the Clippers played an all around fantastic game for 48 straight minutes.
Led by an incredibly balanced effort offensively, all of the Clippers’ starters scored in double figures. Paul George led the way with 25 points and 7 rebounds, while Harden notched another double double with a very complete stat line of 19 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Though the Suns were able to keep up for the first three quarters with some very high level shot-making themselves, the Clippers’ ability to score at will allowed them to break open the game in the final quarter and cruise to the finish line. LAC ended their incredible bounce back game with an absurd 62% field goal percentage including 15/29 threes (51%).
Quarter by Quarter
First Quarter
In complete contrast to last night’s overall effort against the Lakers, the Clippers charged out of the gate with deliberate force and pace. They started the night testing Nurkic’s flat footed defense with two separate plays for Zu, both leading to easy buckets (more on this below). Harden and Kawhi also looked far more energized, and before the first timeout of the game, Harden racked up 5 assists to go along with 7 points for Kawhi. Joining in on the fun, Westbrook came in and instantly made a huge impact. Three straight possessions of Russ bully ball led to 3 straight baskets. Unfortunately for the Clippers, the star studded cast of the Suns didn’t skip a beat themselves. Despite some very good defensive effort by the Clippers, Booker, KD, and Grayson Allen matched them nearly shot for shot. The very entertaining quarter ended with both teams shooting above 55% from the field.
Second Quarter
To no surprise, both teams continued their high level shot making throughout the second quarter. KD and Booker made bucket after bucket to take the lead, but the Clippers came roaring back led by James Harden’s elite scoring and playmaking prowess. Mann and Norm chipped in a few threes of their own, and despite the physical defense by the Suns, the Clippers found themselves with a 71-63 point lead to end the half while shooting a scorching 67% from the field. If this seems familiar, the Clippers also finished with a 70+ point half in their previous matchup last week.
Third Quarter
The third quarter featured much of the same from the first half. The Clippers continued to suffocate the Suns with some great defense, but the Suns just have an elite ability to put the ball through the hoop. Luckily for the Clippers, the Suns’ defensive capabilities are far less impressive than their offense. To say that the Suns had no answer for Zubac may be a bit of an understatement. They would go big with Nurkic, and then he’d get left in the dust on high Pick-and-Rolls. Go small, and the Clippers simply posted up Zubac for efficient points. For as effortlessly as the Clippers scored, they only managed to extend their lead by 2, ending the quarter with a 10 point lead.
Fourth Quarter
You know how I said earlier that things escalated quickly? Well, the Clippers entered the 4th quarter with a 10 point lead that immediately got trimmed down to 7 after a KD triple. From there, everything came up Clippers. The defensive intensity that Phoenix seemingly always managed to overcome with difficult shots finally started to get the best of them. Steals, deflections, and good old fashion grit led to stop after stop, which was just about the opposite of what the Suns offered on their own defensive end. The Clippers went on a quick 11-0 run, and never looked back. They ended up pouring in 37 points in the final quarter compared to the Suns’ meager 20. For those who kept track (or read the headline), that would leave the final tally at 138-111 in favor of your LA Clippers!
Additional Thoughts:
- Some Clouds over El Valle: For as terrifyingly potent the Suns are, they seem to have some pretty significant roster flaws. They’re in theory a great matchup for the wing-heavy Clippers, but their defense presence is nowhere to be found. Nurkic has clearly lost a step after various injuries have hampered him throughout his career, and they have nobody behind him to offer anything better. It’s clear they have an elite ability to make difficult shots, but that’s an incredibly challenging thing to do for 48 straight minutes. Overall, any team with Booker and Durant is a dangerous team, but it will be interesting to see if this is the same lineup we see in LAC’s rematch with them in April.
- KaWhy? I’ll preface with the fact that I believe Kawhi is the best two way player in the league. He has very few flaws, and he’s a joy to watch night in and night out. Now that being said, this game highlighted arguably his main flaw: his offensive decision making ability. We’ve seen him do it at a high level, which makes it that much more baffling when we see multiple possessions where the ball sticks with him and the offense stagnates. Most notably, he really struggles with double teams, and that’s probably the only good thing the Suns did defensively tonight.
- Shoutout to Mann: In line with his improved shooting since the start of the new year, Mann knocked down three 3s tonight. This opened everything up for the Clippers, because the only hope the Suns had to stop Zu and Harden’s PnR was sending help with Mann’s defender. Keep it up, T-Mann!
- Theis v. Plumlee: As I mentioned before, Daniel Theis was a great pickup and the Clippers could could do much worse than playing him at the 5. That being said, they could also potentially do better. Tonight, in a matchup where small ball could have made more sense, the Suns clearly made it a point to attack the rim when Theis was playing center. He is likely LA’s best big at blitzing the ball handler, but the Suns still got comfortable attacking the rim and getting multiple shots on their misses. Offensively, the Suns had no answer for the high PNR with Zubac, but they were much more comfortable defending Theis in this type of action. We saw glimpses of Plumlee’s offensive skillset tonight in garbage time, and it would be interesting to see him in action with Harden.