The Clippers’ three-game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night as they fell 111-95 to the Phoenix Suns on the second night of a back-to-back. Keep reading for a full recap of the lopsided Clippers’ loss to the Suns.
RECAP
From the moment Kawhi Leonard was announced as available for Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was common knowledge that he’d miss Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns — thus making the matchup against the Pacific Division foe a bit more challenging. This morning, news of Reggie Jackson and Paul George being held out due to injuries made a Thursday night victory rather unlikely. Hours later, Ivica Zubac’s and Luke Kennard’s downgrade on the injury report to OUT turned “unlikely” to “impossible.”
So as John Wall, Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, Marcus Morris and Moses Brown took the court for the opening tip, things went about as expected.
Powered by Mikal Bridges’ eight first-quarter points, Phoenix raced out to a double-digit lead by the end of the opening frame, which expanded to 27 halfway through the game. After trailing 71-40 just minutes in the third quarter, the Clippers’ starters went on a 14-0 run to provide the crowd with at least a few minutes of excitement while making their ticket purchases worth the cost. But the Suns’ lead was never truly threatened in any real way. They’d finish the quarter up 89-70 and kept their lead around 20 points throughout the final frame to eventually pull out a 111-95 victory over the Clippers.
GAME NOTES
Youngsters get a chance:
With nearly half the team glued to the sidelines due to injuries, many of the younger Clippers got to put together some game tape.
Getting his first start of the season, Moses Brown scored the game’s opening basket by way of an offensive rebound and putback (probably the best part of his game). But from that point on, he mostly displayed his usual stuff — good effort on both ends of the court but supreme ineffectiveness as a pick-and-roll defender and lack of ability to be an offensive threat in the halfcourt. His replacement, Moussa Diabate, was better overall and showcased the motor that the Clippers’ front office fell in love with during the draft process. Yet, he didn’t show enough that should deter the team from going out and acquiring a reliable backup center for this season’s playoff run.
As for the young guards, Jason Preston was pretty quiet during his minutes on the floor. However, Brandon Boston Jr. didn’t disappoint. Boston easily played his best game of the season, recapturing some of the spark that attracted visitors to Boston Island after his performances a season ago. His shot-making was on point and he even flashed some of his passing skills that he’d shown back during this past NBA Summer League. Overall, it was an encouraging performance from him in a game where there weren’t a lot of positive takeaways.
Terance Mann shines:
The most significant bright spot of the night was undoubtedly Terance Mann’s production on offense. Knowing more would be required of him, he came out with an “attack” mindset, which carried on throughout the game. He shot the three-ball with confidence, attacked off the bounce, and used his athleticism to finish at the rim and through contact. As his role and opportunities lessen as key players return to the lineup, games like these could, at the very least, serve as confidence builders going forward.
Mann ultimately finished with season-highs in points (22), rebounds (11) and 3-pointers (4) in the loss.
