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Clippers vs Suns Recap: Clips Eclipse the Suns, 105-92
The Clippers nearly blew a 37-point lead, but hung on in the end for a big-time win on the road in Phoenix without Kawhi or Harden.
Game Summary
The Clippers came out focused, the Suns came out sloppy, and in just four minutes the Clippers led 17-2. It was really that fast, with the Suns putting up no defense and turning the ball over constantly. As the quarter continued, they got tighter with the ball, but could absolutely not buy a shot – they missed several layups and open-ish jumpers. The Clippers continued to push, and push. It was 26-4 at the 4:45 mark when the Clippers bench started to come in. The bench continued to play well, if with less offensive force, and at one point the Clippers were up 35-4 (yes, that’s right) before some Suns free throws got it back to 37-10 after one.
The Clippers went with a Russ-Bones-Norm-Amir-Mason unit to start the 2nd, a unit that I’m not sure has played this year. That unit promptly went on a 9-2 run, pushing the lead back over 30, and had the advantage at 53-16 at the 7:17 mark, forcing Vogel’s 4th timeout. The Suns went on a quick 4-0 spurt and Lue called a timeout. Zu and PG returned for Bones and Mason, and the Clippers went back to outplaying the Suns, who simply could not buy buckets. The effort was better for the Suns, but any time they had any momentum, the Clippers answered, and the Clips led 66-33 at half. The Suns, incredibly, shot 28.3% from the field and 11% from three in that half.
The Suns went small to start with Royce O’Neale instead of Drew Eubanks, and did not play a true big man all quarter. The Suns started on an 11-4 run, forcing a Clippers timeout. The Clippers were able to sustain the lead for most of the quarter, but things were a bit shaky as the Suns were getting wide open looks and the Clippers weren’t really hitting. A Zu-less unit late was awful, allowing a 9-0 Suns run in 1:15 and prompting Zu’s return for PG. All of a sudden the Suns had all the momentum, and the game was 84-68 after three with the Suns on a 12-0 spurt.
The Suns just kept pushing, with a Bones-Amir-Mann-PG-Zu unit hanging in for dear life. The Suns kept running actions at Zu with their small-ball units and creating open threes, and at the 8:42 mark, with the Clippers up 89-76, Ty went back to the small-ball unit himself, with Russ and Norm replacing Zu and Bones. The Clippers’ small lineup was no better on defense and also couldn’t get going on offense, and after three straight Beal drives the lead was down to 93-86 at the midway part of the period. However, PG reasserted order, and a couple buckets later the lead was back to 13. The Suns continued to scrap and claw, but could not get that close again, and the Clippers got the 105-92 win.
Notes
Shortened Rotation: With Kawhi and Harden out, Ty Lue played only 8 guys tonight, and only 7 in the second half, with Plumlee getting just a few minutes in the first. It was notable who did and did not get minutes. There was no PJ Tucker, even with Kawhi out. There was no Brandon Boston Jr. There was, instead, Bones Hyland joining the “regular” seven rotation guys, and while he had a couple wild shots, I liked his competitiveness on the glass (9 rebounds in 17 minutes). The Clippers will clearly use PJ Tucker in certain matchups, but he is not an every-game guy, and that’s a very good thing.
Russ Goes Off: This was an old-school, throwback Russell Wesbrook game with Harden and Kawhi out. He played 40 minutes, and had the ball in his hands most of the time outside of late in the 4th with PG running the show. And in a turning the clock back performance, Russ got a triple-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists. He was an inefficient 7-17 from the field and had five turnovers, but the rebounding in particular was massive, and the Clippers needed his overall fight and production. A big-time game from Russ.
Clippers vs Suns Recap: Clips Eclipse the Suns, 105-92
Robert Flom