Depleted Clippers Fade After Halftime in Loss to Suns
The Los Angeles Clippers, missing Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, fell to the Phoenix Suns 115-102, marking their third consecutive defeat. Despite Ivica Zubac’s strong performance with 23 points and 11 rebounds, the Clippers could not maintain their early lead.
Game Overview
At halftime, the Clippers led narrowly 51-48, but Phoenix took control in the third quarter and never let go. The Suns were fueled by Jalen Green’s 29 points in his debut for Phoenix and Devin Booker’s 24 points.
Key Player Contributions
- Ivica Zubac: 23 points, 11 rebounds
- Jalen Green: 29 points, shooting 10 for 20 overall and 6 for 13 from three-point range
- Devin Booker: 24 points
- Cam Christie (Clippers bench): 17 points
- John Collins: 13 points
- Bogdan Bogdanovic: 12 points
Absent Stars
The Clippers played without two key players. Harden missed the game for personal reasons, while Leonard was sidelined due to a right ankle sprain. Harden averages 23.3 points per game and Leonard averages 24.3 points per game.
Suns’ Season and Roster Notes
Jalen Green started strong despite missing the Suns’ first eight games with a right hamstring strain. The Suns made 19 three-pointers, just one short of their season record. Green joined Phoenix in a seven-team offseason trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Suns to the Rockets.
“The Clippers were hoping to spend the early weeks of the season building chemistry and sorting through their rotation combinations with a revamped roster. That’s been hard to do with some of their core players missing games, and overlapping absences are making wins hard to come by too.”
The Phoenix Suns capitalized on the Clippers' depleted lineup to secure a decisive win and continue their strong start to the season.
Author’s summary: The Clippers struggled to maintain momentum after halftime without Leonard and Harden, with the Suns' Jalen Green shining in his debut and Phoenix dominating the third quarter to win convincingly.