The Phoenix Suns enjoyed their initial visit to the Los Angeles Clippers’ new $2 billion Intuit Dome so much that they are heading back on Thursday night to Inglewood, Calif., just over a week later. The Suns and Clippers kicked off a new season and a new arena, with Phoenix securing a 116-113 overtime victory on Oct. 23.
In that game, Kevin Durant scored 25 points, including a game-tying jump shot with 21.2 seconds left in regulation. Phoenix used an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to take the lead with 1:39 remaining and then watched Los Angeles’ James Harden miss a crucial free throw in overtime that would have tied the game. Bradley Beal added 24 points in the win, while Devin Booker chipped in 15 as coach Mike Budenholzer won his Suns regular-season debut.
After their victory over the Clippers, the Suns lost 123-116 on the road to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, they avenged that loss with a 109-105 home win over the Lakers on Monday, improving to 3-1 for the season. Booker scored a season-high 33 points in the rematch, while Durant added 30 points and is averaging 29.0 points over four games. Jusuf Nurkic had a quiet night, scoring just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes. Phoenix is particularly pleased with its defense, holding the Lakers to 14 points in the second quarter and 22 in the fourth as they rallied for the win.
The Clippers, now 0-2 in their new home, lost 106-105 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. They continue to play without star Kawhi Leonard, who is out indefinitely with a chronic knee injury. Despite their struggles, the Clippers have been solid defensively under new assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy, allowing an average of 107.5 points over their first four games, ranking fifth in the NBA. Even in Wednesday’s loss, the Blazers shot only 44.6 percent from the floor.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 30 points, and Harden added 19 points and 10 assists against the Blazers. The Clippers had opportunities late in the game, holding the Blazers scoreless on their last three possessions. However, Los Angeles failed to capitalize on their final four possessions, including two missed free throws by Ivica Zubac, who was held to six points on 2-of-7 shooting, down from his average of 22.7 points per game.
