The Suns beat the Clippers 103-96 in a great battle between the 2 teams. The Clippers put up a great fight without their superstars but it wasn’t enough to get the win against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns team. The Suns improved to a 47-10 record, the best record through 57 games in franchise history. They remain the top seed in the western conference and have the best record in the league.
The Clippers ended the 1st quarter with a 26-22 lead but phoenix ended every other quarter with a lead. The game was extremely close throughout but Chris Paul showed off his point guard skills and controlled the game in the end. He put his players in positions to score and when the clippers cut off the pass he made shots on his own. He had 17 points and 14 assists in the game. The suns had 3 other players with double-digit scoring with Devin Booker leading all scorers with 26 points, Mikal Bridges with 19 points and 9 rebounds, and Deandre Ayton with a double-double, 12 points, and 13 rebounds.
The Clippers had 5 players with double-digit scoring and Marcus Morris Sr. had a team-high 23 points. The other 4 players were Reggie Jackson (14 points and 8 assists), Ivica Zubac ( 12 points and 13 rebounds), Nicolas Batum ( 18 points and 7 rebounds), and Luke Kennard (11 points). Ultimately it wasn’t enough to close the gap with the Suns. The Clippers showed a lot of heart and fought till the end. It is a testament to the culture Head coach Ty Lue has established in the organization, having them play at such a high level despite not having their superstars.
While the Suns won the game, it said a lot more about the undermanned Clippers. While they are only the 8th seed in the west, it is amazing that they are in that position despite being severely undermanned. Once they get back Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Norman Powell back, the Clippers are going to be a team to be feared and will definitely put the whole league on notice.
