INGLEWOOD — The Clippers had been in this situation before. They were facing an opponent that plays hard and possesses an in-your-face mentality, a team that features multiple big men and pairs them as part of a tall frontcourt, while talented young guards wait for their chance.
The Clippers dealt with a similar scenario just two nights earlier when they showed little resistance against a similarly dogged foe and got overwhelmed by the Utah Jazz in their season opener.
The Clippers were not going to make that mistake again.
After a few missteps and defensive breakdowns, the Clippers found their footing, among other things, and put away the Phoenix Suns, 129-102, in their home opener on Friday night at the Intuit Dome.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue made a switch, putting four reserves on the court with former league MVP James Harden, which changed not only the vibe but gave the team the necessary push to win its first game of the new season.
“They play hard. They compete in picking up full court in all positions and they’re in your face,” Lue said before the game.
Harden led the charge, scoring 26 of his 30 points in the first half to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists in 28 minutes. He shot 8 for 12 from the field, including 5 for 7 from 3-point range.
Kawhi Leonard looked strong, finishing with 27 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Derrick Jones Jr. had 17 points, Kris Dunn had 14 points and John Collins added 10. Center Ivica Zubac posted eight points, five rebounds and four assists.
For the first eight minutes, though, it appeared the Clippers were headed for the same unsightly result as their 21-point loss to the Jazz on Wednesday. The Suns repeatedly found wide open lanes and got open looks from 3-point range in the early going, going 4 for 7 from behind the arc while opening an early 28-19 lead.
Lue, wanting to avoid a repeat, pulled four of his starters in favor of defensive-minded Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Collins and center Brook Lopez, who together clamped down any chance of the Suns getting back into the game. The Clippers led 69-54 by halftime.
The Clippers cruised the rest of the way to even their record at 1-1.
“When you’re a smaller team, when you’re a slower team, you got to bring a physicality to the game,” Lue said. “So, your advantage is being physical, trying to slow them down, not give them freedom of movement, and then we got to get back in transition.
“But we also got to rebound the basketball. They crash four guys for a big team, and so we got to make sure we’re doing a good job with that.”
The Suns, however, showed in their opener that they can be a threat, erasing a 20-point deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings. A 32-point margin was too much to overcome against the veteran-savvy Clippers, despite having three players in double figures.
Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 21 points, going 5 for 10 from 3-point range, while Devin Booker had 18 points and seven assists. Grayson Allen added 12 points and Royce O’Neal and Collin Gillespie each had 11 points.
First-year Suns coach Jordan Ott said before the game that the Clippers would present “a good challenge” for the Suns.
“This is a team with a lot of veterans, guys who not only have a lot of experience but experience playing with each other,” he said.
LUE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT BILLUPS
Lue was saddened to learn his good friend, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, was arrested and charged by federal authorities with money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy. The FBI alleges the former NBA Finals MVP participated in and helped organize a rigged 2019 poker game.
“Chauncey is my best friend that had to go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters,” Lue said before the Clippers took on the Suns. “So, it was a tough day and you never want to see any of your friends go through anything like that.”
Lue said he chatted with Billups on Thursday night.
“Just to hear his voice saying that he’s OK, (I could tell) he’s good,” Lue said. “I could tell in his voice if it’s not really good, so he feels good. And that’s all I wanted to make sure of yesterday.”
More to come on this story.