Game Recap: Suns secure hard-fought win, 111-109

The Phoenix Suns secured a marquee win against a tough Clippers squad.

The Phoenix Suns secured a gusty, much-needed win against a tough Clippers team. They improved to 24-21 on the season and are now just 1.5 games back from the 6th seed in the West.

They looked sharp early, especially offensively. They took a 10-point advantage into the half and led throughout most of the game. The Clippers went on a late-game run to cut the lead to just one with just 40 seconds remaining. Phoenix was able to withstand the pressure and close it out.

Nick Richards didn’t see the floor much in the second half at all, playing just 6 minutes in the 2nd half. Mason Plumlee got the lion’s share of minutes in the second half as Zubac had his way inside.

Tyus Jones put together a complete game and Grayson Allen continued his tear of late.

Top Performers

• Kevin Durant — 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 9-19 FG
• Devin Booker — 26 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 10-20 FG
• Tyus Jones — 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 6-10 FG
• James Harden — 24 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 7-17 FG
• Ivica Zubac — 25 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 12-17 FG

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

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First Half

The Suns had trouble containing Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell early. The teams traded buckets and found themselves tied at 15 a piece midway through the opening quarter.

Derrick Jones Jr. threw down a highlight reel putback slam that will surely go viral.

Kevin Durant found a groove early, connecting on his patented mid-range jumper here. He would lead all scorers with 10 first-quarter points.

Phoenix kept the pace fast and matched a few Clippers punches, hanging around despite the efficient shooting for LA early. A personal 5-0 Grayson Allen run gave the Suns a one-point lead, 28-27 with two minutes left in the first.

The Suns closed on a 19-9 scoring run and hit 8 of their first 11 threes. A Tyus Jones banked-in buzzer-beater closed the opening quarter giving the Suns a 34-30 lead.

The Suns continued to score efficiently in the second quarter. The ball movement was a sight for sore eyes. Phoenix connected on 10 of its first 15 threes (66.7%) to open up a 42-32 advantage, leading to a Clippers timeout.

A 15-8 Suns run led to a nice 49-38 advantage heading into the mandatory timeout with 4:39 remaining in the half.

Despite the lights-out shooting, the Clippers hung around and stayed within striking distance until Royce O’Neale’s corner triple extended the lead to 13.

At the half, the Suns held a 13-point advantage, 60-47. Booker had 13, Durant had 12 and Grayson Allen chipped in with 11 first-half points to lead the Suns. Zubac led the Clippers with 12 points.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Second Half

Tyus Jones continued to build off his strong start, connecting on a three early in the third quarter to put Phoenix back up by 13. A Norman Powell three quickly answered that to cut it back to a 10-point game.

The lack of energy started to shift a bit, with a lot of momentum going in LA’s favor.

The Clippers turned it up a notch defensively, getting themselves right back in the game. They opened the quarter on a 20-6 run to take a one-point lead.

Phoenix answered with a small run of their own to retake the lead with a 76-70 advantage after a Grayson Allen three.

The Suns took a five-point lead into the 4th and final quarter after a James Harden step-back three to close the 3rd.

The 4th quarter started with some more back-and-forth action. The teams were knotted up at 10 through the first 7:30.

The Suns extended their lead to 10 after a Royce O’Neale lay-in to make it 100-90 with six minutes remaining. Phoenix was playing with some attitude and purpose to close the game.

The Clippers would not go away, as that’s baked into their identity. A pair of Harden free throws cut the lead down to five with just over 1:30 remaining.

An 8-0 LA run got them back within three after an Ivica Zubac slam. The Suns were able to withstand the Clippers’ fight and get the much-needed win. Grayson Allen intentionally missed the second of two free throws to force a full-court heave from Norman Powell to secure the win.

Up Next?

The Suns will host Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at the Footprint Center. Tipoff is at 7 pm.

Nick Wosika-Imagn Images