/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.basketusa.com%2Fapp%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F10%2Fharden-suns.jpg "Harden & Leonard Dominate: Clippers Beat Suns")
After the big flop in Utah, the Clippers returned to the Intuit Dome to challenge the Suns, the former franchise of a certain Bradley Beal. Like the match against Jazz, Los Angeles did not shine in the first minutes and suffered a 15-0 which allowed Phoenix to quickly take a nine-point lead (23-14).
A short-lived advance since James Harden (30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) had a perfect first quarter with 14 points on 4/4 shooting and 2/2 from distance to bring his team back into the game. Result: the locals lead 34-33 after twelve minutes of play.
To start the second quarter, the Clippers went 12-0 with a Kawhi Leonard (27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) much more dashing than against Jazz. The two-time NBA champion begins with an interception on Collin Gillespie which gives rise to a dunk on the counterattack. Then, he followed up with an arrow from behind the arc and a mid-range shot to give the Clippers a three-point lead, the biggest gap of the match (46-33).
A first authoritarian victory
This gap continues to grow thanks to the Angelinos’ 3-point skill. At halftime, the Clippers were at 61% from a distance with, at the head of the line, a still unstoppable James Harden. When entering the locker room, “The Beard” posted 26 points at 7/9 shooting at 5/6 from distance, for a lead of 16 points.
Tyronn Lue’s men started the second half with a 5-0 lead during which Kawhi Leonard converted a 2+1 to pass the twenty-point lead (77-56). Unlike the match against Sacramento, the Suns did not make a comeback and continued to sink against a perfectly rehearsed Clippers collective.
Phoenix ended up losing 129-102 and conceded its first defeat of the season before going to challenge the Nuggets in Denver this Saturday. Conversely, the Clippers won their first match of this 2025/26 campaign before facing the Blazers, victorious over the Warriors, this Sunday.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– A boiling James Harden in the first half. During the first match against the Jazz, James Harden certainly achieved a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists, but he did not weigh on the game. During this duel against the Suns, the opposite happened. While the Clippers seemed off to a bad start, the 2018 MVP got his team back on the right track by launching an 8-0 during which he stood out with five points to allow Los Angeles to return to 28 all. The 2018 MVP thus achieved a perfect first quarter with 14 points on 4/4 shooting and 2/2 from distance. In the second act, he continued his momentum and posted 26 points at 7/9 shooting when he returned to the locker room.
– Suns without solution. Still without Jalen Green, the Suns almost didn’t exist during this match. If James Harden’s hot streak caused serious problems for the Phoenix defense, it was not the only reason for this heavy setback. After conceding 71 points in the first half in the opening game against the Kings, the Suns took 72. Phoenix failed to contain the duo Derrick Jones Jr. / Kris Dunn. The first helped the Clippers come back while the second allowed the Angelinos to get back in front at the end of the first quarter. Then, a surgical Kawhi Leonard at the start of the second act widened a gap in favor of Los Angeles that the Suns were never able to fill.
