It was not pretty, but the Phoenix Suns recorded their first victory of the season with a 116-113 win over the LA Clippers. The Clippers debuted their new arena, the Intuit Dome, but their opener was spoiled by an overtime victory led by Kevin Durant late on. There was certainly some sloppiness that the Suns will need to clean up going forward, but new head coach Mike Budenholzer will be pleased to see the team overcome a weakness that plagued them so much last year.
Suns Victory over Clippers Shows Clear Difference From Last Season
No Fourth Quarter Woes
Plenty of the discussion around the Suns and their offense last season was the lack of a point guard. It led to very one-dimensional plays, which allowed opposing defenses to adapt and easily stop, particularly late on in games. The lack of elite ball handlers on the team would cause unforced turnovers and had the Suns amongst the worst in the league in the fourth quarter.
Of all teams, the Suns ranked last in points per game in the fourth quarter with 25.1 and fourth-worst in turnovers with 3.8. Ball movement was a struggle, with only five teams providing fewer assists in the final period. Their field goal percentage of 45.1% was also amongst the lowest.
So when the Suns entered the fourth quarter of their game against the Clippers down two, many wondered how they would fare and if the addition of Tyus Jones would provide an instant impact. His influence was evident, recording three assists and zero turnovers in 10 fourth-quarter minutes. He provided eight on no turnovers for the game. The Suns managed to keep themselves in the game and ultimately send the game to overtime, in which they outscored the Clippers 13-10. Albeit just one game, the Suns were second in fourth quarter FG% in the NBA with 64.7% and joint-sixth in assists with 7.0.
Depth Shows Up
The Suns were expected to win this game with ease, but this was not the case. The hosts were without Kawhi Leonard and had little offense outside of James Harden. However, anyone who watches the Suns closely will know that this would have been a game they would let slip last season. Despite the poor performance of Devin Booker and Durant until late, the Suns were able to steal a victory.
This is because the players outside of the star duo stepped up. Bradley Beal missed most of the first part of last season but made sure to get off to a hot start this time. Whilst his co-stars labored, Beal carried the side during some difficult stretches. He ended the game with 24 points on 8-12 shooting. Budenholzer used 11 different players, and all featured in the first quarter. This includes rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. Their stats do not jump off the box score, but they made positive plays in limited minutes.
Jusuf Nurkic found himself in foul trouble but still contributed 11 points and nine rebounds. His backup, Mason Plumlee, scored eight points in 14 minutes. Grayson Allen made his return from injury and added an extra element to the bench.
Durant led the way with 25, most of his damage coming late on, including the game-tying shot to send it to OT. Booker scored 15 but fouled out before the conclusion of the fourth. He attempted just nine shots in the game, a number that will have to increase going forward. The pair combined for 11 turnovers, meaning there is still much room for improvement. They will face a tougher test in the LA Lakers on Friday night, one they will need Booker to perform in if they are to come away with a win.
