PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns (1-1) could not keep up with the star power of the Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) and got blown out 129-102 in their first road game of the 2025-26 season at Intuit Dome Friday night.
This was Phoenix’s first matchup against Bradley Beal (six points), who was on a minutes restriction for the Clippers, after buying him out this summer.
Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro started the game for the Suns for the second-straight game, as Phoenix intentionally continued to bring Mark Williams off the bench as it manages his minutes restriction.
The Clippers started James Harden, Beal, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr. and Ivica Zubac.
Down Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) once again, the Suns simply did not have enough offense to keep up with the Clippers, who were firing on all cylinders out of the gates.
Brooks led the Suns with 21 points, and Booker recorded 18 points and seven assists. Collin Gillespie (13 points), Allen (12 points) and Royce O’Neale (11 points) were also in double figures for Phoenix.
Harden finished with 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting, seven assists and seven rebounds to lead the Clippers to the win, and Leonard contributed 27 points and five rebounds.
The Clippers shot 45-for-76 (59.2%) from the field and 16-for-29 (55.2%) from 3 in the win compared to 37-of-90 (41.1%) shooting overall and 16-of-47 (34%) 3-point shooting for the suns.
The Suns got off to a much better start than they did in the season opener, converting five of their first seven shots, but the Clippers also began the game hot until Phoenix went on a 12-0 run to go up 23-14 with 5:22 to go in the first. Los Angeles responded with a late 9-0 run and led 34-33 at the end of the first quarter.
Brooks got the scoring going early for Phoenix, ending the first quarter with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Booker added six points, four assists and two rebounds. Harden led all scorers with 14 on 4-of-4 shooting for the Clippers, as both teams shot over 55% from the floor in the opening period.
Los Angeles began the second quarter on a 12-0 run and never looked back, extending its lead to 72-56 at halftime. Harden was up to 26 points at halftime, shooting 7-for-9 overall and 5-for-6 from 3, as the Clippers shot 60% from the floor and 58% from 3 in the half.
Brooks ended the half with 15 points (5-12 FG) for the Suns), and O’Neale added 11 points off the bench, as the Suns only shot 29.2% from the field in the second quarter, getting outscored 38-23 in the period.
Just as they did in the second quarter, the Clippers started the third quarter with a huge run, 14-0, to go up 28 (84-56) and put the game out of reach in the first four minutes of the second half. At the end of the third, L.A. was up 106-77 with Harden at 30 points and Leonard with 23.
Suns rookies Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach got their first NBA minutes in the fourth quarter in the blowout with Maluach scoring his first NBA point at the free throw line.
The Clippers were up by as much as 32 points en route to the 129-102 victory.
The Suns will take on the Denver Nuggets on the road in the second game of a back-to-back tomorrow night.
