Devin Booker on being surrounded by young players on Suns
Devin Booker, once a young phenom, is now a veteran surrounded by young players: “It’s a lot of jokes.”
The Phoenix Suns face the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Mortgage Matchup Center in a rematch of last month’s game between the two Pacific Division teams.
The game begins at 7 p.m., and will be televised by Arizona’s Family (3TV) and NBA TV.
The Clippers defeated the Suns, 129-102, Oct. 24, in Inglewood, Calif.
Jalen Green is available to make his Suns debut as he’s listed as probable with a right hamstring strain. Green has yet to play a game for Phoenix (3-5) this season. Grayson Allen is also available after being listed as questionable with an illness earlier. Allen has been starting for Green. He’s third on the team in scoring at a career-best 16.4 points a game.
Dillon Brooks is out with a core muscle strain. This will be the sixth consecutive game Brooks has been sidelined with the injury.
The Clippers (3-4) won’t have James Harden (personal reasons) and Kawhi Leonard (right ankle sprain).
This will be Bradley Beal’s first game in Phoenix since the Suns bought him out this past summer. Beal played the previous two seasons for the Suns alongside Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. With Leonard and Harden out, Beal will likely get up more shots.
Averaging a career-low eights points a game on 6.3 shot attempts, also a career low, Beal has been on a minute restriction. He has started every game he’s played for the Clippers, but he’s logged just 20.5 minutes a game.
Visit azcentral.com throughout the day for updates on Thursday’s game.
Green hot start in debut, Suns down at half
Jalen Green isn’t showing any rust in his Suns debut, scoring a team-high 16 points in 13 minutes Nov. 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Phoenix trails, 51-48 at halftime.
Green missed Phoenix’s first eight games with a right hamstring strain. He started Thursday’s game and got his first bucket on a driving layup with 9:43 left in the first quarter.
The Suns (3-5) acquired Dillon Brooks, Green and the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, 7-footer Khaman Maluach, from the Houston Rockets in the Kevin Durant trade.
Green attacked the basket, found the range in shooting 4-of-9 from 3 and added two rebounds and two assists with one off a drive and drop-off find to Mark Williams for a dunk during an 8-0 run to give Phoenix a 48-47 lead. Green sandwiched the assist with two 3s in the run.
Devin Booker has 14 points as he and Green are both 6-of-13 from the field.
They are a combined 12-of-26. The rest of the Suns are 7-of-20. Phoenix is also 7-of-20 from 3.
Ivica Zubac has a team-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds for the Clippers (3-4).
Former Suns guard Bradley Beal is 2-of-11 in scoring just five points in his first game in Phoenix since the buyout. The Clippers are without James Harden (personal reasons) and Kawhi Leonard (ankle).
Green, Allen starting, Dunn isn’t
Jalen Green starting in his Suns debut isn’t a surprise.
He’s started all 307 games he’s played in his career that began with the Houston Rockets as second overall selection in the 2021 draft.
Ryan Dunn and Grayson Allen have started the first eight games for the Suns, but Suns coach Jordan Ott has elected to keep Allen in the starting lineup and have Dunn come off the bench.
The Suns will have essentially a three-guard look to start the game in Devin Booker, Green and Allen along with Royce O’Neale at power forward and Mark Williams at center.
O’Neale has been starting for Dillon Brooks, who will miss his sixth consecutive game with a core muscle strain that was first diagnosed as right groin soreness.
When Brooks returns, who will go to the bench? Most likely Allen or O’Neale because Green, Booker and Williams are mainstays in the starting lineup.
Allen came into the game questionable with an illness, but Coach Jordan Ott is still starting him. Having Allen and O’Neale start keeps the floor spread for Green and Booker.
O’Neale is shooting a career-best 41.5% while Allen is at 38.9%.
However, Dunn is one of the team’s better defenders. So the Suns are giving up some defense to start the game, but have more offense. Dunn is shooting 31.3% from 3 this season.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
