Suns vs Clippers: Harden and Kawhi torch Phoenix as Derrick Jones Jr. hits perfection from deep

Bassyonni

ago 4 hours

Suns vs Clippers

The first battle between the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers this season was one-way traffic. In their home opener at the Intuit Dome on Friday night (Oct. 24, 10:30 p.m. ET), the Clippers hammered the Suns 129–102, riding James Harden’s 30 and Kawhi Leonard’s 27 while flashing scary shot-making depth. The win levels L.A. at 1–1 and cools Phoenix to 1–1 on its three-game road swing.

Clippers vs Suns: final score, leaders, and the swing that decided it

Final: Clippers 129, Suns 102
Venue: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
Records: PHX 1–1 (0–1 away), LAC 1–1 (1–0 home)

Game flow: Phoenix hung around for a quarter, then the second period detonated the scoreboard. L.A. blitzed the Suns 38–23 in the second and 34–21 in the third, turning a tight game into a rout. The Clippers shot 59.2% FG and 55.2% from three, burying Phoenix under a barrage of drive-and-kick threes and mid-post creation.

Top performers (selected):

Clippers: James Harden 30 pts (8/12 FG, 5/7 3PT, 9/9 FT), 7 reb, 7 ast; Kawhi Leonard 27 pts (11/21), 5 reb, 5 ast; Derrick Jones Jr. 17 pts on 6/6 FG and 5/5 from three, 4 reb; Kris Dunn 14; John Collins 10 & 6; Ivica Zubac 8 & 5 with 4 ast.
Suns: Dillon Brooks 21 pts (5 threes); Devin Booker 18 pts, 7 ast; Collin Gillespie 13; Grayson Allen 12; Oso Ighodaro 9 & 6.

Team stats snapshot

Shooting: PHX 41.1% FG / 34.0% 3PT vs LAC 59.2% FG / 55.2% 3PT
Rebounds: PHX 37, LAC 45
Turnovers: PHX 18, LAC 19
Attendance: 17,927

How the Clippers cracked it: spacing, tempo changes, and a new wing threat

Three things swung the night:

Harden’s pace control. He toggled between half-court orchestration and quick-hitting threes, piling up efficient points and seven dimes. When Phoenix committed help to the lane, Harden kicked to corners and above-the-break shooters in rhythm.
Kawhi’s pressure points. Leonard lived in the elbows and short corners. Phoenix couldn’t take away both his pull-up and the downhill spin counter, and once the second defender arrived, the ball zipped to shooters.
Derrick Jones Jr. as the wild card. Perfect from the field and 5-for-5 from deep, Jones punished tag-and-recover coverage. If this spacing holds, it reshapes L.A.’s late-game geometry around the stars.

Defensively, the Clippers flattened Phoenix’s drive game by keeping size on the ball and funneling to length at the rim. The Suns created a few clean catch-and-shoot looks, but too many possessions ended with contested threes late in the clock.

What it means for Phoenix: early lessons on the road

Phoenix’s offense stalled when secondary creators had to manufacture against a set defense. The bright spots: Booker’s table-setting (7 ast) and spurts of movement shooting from Allen and Gillespie. To steady the next two legs of the trip, Phoenix needs quicker second-side actions—swing, attack, and hit the dunker spot—before the defense gets comfortable.

Adjustment watch:

Cut turnover rate. Eighteen giveaways on a hot-shooting opponent is a recipe for a blowout. Cleaner entries and fewer jump-passes against length are musts.
Glass by committee. L.A. turned rebounds into pace. Phoenix’s wings have to dig down on long boards to curb the extra possessions.
Paint touches first. Early post seals or slot drives can force rotations that open those same threes Phoenix took—just earlier and cleaner.

Where to watch Clippers vs Suns (and replays)

For viewers in the United States, replays and condensed versions are typically available through the league’s official out-of-market streaming service, team-run regional networks, and participating cable/satellite on-demand libraries. Internationally, most territories carry full game and mini-game replays via the league’s direct streaming platform. Check your TV provider or the league’s app for availability in your region. Future Suns–Clippers meetings will be distributed across a mix of local affiliates, national windows, and the league’s streaming options; exact carriers vary by date and market.

Next up on the schedule

Suns: continue the road swing at Denver (Sat.), then Utah (Mon.), before their home opener mid-week.
Clippers: host Portland (Sun.) before a quick two-game trip and an early-November mini-series that includes a rematch set.

Quick box: Suns vs Clippers player stats (selected)

Clippers — Harden 30-7-7; Leonard 27-5-5; Jones Jr. 17 (6/6 FG, 5/5 3PT), 4 reb; Dunn 14; Collins 10-6; Zubac 8-5-4; Lopez 6-7.
Suns — Brooks 21; Booker 18-7 ast; Gillespie 13-5-5; Allen 12; Ighodaro 9-6; O’Neale 11-4.

The Clippers’ shot diet and star control overwhelmed the Suns, with Derrick Jones Jr.’s flawless spacing acting as accelerant. If this is a preview of the season series, Phoenix will need faster decisions and more physicality on the defensive glass to keep pace when L.A.’s shooters get rolling.