Who: Phoenix Suns (3-6) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (2-7)
When: 7:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: Suns+, 3TV/AZFS
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Phoenix Suns will need to have a short memory after being dominated by Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs last night.
Wemby walked into our building and dropped 40, 11, and nine blocks in 25 minutes without breaking a sweat. Spurs 122, Suns 96. It was a rough night. But the silver lining is that the starters were on the bench with 9:34
left. Because tonight they have the second of a back-to-back, and tired legs cannot be an excuse.
The mood in this fanbase right now is somewhere between “burn it down” and “it’s November, relax.” The Suns sit at 3-6. They’re 2-2 on this seven-game homestand. The two-game win streak over Houston and Orlando either becomes a distant memory (after a loss) or a building block if they win, because then it’s suddenly ”they’ve won 3 of their last 4 games”. So which is it?
Make no mistake about it… this is a MUST-WIN game for the Suns. These are the teams you need to beat.
Tale of the Tape
Probable Starters
Phoenix Suns
- G Devin Booker
- G Jalen Green
- F Dillon Brooks
- F Miles Bridges
- C Oso Ighodaro
LA Clippers
- G Darius Garland
- G Kris Dunn
- F Derrick Jones Jr.
- F Rui Hachimura
- C Brook Lopez
Ingram and Beal are still out, so expect LA to run back the same five that started Sunday in their win over the Pelicans.
Injury Report
Goody is back!
Suns
- Mark Williams — OUT (Left Shoulder Surgery)
Clippers
- Brandon Ingram — OUT (Achilles)
- Bradley Beal — OUT (Knee)
What to Watch For
Devin Booker needs help, and he needs it from the starters.
Book went 10-for-17 for 32 last night. The other four starters combined for 27 points on 10-of-36 shooting. That’s 27.8%. Phoenix shot 39.3% as a team. Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges have to be the second and third options tonight, or this turns into another Booker solo show that ends in a loss.
Hunt the Clippers’ second unit.
LA snapped a seven-game skid Sunday by beating New Orleans 139-123, and the bench won that game: 59 points and 14 assists from the reserves. Gradey Dick went 6-for-7. Top-5 pick Keaton Wagler hit 3 of 4 from deep in 18 minutes. Wagler also picked up five fouls. That unit is 4th in bench scoring per game, but defensively they have some flaws. Attack, attack, attack.
Garland is the engine without Ingram.
Darius Garland went for 24 and 10 against the Pelicans. Brook Lopez added 20. Brandon Ingram (heel) and Bradley Beal (knee) are both out tonight. Gillespie, Goodwin and Green have to make Garland work on the ball, and whoever draws Lopez has to drag him out to the perimeter, where his feet are slow.
Key to a Suns Win
Rebounding is going to be the key for every Suns game, as the Spurs outrebounded them by twenty, 55 to 35.
LA shot 55% from the field (46 of 84), went 16-for-38 from three, and piled up 34 assists against 11 turnovers in their win over the Pelicans. They lived at the line, too: 31 of 38 from the line while the Pelicans committed 29 fouls. The glass was basically even, 36-35 Clippers, with LA grabbing 13 offensive boards.
Bench Mob
The starters held serve, every one of them finishing between +2 and +9. The bench blew it open. Max Strus and Gradey Dick were both +17, Kobe Sanders was +15, and Keaton Wagler was +11. LA won the fourth quarter 37-28.
Collin Gillespie, anyone? It’s been a rough season for him, and boy could they use a breakout game in this one from him, not only for his confidence, but to outduel the Clippers’ bench. Jordan Goodwin is back as well, so that hopefully provides a spark.
Do not take them lightly. The Clippers are 2nd in the NBA in 3PT% and 4th in bench scoring. Despite their flaws and 7-game losing streak, they are fully capable of getting hot from deep and stealing this one.
Prediction
The Suns bounce back, and their offense breaks out in a win over the Clippers. We enter the 10-game mark at 4-6, with mixed reviews, but ultimately trending in the right direction, winning 3 of 4.
