INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers erased the memory of their season-opening disaster Friday night, demolishing the Phoenix Suns 129-102 in their home opener at Intuit Dome.
After suffering a 21-point loss at Utah, where they trailed by 37 points, the Clippers delivered a dominant performance behind stellar bounce-back efforts from their star duo.
Stars Shine in Redemption Performance
James Harden scored 30 points while Kawhi Leonard added 27, as both veterans looked nothing like the struggling versions that opened the season. Harden shot 8-for-12 from the field, including 5-for-7 from three-point range, while draining all nine of his free throws.
The performance was a stark contrast to his opening night, where he had just 15 points on inefficient shooting and was a non-factor in the impact of the game.
Harden erupted for 26 of his 30 points in the first half, including three three-pointers in 36 seconds at the end of the second quarter, giving the Clippers separation after an early deficit.
Leonard also bounced back in a big way after scoring just 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting against Utah. The two-time Finals MVP finished with 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists, looking more like the All-NBA caliber player the Clippers need him to be.
The difference between Friday’s blowout victory and Wednesday’s embarrassing loss came down to energy and defensive intensity. After the Suns opened a 28-19 lead in the first quarter, head coach Tyronn Lue made a critical adjustment, inserting four reserves alongside Harden.
“James made shots, but I thought what really turned the tide was Kris Dunn coming into the game,” Lue said. “His energy, his defense. I thought John Collins’ energy coming off the bench, I thought he did a really good job of picking up our energy, our defensive intensity. And then of course, James made shots. That was huge for us as well.”
The Clippers shot 55 percent from three-point range as a team, a massive improvement from their horrible 14-of-45 performance against the Jazz. Derrick Jones Jr. was flawless, scoring 17 points without missing a shot, making five three-pointers, and was active and bouncy all night.
The bench contributions were massive as well, with Kris Dunn providing the defensive spark with 14 points, while John Collins added 10 points off the bench, giving the Clippers the frontcourt energy they lacked in Utah.
For Phoenix, Dillon Brooks scored 21 points, hitting five three-pointers, while Devin Booker added 18 points and seven assists. But the Suns, who rallied from 20 points down in their season opener, couldn’t manufacture a similar comeback against the motivated Clippers.
The Clippers host Portland on Sunday, looking to build momentum as they search for consistency with their revamped roster.