Clippers open season, Intuit Dome, with OT loss to Phoenix

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James Harden #1 of Los Angeles Clippers controls the ball against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a NBA basketball game at Intuit Dome .. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/ SCNG)

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INGLEWOOD — A new arena, new uniforms, new season, new vibe. Could this be the start of a new era in Clippers basketball?

After all the hoopla over The Wall fan section, Chuck the Condor’s aerial arrival, the 360-degree Halo scoreboard and the touching tribute to legend Jerry West, the Clippers settled into playing defensive-oriented basketball.

Now, that’s new.

The Clippers showed what kind of team they can be this season, pushing the explosive Phoenix Suns into overtime before losing, 116-113, on Wednesday night at their new $2 billion-plus Intuit Dome.

“A lot of positives out of that game. A lot of positives,” point guard James Harden said. “I think we played extremely hard, which is going to be our calling every single game.”

Trailing, 114-112, Harden missed one of two free throws with 4.2 seconds left in overtime. Jusuf Nurkic followed with two made free throws to seal the Suns victory.

Too many mistakes – bad shots, 22 turnovers, fouls – and some big baskets by Kevin Durant in the final quarter – cost the Clippers a season-opening victory but did send the capacity crowd home with a hint of promise.

“I can’t question how hard we played and how in tune we were,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We had a couple of defensive breakdowns down the stretch, but overall, I thought our guys did a good job competing.”

Terance Mann said the Suns, with stars Bradley Beal and Durant, were the “perfect challenge” to test their retooled defense.

“They’re real offensive, savvy and we’re ready for the challenge,” Mann said.

They were ready for the most part.

The Clippers talked throughout the preseason about their dedication to defense, a staple of new assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy. And for the first 12 minutes on Wednesday, they backed up their words, forcing the Suns into turning the ball over six times and holding them to eight points in the paint.

But the Suns adjusted and went to shooting their staple 3-pointers, staging a 22-5 run to grab a 40-27 lead with 5:12 left in the second. The Suns led, 47-39, at halftime.

But the Clippers regrouped after intermission and clamped down, quickly erasing the Suns’ lead. Harden tied the score at 51 with a 3-pointer with 5:12 left in the third. He was just getting started.

Harden, who had a quiet four points in the first half, finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in 40 minutes.

The Clippers went on an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter, fueled by back-to-back baskets by Ivica Zubac and single baskets by Kris Dunn and Amir Coffey to open up an 82-74 lead early in the fourth quarter that was expanded to 99-90.

But the Suns didn’t back down and slowly worked their way back into the game. Phoenix pulled to within 99-95 with 3:15 left to play. Two poor shots by Harden allowed the Suns to further trim the lead to 99-98 with 2:31 remaining.

A turnover by Harden and a foul by Zubac gave the Suns hope of spoiling the Clippers’ party.

Durant was fouled by Harden on a layup and made a free throw to cap an 11-0 run and give the Suns their first lead since the third quarter at 101-99 with 1:39 left.

Suns guard Devin Booker picked up his sixth foul and Harden came back with an 18-footer to tie the score at 101-all. Harden then added a pair of free throws for a two-point lead.

Durant, who had a team-high 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting, scored to tie the game with 21 seconds left. The Clippers had a chance to put away the game, but Harden’s floater came up short, sending the game to overtime.

The Clippers had several chances to seal the game in overtime but each time the Suns found a way to stop them. Their final shot came with 4.8 seconds left and Harden at the free-throw line. He missed the second foul shot.

“I mean we made mistakes over the course of the game. Mistakes are going to happen from both sides,” Harden said. “I think it’s the way the mistakes happen and what mistakes we make. Unfortunately, I don’t think our mistakes were too crazy to where we were just giving them transition dunks and layups, things like that.

“So, a lot of things that we can correct and we can control ourselves, which is definitely on the bright side, but like I said before, I got to play better, which I will.”

Booker had said the Clippers are a well-rounded team from top to bottom.

“They have a lot of defensive-minded players on their team,” Booker said earlier in the week. “Obviously, we know what James is capable of, especially in a situation like this, kind of similar to Houston.”

The rest of the Clippers seemed to catch them off guard, though. Zubac scored 21 points and had nine rebounds, Norman Powell finished with 15 points, and Coffey had 11 points.

Beal finished with 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting for the Suns, while Booker had 15 points and six assists. Nurkic had 11 points and nine rebounds and Tyus Jones had 11 points and eight assists.

The Clippers opened their new home without their biggest star, who sat in street clothes as the team unveiled the bells and whistles of the Intuit Dome. Kawhi Leonard missed the anticipated home opener because of continued discomfort in his right knee.

Weeks after it was announced the six-time All-Star would be sidelined, his return date remains indefinite. Two hours before tipoff, Lue said there wasn’t any update.

“Same as last week, you know, progressing,” Lue said before the game. “He’s feeling pretty good, getting better. You know, we gotta check all the boxes, but he’s progressing and he’s feeling pretty good.”

In the meantime, the responsibility is expected to fall largely to Harden. Lue said he was reluctant to put all the pressure on the 35-year-old’s shoulders, but they still need him to be aggressive and seek out his teammates.

“We can’t expect him to go out and score 40s and 45s and 50s like he did in Houston, but he has to be aggressive,” Lue said. “So, making the right play, taking care of the basketball, he is going to have to think to score. I think being the star, especially with Kawhi being out.”

The Clippers’ other option is a collective effort, something Lue got from his newly constructed team on the first night of the season.

“I’m so disappointed that we didn’t get the win,” Harden said. “That’s like one of the most frustrating things that I can think about as far as tonight. Like just history in Inglewood. The Intuit Dome. The fans came out, they showed up and we got the short end of the stick. But I think they gave us great, great energy tonight and I think the more they continue that the better our results will be. So, we appreciate the fans. We got to do our part, and they definitely did theirs tonight.”

Originally Published: October 23, 2024 at 10:18 p.m.

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Clippers open season, Intuit Dome, with OT loss to Phoenix – Daily News

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