PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns will reportedly open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 23 against the Los Angeles Clippers at L.A.’s new arena, the Intuit Dome.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reported this news on X.
The Los Angeles Clippers are slated to open their new Intuit Dome for the first regular season game on Oct. 23 hosting the Phoenix Suns, sources tell me and @LawMurrayTheNU.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 12, 2024
Phoenix went 1-3 against Los Angeles last season and had arguably its worst lost of the season when L.A. jumped out to a 35-4 lead in Phoenix on Apr. 9. This was the Clippers’ fifth-straight regular season win over the Suns before Phoenix avenged the loss with a 124-108 victory the following day in Los Angeles.
However, the Suns have beaten the Clippers twice in the playoffs in recent years–in the first round in 2023 and the Western Conference semifinals in 2021.
In the 2023-24 season, the Clippers finished the regular season as the No. 4 seed with a 51-31 record, while the Suns were the No. 6 seed and had a 49-33 record. Both teams lost in the first round with the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks beating the Clippers in six games and the No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves sweeping the Suns.
The Clippers most notably lost Paul George this offseason, as he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be a return game for new Suns center Mason Plumlee, who signed with Phoenix this offseason after he spent the last 1.5 seasons with the Clippers.
Additionally for the Suns, this will mark the official debut for new coach Mike Budenholzer and point guard Tyus Jones.
Charania reports that the NBA’s opening day on Oct. 22 will feature two games: the New York Knicks at the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers, so this Suns-Clippers matchup will take place the following day.
The complete schedule will likely be released later this week based on when it has come out in previous years. The only other reported regular season game for the Suns so far is a Christmas Day matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Report: Suns set for fourth consecutive year with Christmas Day game, to face Nuggets
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
