PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns look to notch a win streak of at least three games for just the third time this season as they host the Los Angeles Clippers for the second of a three-game homestand.
The Suns (23-21) haven’t played the Clippers (26-19) since the first and fifth game of the season. Phoenix won both meetings earlier this season as a part of its 8-1 start.
Here are the pregame notes from Footprint Center ahead of their matchup:
Injury report
– The Suns were at full strength for the first time since the beginning of the season ahead of their 119-109 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Until two minutes into that game where Suns rookie Ryan Dunn tweaked his ankle on a drive to the rim. Dunn is out against the Clippers with a left ankle sprain.
– For the Clippers, Cam Christie (left ankle sprain), Kris Dunn (Left Knee Injury Management), Jordan Miller (Illness), and P.J. Tucker (Not With Team) are all out.
Pregame quotes
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer
On game planning against Kawhi Leonard:
“He’s a great player. Proven he has done it at the highest level. He’s such a great scorer, scores at all three levels, hits tough shots and can get to his spots. Sometimes it’s good defense and better shot making. We have got to try to make him uncomfortable, make him earn everything, keep him off the free-throw line, make it tough for him tonight.”
On Nick Richards feeling more freedom for rebounding:
“We want him to be a presence on the offensive board, a presence in the paint. He is doing a good job finding his spots while he is still trying to learn everyone’s tendencies and plays. He is playing off of instinct a lot and his instincts have been very good.”
On the Clippers defense:
“I think their positional size stands out, their athleticism, their strength, and their ability to take the challenge one-on-one. Maybe they don’t have a traditional power forward but the way the game has changed – their wings are big and strong. To be able to have (James) Harden as your point guard, again defensively, is probably underrated. What their wings do and how they’re able to take the challenge defensively and they’re just big and physical.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue
On where you have improved throughout the season:
“When Kawhi (Leonard) is on the floor, since we got Kawhi back, we are like seventh in the league in offense, which we struggled to score early on. Starting the season, we came in with a deepest of mindset that we want to be a top five defense. I think guys have improved. I think, like I said, Norms (Norman Powell) having a career year, Zu (Ivica Zubac) having a career year, James (Harden) being James, Amir (Coffey) is having a career year. So just guys being able to figure out, DJs (Derrick Jones Jr.) having a career year, and along with Kris Dunn so just guys be able to figure out the style of play we need to play to win games. But I think over the last two or three weeks, if I say not since the beginning of season, but the last two or three weeks, I think we’ve gotten better offensively, understanding how we want to play, how we want to use Kawhi and when his minutes pick up, we get better at that. So, I would just say offense is getting better the last few weeks.”
On how the Suns look with Nick Richards and his impact:
“Just a guy who can roll, get on the defense, can roll, rebound the basketball offensively and defensively, and then a shot blocker on the defensive end, a guy who can protect the paint, good at pick and roll coverage and things like that. So, it adds a different dimension to their team.”
On the Suns stars and how to defend them:
“Yeah, it makes it tough, you know, you have, don’t forget (Bradley) Beal. You know, you got three dynamic scorers, and so if you are blitzing KD (Kevin Durant) or (Devin) Booker, (Bradley) Beal, and you got the other two sitting on the wing to be able to shoot the basketball, drive closeouts, and it’s just tough. Like I said, they’ve really figured out how they want to play with one another. Those two have, but it’s just tough, going into the game, who you want to take out of the game, who you want to double team and blitz, it makes it hard.”
Starting lineups
Phoenix Suns starters vs Clippers:
Tyus Jones
Devin Booker
Nick Richards
Kevin Durant
Royce O'Neale#SunsUp #NBA #ClipperNation— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) January 28, 2025
Los Angeles Clippers starters vs Suns
James Harden
Norman Powell
Ivica Zubac
Derrick Jones Jr.
Kawhi Leonard#ClipperNation #NBA #SunsUp— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) January 28, 2025
Report: Tensions rise as Nurkic, Budenholzer ‘didn’t talk for 2 months’
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenosports, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social
