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 at their new $2 billion-plus Intuit Dome.
Trailing, 114-112, James 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, turnovers, fouls – cost the Clippers a season-opening victory, but sent the near-sellout crowd home with a hint of promise.
Terance Mann said the Suns, with stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, 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.
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. James 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.
But the Suns didn’t back down and slowly worked their way back into the game. Phoenix pulled to within four, 99-95, with 3:15 left to play. Two poor shots by Harden allowed the Suns to further trim the lead, 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 give the Suns their first lead since the third quarter, 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 game, 101-101. Harden then added a pair of free throws for a two-point lead.
Durant scored to even 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 line.
Booker 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 caught them off guard. Zubac scored 21 points and had nine rebounds, Norman Powell finished with 15 points, and Coffey had 11 points.
The Clippers opened their new home without their superstar, 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.”
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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.