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Phoenix Suns overcome 21-point deficit to win against Los Angeles Clippers

Phoenix Suns overcome 21-point deficit to win against Los Angeles Clippers

2 minutes, 41 seconds Read

Things looked awfully scary for the Phoenix Suns heading into their Thursday night meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Nothing could go right for the Suns, they made mistakes on both sides and were down by over 20 points in the second quarter.

But in the end, Phoenix persevered and left the Intuit Dome with a 125-119 victory over the Clippers.

The Suns are now 4-1 this season and 2-0 against the Clippers, having also defeated them in the regular season opener.

Devin Booker was the main source of Phoenix's massive comeback, scoring 40 points on the night.

The Suns were without Bradley Beal due to an elbow injury, while Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is still out with a knee injury that sidelined him for every game early in the regular season.

Rookie Ryan Dunn was given the starting role in place of Beal and scored the highest score of his career with 16 points.

This is how the action went:

The Suns lost early 13-4 thanks to a mix of turnovers and poor shooting, which ultimately led to coach Mike Budenholzer calling a timeout. Phoenix's energy didn't waver as the first period progressed, as Budenholzer was once again forced to trail by 27-13 with just over three minutes left in the quarter.

Los Angeles took a 37-20 lead into the second quarter, with James Harden posting a smooth 12-7-5 record.

The Suns rallied between quarters and went on a 13-2 run to start the second quarter, cutting Los Angeles' lead to single digits with just under nine minutes left in the half.

That momentum didn't last long as the Clippers extended their lead back to 18 by halftime, 70-52. Kevin Durant had a plus-minus rating of -24 and four turnovers at halftime, while Harden was just two rebounds away from a triple-double.

Phoenix went on a 17-3 run to cut the Clippers' lead to six midway through the third period. The Suns made 15 straight shots in the third quarter, erasing a 21-point deficit and tying the game 89-89 before Los Angeles took a 93-91 lead in the fourth quarter.

It didn't take long for the Suns to take their first lead just two minutes into the game and eventually go up by four points before Ty Lue stopped the game with a timeout.

Similar to the last game, both teams exchanged baskets until the end, but with just under three minutes left in the game, Phoenix could no longer get going. Booker hit a contested three-point attempt before Royce O'Neale stole the ball and put it in the net at the other end on the ensuing possession to give the Suns their largest lead of the night, 115-107.

With the Clippers within three with less than a minute left, O'Neale converted a wide-open shot from distance to put the Suns back up by six.

Two more free throws from O'Neale nearly tied the game and Phoenix walked off the court victorious as the final buzzer sounded.

Kevin Durant: 18 points, five rebounds, four assists
Devin Booker: 40 points, five rebounds, eight assists
Ryan Dunn: 16 points, four rebounds
Royce O'Neale: 21 points, seven rebounds

The Suns are home for three games, starting Saturday with the Portland Trail Blazers.

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