PHOENIX — Devin Booker scored 15 points in the first quarter against the Spurs on Monday, and the night still got away from the Suns. San Antonio led by as many as 34 and won 122-96. Booker finished with 32 points, and tonight is the second game of a back-to-back for Phoenix.
The Clippers arrive off their own kind of night. They beat the Pelicans 139-123 on Sunday in a game they led by as many as 20. Darius Garland had 24 points and 10 assists, and Brook Lopez added 20 points. It stands out against the rest of their start: the Clippers are 2-7 and 0-4 on the road this season.
The glass is where these two teams looked alike last season. The Suns rebounded 67.6% of their opponents' missed shots, and that ranked 4th-lowest of 30 teams. The Clippers, at 68.1%, ranked 6th-lowest. On their own misses the two split apart. Phoenix rebounded 33.1% of its own missed shots, the 6th-highest of 30 teams, while Los Angeles sat at 28.4%, the 7th-lowest.
The Clippers also look different with the ball this season. They have had 68% of their made shots assisted, after 59% last season, even as Garland has taken more of his shots as pull-ups.
The recent meetings swing both ways. The Suns won on Nov 6, 2025, and again on Nov 8, 2025, before the Clippers won the last meeting 117-93 on Feb 1, on the road. Since 2019-20, the Suns are 14-13 against the Clippers in the regular season, and in the 2022-23 playoffs the Suns won the first round 4-1 against the Clippers.