James Harden is the sole captain of the Los Angeles Clippers (2-3) until Kawhi Leonard makes his season debut.
The Clippers started the season by winning two of the first three games of the season, including a shocking 109-104 road win over the Denver Nuggets on October 26. The Clippers are 0-3 in their brand-new Intuit Dome.
The Phoenix Suns (4-1) defeated the Clippers for the second time this season on Thursday night with a 125-119 score. Harden accounted for a team-high 25 points, 13 assists, two blocks and two steals. He also turned the ball over six times. This is the fifth game this season where Harden turned the ball over at-least five times.
Sports Illustrated’s Joey Linn asked Harden about the turnovers occurring where the Clippers turned the ball over 14 times. Harden mentioned while the turnovers are a problem, it is their defense, especially in the third quarter that needs the most improvement.
The Clippers have yet to win a game in their new arena as they almost beat the Suns again. Much like the season-opener, turnovers hurt the Clippers. This is a team that will attempt to play fast and will set up great scoring opportunities for several players like center Ivica Zubac, who is averaging 19.2 points per game.
While the pacing is good, the Clippers are turning the ball over at a high rate. They are averaging 16.4 turnovers, fourth most in the league. Harden has a league-high 11.6 assists per game, but also a league-high 6.2 turnovers per game.
While the turnovers were a problem, the Clippers’ defense was horrible in the third quarter. Los Angeles had a 70-52 going into the third quarter, but Phoenix shot incredibly well.
The Suns made 15 consecutive shots to start the second half and were 16-of-20 in field goals and 7-of-11 from the three-point arc. The Suns outscored the Clippers 39 to 23 in the third quarter.
This is a team that has talented defensive players like Zubac, forward Derick Jones Jr. and guard Kris Dunn.
“I don’t think necessarily the turnovers that lost the game. We came off that third quarter defensively. They were just comfortable, they made shots and got them back into the game,” Harden said after the game.
This loss to the Suns was a heartbreaker as the Clippers failed to win their first home at home and had a comfortable lead at halftime. This Clippers team is trusting their defense in their first season with defensive stars taking place of the departed Paul George. The Clippers have shown potential defensively with these players but have yet to shine.
Los Angeles is allowing an average of 111 points per game, which ranks 11th in the league. This is better for the team than in the past few seasons. The slow starts in the third quarter, however, continue to haunt them for another season.
They are also missing their best player overall in Leonard, who is recovering from a knee injury that occurred in the previous postseason. It is unclear when Leonard will make his debut, and he will time to get into game shape. Once Leonard is healthy and feels confident, the Clippers will improve defensively. This defense has shined in certain spots, it could be even brighter as the season continues.
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