Focused vs. Frantic; The Clippers vs. the Suns

LOS ANGELES, CA-- The Los Angeles Clippers took on the Phoenix Suns tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a game that ended in a well-deserved win for the Clippers.

The pregame presser from coaches Doc Rivers of the Clippers and Earl Watson of the Phoenix Suns gave us a glimpse into what to expect for the game, pretty much confirming former predictions for the matchup; the Clippers were going to come out with the same fire they had on Saturday against the Warriors, and the Suns were going to be in trouble from the get-go.

Doc Rivers came to the presser in high spirits, and was happy to talk strategy right off the bat. However, when the first question asked was about the status of several players- including Blake Griffin who is out nursing a broken hand-- he chose to brush off the question with a smile. “Chris Paul played a 40 minute game and had time to rest so he’ll be fine for tonight,” Rivers chuckled, “As for Blake Griffin, well, he’s healing and that’s all I have to say about that.”

For those unaware of the Blake Griffin drama, he’s been out since January 23rd with a broken hand injury that he sustained when he punched equipment staffer Matias Testi during an off-siten alteration. Although Griffin’s absence has brought unwanted attention to Clippers, the team has been able to keep its composure and has done relatively well without him. Both J.J. Redick and Chris Paul were on fire tonight, sinking consistent three pointers while flawlessly moving in and out of Rivers’ offensive game strategy. Deandre Jordan also shined tonight with several big plays including an impressive dunk at the start of the third quarter.

Rivers eventually steered the press conversation back to strategy, talking about the tough game that the Clippers had on Saturday and highlighting that the team needed to clear their minds in order to have a successful game tonight. “We have to focus on us,” Rivers explained at the podium, “we can’t worry about the other team’s [record], we just have to go out and play.” Rivers hinted at the presser that the Clippers were going to pay the offensive game against the Suns tonight in order to combat the sporadic offense they viewed on film. It was clear from the tip-off that the Clippers took River’s offensive strategy to heart, allowing them to lead by 19 points in the first 4 minutes. The Clippers were able to keep their momentum for the entire half, capitalizing on the Sun’s many passing errors and connecting several big-time plays to end the half ahead with 59 to 42.

Unlike Doc River’s conference, Earl Watson’s presser was more reserved and focused on team dynamics. He was not interested in discussing strategy, saying that it “wasn’t his style,” but he did share that he was optimistic that Griffin’s absence would help improve his team’s spirits. “We’ve already played high-profile teams this season, so the losses we’ve [sustained] are okay,” Watson explained during his press conference, “We’re a young team and experience itself is big for us.” Unfortunately for the Sun’s, Griffin’s absence didn’t do much in terms of calming nerves; Phoenix was very frantic during the first quarter, allowing the Clippers to take the lead and keep it for the entire half. The Suns seemed a little more confident at the start of the second half, but over-aggressive reaches from Sun’s center Alex Len lead to 2 fouls in the first 2 minutes and put them at an immediate 12 point deficit. The Suns were unable to recover, ending the third quarter trailing 61 to 90.

Although Watson talked about the Sun’s team taking steps in the right direction for player relationships, it’s clear they have some ways to go when it comes to actual game strategy. The Suns worked hard tonight, but they were clearly outplayed by a more mature Clippers lineup. The young team was outrun, outshot and unfortunately, overwhelmed on the court, causing them to fall to the Clippers 84 to 124.

---

#basketball #StaplesCenter #Clippers #Suns