Suns Struggle to Find Footing Against Clippers in Tough Loss
Some nights, no matter how hard you push, the game just doesn’t give back. Sunday was one of those nights for the Phoenix Suns, who ran into a Clippers team that smelled blood early and never let up.
Missing both Devin Booker and Jalen Green, the Suns have shown grit this season in the face of adversity. They've battled through shorthanded stretches before and found ways to stay competitive.
But against this Clippers squad, the rhythm was off from the jump, and it never quite returned. The midrange game - usually a reliable piece of the Suns’ offensive identity - completely unraveled.
They went just 12-of-47 from inside the arc, a brutal 25.5% that made every possession feel like a grind uphill.
And even when the Clippers coughed up the ball - 18 turnovers in total - Phoenix couldn’t capitalize. Just 13 points came off those miscues, a number that speaks to a night where execution lagged behind effort.
The Suns showed up, sure. They played hard.
But the connection between intention and result just wasn’t there.
Size was another storyline. There were moments where it looked like Phoenix might be able to flip the script by exploiting matchups.
But the Clippers weren’t having it. They attacked the paint with purpose - and with success - pounding the ball inside possession after possession.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective. Physical.
Relentless. The kind of interior dominance that doesn’t just wear you down - it breaks your will.
This is the NBA. Sometimes the matchup just doesn’t tilt your way.
Sometimes the climb is too steep, no matter how hard you dig in. The Suns kept grinding, but the mountain didn’t budge.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings: Brooks Keeps Climbing
Let’s take a moment to talk about Dillon Brooks. With 27 points in a recent win over the Cavs, Brooks now has eight Bright Side Baller nods on the season - tying him with Collin Gillespie.
That’s not a name many had circled when the season started, but here we are. Brooks has been on a tear, and his impact is impossible to ignore.
Bright Side Baller Nominees - Game 50 vs. Clippers
Even in a game that didn’t go Phoenix’s way, there were some individual performances worth spotlighting. Here are your nominees from Game 50:
Grayson Allen
23 points on 7-of-21 shooting (4-of-13 from deep), plus 8 assists and 2 steals.
No turnovers, which is always a plus, and a -3 in the box score. He kept firing, and while the efficiency wasn’t there, the playmaking was.
Dillon Brooks
22 points (7-of-20, 4-of-6 from three), 5 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Another turnover-free outing. He’s been a steady hand and a surprising spark offensively.
Jordan Goodwin
12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, knocking down 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Add in 6 boards, 2 steals, and no turnovers, and you’ve got a quietly effective night.
Collin Gillespie
12 points (4-of-13, 4-of-10 from three), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.
Like Goodwin, he took care of the ball. The shot didn’t fall consistently, but the effort was there.
Royce O’Neale
9 points, all from deep (3-of-8), plus 4 rebounds and 3 assists. A steady veteran presence even when the offense sputtered.
Mark Williams
7 points on 3-of-6 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block. He brought energy and activity in the paint, trying to counter the Clippers’ physicality inside.
The Suns didn’t get the result they wanted, but the season is long, and nights like this are part of the journey. The key is learning from the climb - even when the summit stays out of reach.