Phoenix, Arizona: Suns Beat Clippers 133-110 as Bench Scores 81 Points

The Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 133-110 on Tuesday night at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The win came one night after a 26-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the same court, in the second game of a back-to-back.

Phoenix (4-6) took control early and never gave it back. The Suns led 29-18 after the first quarter, 64-47 at halftime and 99-72 after the third quarter. Los Angeles won the fourth quarter 38-34, long after the game had been decided. Bright Side of the Sun reported that Phoenix led for 44 of the 48 minutes and put seven players in double figures.

Goodwin returns and leads the Suns

Jordan Goodwin led Phoenix with 18 points. He had missed the previous four games with a right calf injury and came off the injury report ready to play, according to the Arizona Republic. Goodwin scored 15 points in the first half and made five of his six three-point shots before halftime. Collin Gillespie closed the half with a 35-foot shot at the buzzer.

Goodwin has shot 48.3 percent from three this season, making 15 of 31 tries, the Republic reported. That is a sharp rise from his first stay with the Suns in 2023-24, when he shot 28.8 percent from deep. He guards the ball hard and rebounds well for a 6-foot-3 guard, and on Tuesday his shooting set the tone for the whole bench.

Bench scores 81 points

The Phoenix bench scored 81 points and outscored the Los Angeles bench 81-62. The Suns made 22 three-pointers to 15 for the Clippers. Devin Booker scored 17 points with five assists and three rebounds, and he did not need a big scoring night because the reserves carried long stretches of the game.

Khaman Maluach kept his strong run going off the bench. Maluach averaged 7.1 points and six rebounds in six starts to open the season. In four games as a reserve he is averaging 9.5 points and seven rebounds, with more energy and physical play, the Republic reported.

Phoenix started Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges and Oso Ighodaro. Los Angeles started Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura and Brook Lopez. Garland paced the Clippers with 11 points and four assists in the first half, but Los Angeles (2-8) never cut the lead to single digits after the break.

What it means for Phoenix

The Suns are 4-6, and the Republic noted that their six losses have come against five teams with a combined 36-14 record, including San Antonio at 9-2 and Golden State at 8-3. Phoenix continues a season-long seven-game homestand on Thursday, November 12, against the Charlotte Hornets.