Last week the Clippers hosted the Phoenix Suns and just nine days later played them again at the Intuit Dome.

Before the game, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said there wasn’t much upside to playing a team like the Suns again so soon, especially a team with lethal weapons Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. At least they didn’t have to face Bradley Beal, who didn’t play Thursday because of an injured elbow.

It looked like the Clippers had found an advantage as they jumped on the Suns early, building a 19-point lead in the first quarter that grew to 21 in the third.

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However, the Clippers were unable to hold onto the lead and lost to the Suns 125-119, despite five players scoring in double figures.

That’s because Booker torched the Clippers for 40 points to go along with eight assists and five rebounds.

That’s because the Suns dominated the Clippers in the third quarter, shooting 80% (16 for 20) from the field on their way to scoring 39 points.

That’s because the Clippers turned the ball over six times in the fourth quarter.

All five of the Clippers’ games have been close, but they are winless in three games at their new home in Inglewood.

“We have to keep improving. We have to close out games better and (it’s) just something to keep learning from,” Lue said. “All five of our games were close, down to the wire. We were lucky to win two. …So, just staying the course, realizing that our margin for error is very small.

“Every possession is important. … We play hard, we compete, but we have to play smarter and we have to get better.

James Harden led the Clippers with a triple-double of 25 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. It was his 78th career triple-double, tying him with Hall of Fame legend and former Laker Wilt Chamberlain for seventh most in NBA history.

Harden surpassed 26,000 career points, becoming one of 20 players in league history to reach the milestone.

But Harden still tries to be efficient with his game. He was eight for 19 from the field and three for 10 from three-point range. He had six turnovers.

“For example, there will be turnovers happening,” Harden said. “I try, but some of the passes I make, many of them are successful and some are not. So just try to find a balance between when to throw and when not to. But the ones that aren’t forced, I can control them much better.

“But I don’t think it’s necessarily the turnovers that lost the game. We came out of that third quarter defensively, they didn’t feel defensive, our presence, and they just felt comfortable. They made shots and that got them back in action.” the game.”

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The Suns took control of the game in the second half and the Clippers defense couldn’t stop them.

The Clippers saw their 70-52 halftime lead shrink to just two points in the fourth quarter. It didn’t help the Clippers that Norman Powell (23 points) left for the locker room after being hit in the face. He returned to the game in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix shot 60.5% from the field, 52.5% from three-point range and scored 73 points in the final 24 minutes.

“Definitely frustrating, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Harden said of the Clippers holding a 21-point lead. “We just have to find ways to get better, which I think we had that conversation last night and tonight I think we came out with a really good energy, a positive start and we had enough talent.

“We just have to, when we get leads, we have to know how to make a really good shot and keep those leads… but that all comes with us, the growing pains.”

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.