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    • Booker’s 40 leads Phoenix Suns to third straight win over LA Clippers
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    Booker’s 40 leads Phoenix Suns to third straight win over LA Clippers

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    Devin Booker’s 40 points and Kevin Durant’s 18 powered the Phoenix Suns’ comeback victory at the Los Angeles Clippers, 125-119, on Thursday.

    This was the third straight win for the Suns and second straight win against the Clippers (2-3) since their season opener on October 23.

    LA’s James Harden recorded a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Their starting big Ivica Zubac had 22 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

    After a disastrous first half, the Suns (4-1) made 12 of their 18 from the arc and shot 60% in the second half, overcoming a 21-point margin early in the third quarter.

    They got their first lead of the game, 96-95, on the fourth trey by rookie Ryan Dunn (16 points, 6-for-12 FG, 4-for-9 from 3), who started for the injured Bradley Beal. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer went with his small-ball lineup in the final minutes, and Royce O’Neale (career-high 21 points, seven rebounds, one steal, one block off the bench) capped a 16-5 scoring run on a fast-break layup after taking down Harden, expanding the Suns’ largest lead to eight shortly after three minutes left.

    The Suns return home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday at 7 p.m

    Booker and Durant lead the Sun’s comeback in third place

    Phoenix shot 16-of-20, including 7-of-11, to cut LA’s lead to 93-91 after a huge surge in the third quarter.

    The Clippers extended their lead to 21 from three straight buckets by Ivica Zubac within the first minute-plus. Then the Suns came alive behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, beating the Clippers 35-14 and tying the game on a Royce O’Neale triple with 3:16 remaining.

    Booker scored 12 of his 27 points to lead all scorers, and Durant had eight of his 18 during that stretch.

    The suns are still out of sync in the 2nd quarter

    LA continued to dominate the Suns at intermission, leading 70-52.

    Devin Booker scored eight of his 15 total points during the Suns’ 16-7 surge to open the second quarter. That cut the Clippers’ lead to eight at the 8:33 mark of the half, but the Clippers struck back, eventually pushing the deficit to 18 in the final seconds.

    The Suns are outscored 36-18 in the paint and 11-5 in fast-break points, outscored 33-15 on rebounds, including 12-5 in offensive rebounds, and the Clippers have seven more blocks than the Suns .

    Phoenix’s other top contributors include Kevin Durant’s 10 points and Ryan Dunn’s nine (all on 3s). James Harden of the Clippers already has a double-double with 13 points with 10 assists, two blocks and two steals, and sharpshooter Norman Powell has 15 points.

    Harden, Clippers put Suns in a big hole in the first quarter

    James Harden had 12 points and seven assists to lift LA to a 37-20 lead to end the opening quarter.

    Kevin Durant leads Phoenix with six points.

    The Clippers opened up their largest lead (19) on a 16-3 run after several players from the Suns’ second unit came over at the 4:50 mark. The Suns recorded four turnovers, which the Clippers converted into eight points.

    Dunn replaces the injured Beal in the Sun’s starting lineup

    Suns rookie swingman Ryan Dunn will make his second start this season, replacing Bradley Beal (elbow), who has been ruled out. Dunn opens the game with point guard Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic at center.

    The Clippers will start James Harden and Norman Powell in the backcourt, Terance Mann at the three, high-flyer Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac at center.

    Suns, Clippers injury reports

    Phoenix starter Bradley Beal (elbow) was likely a game-time decision for Thursday’s game. Backup forward Josh Okogie (hamstring) will be out again and has yet to make his season debut.

    LA star Kawhi Leonard (knee) and center Mo Bamba (knee) remain out. Veteran forward PJ Tucker is no longer part of the team moving forward.

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