The Phoenix Suns have about 24 hours to digest the latest Victor Wembanyama-fication of the NBA before hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Wembanyama had 40 points, 11 rebounds, nine blocked shots and three assists in 25 minutes in the San Antonio Spurs’ 122-96 victory in Phoenix on Monday. The game was midway point of the Suns’ season-long seven-game homestand.
“It was a good test for us to feel that type of game,” said guard Devin Booker, who finished with 32 points was the only Suns’ starter to score in double figures.
“We have a chance tomorrow to wash it.”
The Clippers would like to hang onto the feeling of their last outing. They broke a seven-game losing streak with a 139-123 victory over New Orleans on Sunday. It was their first victory since their season opener.
They lost double-digit leads in the fourth quarter of their previous two games but did not let a late lead slip this time despite failing to hold a 10-point edge late in the third quarter. They opened the fourth with a 15-6 burst total control for a 117-101 advantage.
“It was good for us,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We kept our composure and got tougher, instead of going the other way, thinking here we go again. We refocused and we got our mojo back.
“We played team basketball the whole game. Just sharing the basketball, attacking, and making the right play.”
Darius Garland had 24 points and 10 assists and Brook Lopez had 20 points, and the Clippers’ bench was the deciding factor. Clippers reserves had 59 points and 14 assists.
Gradey Dick and Keaton Wagler each scored 15 points and Baba Miller added 12. Wagler made three of four 3-pointers and added four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 18 minutes. Dick was 6 of 7 from the floor and had four rebounds in 15 minutes.
“It’s just the unselfish basketball that we play,” said Wagler, the fifth player selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. “As a bench unit, you want to be able to continue what the starting unit does and bring a lot of energy. We take pride on both ends of the floor.”
Wagler’s playing time was limited because of foul trouble. He picked up two fouls in the first quarter, had three in the first half and finished with five.
“I’m really not too worried about the minutes,” he said. “However much I do get to play, just going out there and making an impact in whatever way I can.”
The Suns are 2-2 on the homestand, with victories over Houston and Orlando and losses to Portland and the Spurs. The Suns have won seven of the last nine against the Clippers after splitting four games a year ago.
Booker was 10 of 17 from the field and made three 3-pointers Monday, but the other four starters scored 27 points on 10 of 36 shooting. They shot 39.3% as a team and were outrebounded 55-35.
“I think we were getting in the teeth of their defense,” Booker said. “Obviously having ‘Wemby’ down there makes you hesitant at the rim. But still feel like we got a few shots that we (normally) make and then got trigger shy once we started missing some.
“We just need to keep the confidence high, keep the ball, keep shooting it. We believe in everybody in here.”
The presence of Wembanyama increases the degree of difficulty, Suns coach Jordan Ott said.
“They (Spurs) just force your mental stamina to stay with it,” Ott said, “knowing that it’s going to feel a little different than most nights.”
