Devin Booker torches Clippers for 40 as Suns overcome 21-point deficit

It was just last week that the Clippers hosted the Phoenix Suns and only nine days later they were playing them again at the Intuit Dome.

Before the game, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said there weren’t a lot of advantages to playing a team like the Suns so soon again, 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 as if the Clippers had found an advantage when they jumped on the Suns early, building a 19-point lead in the first quarter that grew to 21 in the third.

Read more: Clippers, becoming experts at close games, lose a tight one to Portland

The Clippers, however, were unable to hold the lead and lost 125-119 to the Suns despite having five players score 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 the 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 got to continue to keep getting better. We got to close games better and [it’s] just something to keep learning from,” Lue said. “All five of our games have been close, come down to the wire. We’ve been fortunate to win two of them. … So, just staying the course, understanding that our margin for error is very slim.

“Each possession matters. … We are playing hard, we are competing, but we got to play smarter and we got to be better.”

James…