It did not take long for the Los Angeles Clippers to suffer their first loss in the 2019-20 season. On Saturday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, the Phoenix Suns defeated the seemingly invincible Clippers 130-122.

Clippers are great but they can be defeated

It should be pointed out that all teams have ups and downs during a long, 82-game season. In their first two wins, the Clippers averaged 126.5 points at a field goal rate of 57.1 percent and a 3-point rate of 46 percent. As the scoring leader last season, the Milwaukee Bucks claimed an average of 118.1 points per game; the San Antonio Spurs, the league's No. 1 team in 3-point rate, did not pass 40 percent (39.2 percent).

Therefore, it's safe to say that the extraordinary performance of the Clippers is not sustainable and it simply retreated back to normal in Saturday's game. However, in spite of the 46 percent field goal rate and 34 percent 3-point rate, the team still managed to shoot down 122 points, which was impressive enough.

What really cost the Clippers this game was defense. The Suns scored 130 points and buried 17 3-pointers, over half of which were open shots. Such weak perimeter defense was the team's choice. Since the Clippers have only one qualified big man Ivica Zubac and did not want to give him much time on the court, the team had to rely on closing in to protect the rim. Such tactics worked as the opponents of the Clippers only got 40 points per game in the paint in the first two games. Nonetheless, it came with the cost of allowing many open 3-pointers.

Furthermore, even the team's offense was not perfect. It's true that Lo Williams and Montrezl Harrell are two of the best bench scorers of the league but both have their own problems. Williams has never been known for steady efficiency which is decided by the way he plays; Harrell can sometimes deliver really remarkable numbers but he needs others to pass him the ball, not to mention that his small size always embarrasses him in front of bigger opponents.

That's why they need Kawhi Leonard and his stable contribution in offense. However, Leonard is not a robot who can play 48 minutes in every game. Besides, other teams will figure out how to defend him as the season goes on, especially if they only have to watch out for him alone. The Clippers need Paul George back. And before that happens, the team should pay more attention.

Are Suns different than before?

Having won two of their first three games, the Suns are showing something different. At inn the past three years, they were one of the league's most hopeless teams. They made quite a few mistakes in the draft; not many of the players seemed passionate for the games; the only thing they were good at was tanking.

However, the truth is, the team have been growing, slowly but surely, more talented. Devin Booker added orchestrating ability to his great scoring firepower. Deandre Ayton has very solid offensive skills and was improving steadily, before he got banned for violating the league's anti-drug rules. The landing of Ricky Rubio, Aron Baynes, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dario Saric were all good improvements to their franchise.

Young teams are usually very malleable, just like young players – when they are given enough opportunities and trust, they can often surprise you. For example, Frank Kaminsky, the No. 9 select of the 2015 NBA Draft who was almost forgotten during the time he was in the Charlotte Hornets, dropped 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and sank three 3-pointers in Saturday's game. He was capable of doing that but the Suns gave a real opportunity of 29 minutes and a bigger role on the court. More importantly, Kaminsky is not the only hidden treasure in the team.

Again, three games are not much but at least the Suns made a good start.

Other games on Saturday included (home teams in bold):

Miami Heat 131-126 Milwaukee Bucks

Philadelphia 76ers 117-111 Detroit Pistons

Orlando Magic 99-103 Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics 118-95 New York Knicks

Indiana Pacers 99-110 Cleveland Cavaliers

Toronto Raptors 108-84 Chicago Bulls

Washington Wizards 122-124 San Antonio Spurs

Sacramento Kings 81-113 Utah Jazz

New Orleans Pelicans 123-126 Houston Rockets