LOS ANGELES • For all the talk of the impressive performances that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have delivered when they are playing together, the Los Angeles Clippers are still one player short of having their entire team fit and firing again.
George scored 24 points, Leonard added 20 and the Clippers returned home after two weeks away to beat the Phoenix Suns 120-99 in the National Basketball Association on Tuesday night to improve to 21-8.
They were missing only forward JaMychal Green - out for his fifth straight game with a tailbone contusion - after having George and Leonard in and out of the line-up since the season began.
"We can start to get into a rhythm with everybody on the floor," Leonard said. "We can see what our rotation is."
The Clippers went 4-2 on their recent road trip, which matched their longest of the season. Leonard did not play in the finale, a 109-106 loss on Saturday in Chicago.
But he came back strong at Staples Centre, teaming with George in a dominant third quarter that saw the Clippers stretch their lead from five points to 21 by the time it was over.
The two superstars combined to score 18 points in a 32-16 run that sent the Clippers into the fourth leading 90-69. Lou Williams added 20 points for Los Angeles, scoring their first 11 of the fourth - including three three-pointers.
"When he gets it going there is no shot that he can't make," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, adding that every member of the team is crucial in their bid to catch the Los Angeles Lakers (24-4), who are the Western Conference leaders.
Rivers added: "That was a good stretch for us. Lou's offence allowed us to keep Paul and Kawhi off the floor and give them some rest."
Ivica Zubac had 12 points in helping the team claim their 12th win in a row over the Suns in Los Angeles.
Kelly Oubre Jr scored 19 points and Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 12 rebounds in his return from a 25-game NBA suspension for Phoenix (11-16), who lost their fourth in a row.
Ayton played on opening night, scoring 18 points against Sacramento, and then sat out as punishment for violating the league's anti-drug programme after testing positive for a diuretic.
He showed little rust in notching his second double-double of the season while playing 24 minutes.
"He still has to get in his rhythm, so I'm not going to judge him too hard," Oubre said.
"At the end of the day, he's one piece of this puzzle."
Ayton also twisted an ankle, although he said it was fine after the game.
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