Bones Hyland, Clippers’ reserves get a night to shine in loss to Suns

With the No. 4 seed nearly secured, the Clippers rest their stars as Hyland (37 points) and Brandon Boston Jr. (23) carry the load before coming up short in a 124-108 loss to a Phoenix team that played its top seven scorers.

LOS ANGELES — The purpose of the second game of a back-to-back against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night was two-fold. The Clippers’ starters would get a night off and Coach Tyronn Lue would get the opportunity to see the younger players play significant minutes.

Winning was not the point. The Clippers have two more regular-season games left to lock down the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage in their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.

In this game, Lue wanted to see players such as Bones Hyland, Brandon Boston and Kobe Brown, guys who rarely see much action, play hard, compete and “lay it all on the line.”

He had to be happy with what he saw at Crypto.com Arena.

Hyland scored a career-high 37 points and Boston added 23 – a season high for him as well, but the Clippers came up short in a 124-108 loss against a Suns team that featured its top seven scorers.

All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, along with Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkic and Royce O’Neal proved to be too much as they outscored the Clippers’ reserves, 20-2 over the final 7:48. Booker finished with 37 points, Beal scored 26 and Durant had 24 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix.

“They (reserves) competed, they scrapped, played hard and had a chance,” Lue said. “And then down the stretch, the game got away, (and we) couldn’t make a shot. I think the guys got tired. I think Bones played the whole second half along with Brandon, but overall, I thought they did a good job.”

The fourth-quarter fade notwithstanding, the Clippers’ role players still made the most of their opportunities in a game that featured 22 lead changes and 10 ties.

Mason Plumlee had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Amir Coffey finished with 11 points and P.J. Tucker contributed a season-high 10 points. But it wasn’t enough to fill the void left by the regular starters.

Kawhi Leonard sat out his sixth consecutive game because of inflammation in his right knee and he could sit until the playoffs, which would give him eight games off.

Asked if he was concerned that Leonard’s injury could roll into the playoffs, Lue said “No, not as of right now.”

The others – Paul George, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell – joined Leonard on the bench with a litany of sore limbs, a result of the heavy load they have had to carry in the two-time NBA Finals MVP’s absence. But their ailments are nothing that a night off wouldn’t cure.

The fifth starter, Terance Mann played just eight minutes and got the rest of the game off thanks in part to the aggressive play of Hyland, who made the most of his fifth start this season. He shot 15 for 28 from the field, including 6 for 7 from 3-point range, in 43 minutes. He also had nine assists, four rebounds and three steals.

“I felt good,” Hyland said. “I started cramping a little bit, I think like the fourth quarter, man. I ain’t going to lie bro. I started cramping so badly. But it’s all good though. They (Suns) played good but I wanted that win. I’m not going to lie.”

Hyland got started early in the game, scoring 15 points in the first quarter and 24 in the half. With 1:09 left before halftime, Hyland stole the ball then raced down court for a layup that pulled the hosts within 55-51, bringing the Clippers’ bench to their feet. They had trailed by as many as 15 in the first half.

“Honestly, they were just giving me the ball and just getting out of the way and letting me go and creating whether I had to shoot or getting in the lane and creating for my teammates,” Hyland said. “They honestly were just making the game easier for me.”

Boston hit a short jumper to further cut the lead, 55-53, before Hyland lofted a 27-footer to give the Clippers a 56-55 lead. He was greeted by the entire bench as he walked off the court, several players walking onto the court for a high-five.

“A lot of fun just to see those guys support me,” Hyland said. “Just a surreal moment for me because those guys are Hall of Famers. … It’s just big for me. I really appreciate that.”

Hyland continued his energetic play – going overboard after a layup that earned him a technical late in the third quarter.

The Suns’ win locked the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers into the play-in tournament. The Suns are seventh in the Western Conference, a half-game behind New Orleans for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.