INGLEWOOD — The Clippers had been in this situation before. They were facing an opponent that plays hard and possesses an in-your-face mentality, a team that features multiple big men and pairs them as part of a tall frontcourt, while talented young guards wait for their chance.

The Clippers dealt with a similar scenario just two nights earlier when they showed little resistance against a similarly dogged foe and got overwhelmed by the Utah Jazz in their season opener.

The Clippers were not going to make that mistake again.

After a few missteps and defensive breakdowns, the Clippers found their footing, among other things, and put away the Phoenix Suns, 129-102, in their home opener on Friday night at the Intuit Dome.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue made a switch, putting four reserves on th

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