The schedule wasn’t up to them, but the Clippers were up for the challenge. They chased Monday’s feel-good victory over the second-best team in the NBA with a game the next night in Phoenix – against the league’s best team, the well-rested Suns.

The result was a 103-96 loss, but one they didn’t feel so bad about: “We can be proud of ourselves,” veteran Clippers wing Nicolas Batum said, via Zoom. “We’re missing two top-10 guys and another guy who average 19 points per game, so I like what we’re doing right now, we’re setting the foundation … so I love it, where we are right now.”

Despite the fact that they continue to play without injured All-Stars Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Paul George (elbow) and, for the third consecutive game, without recently acquired Norman Powell (foot), the Clippers didn’t break character – even against the sizzling Suns.

The Clippers took their shot at another upset and tried to pull off another double-digit comeback, but there was to be no surprise party Tuesday at Footprint Center, where a crowd of 17,071 saw Phoenix held on against a depleted version of their Western Conference finals foe from a season ago, which was undermanned even then.

By snapping the Clippers’ two-game winning spurt, the Suns improved to 47-10 (a franchise record through 57 games) and won their sixth consecutive game and 17th of their past 18.

But the Clippers made Coach Monty Williams’ team sweat Tuesday, which is more than plenty other opponents can claim.

Phoenix had won its previous two games by an average of 25.5 points, including its 131-107 blowout of the Milwaukee Bucks, the team it lost to in last season’s NBA Finals. The Suns also routed Orlando, 132-105, in their most recent game on Saturday, when they had 40 assists and just seven turnovers.

The Clippers didn’t make it nearly so easy, fighting defensively and forcing 17 turnovers – the most by the Suns since they had 20 against Toronto on Jan. 11.

Coach Tyronn Lue’s squad also rallied from as many as 13 points down with 2:14 to play in the third quarter.

With help from two consecutive 3-pointers from Luke Kennard, who played through ankle soreness, the Clippers outscored Phoenix 14-2 to start the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to 83-82.

The Clippers – who have won nine times this season when trailing by 10 or more points – pulled ahead, 90-88, with 6:12 left in the fourth, putting in doubt Phoenix’s perfect record when leading after three periods.

“Our guys kept fighting, kept competing, we fought until the very end,” Lue said. “They made more plays than us down the stretch. … Just didn’t do a good enough job of finishing.”

The score was tied at 90-90 when Chris Paul (17 points, 14 assists) took over, hitting a 3-pointer and flipping consecutive lobs to Deandre Ayton (12 points and 12 rebounds) and Devin Booker (26 points) and then making his own layup to push the lead to 99-95.

Mikal Bridges (19 points, nine rebounds) drained a 3-pointer in the corner with 39 seconds left to make it 102-95.

Gassed, the Clippers scored just one point in the final 2:53 as Phoenix improved to 36-0 this season when leading after three quarters.

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Batum chipped in with 18 points – eclipsing 10,000 for his career. He also had seven rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal.

Reggie Jackson had 14 points, but he shot a dead-legged 7 for 26 and 0 for 8 from 3-point range. Ivica Zubac added 12 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double of the season.

Off the bench, Robert Covington had six points and was ultra-aggressive on defense, gathering eight rebounds, three steals and one block.

“RoCo,” Lue said, “did a hell of a job.”

The Clippers have one game left before the All-Star break: Thursday against Houston at Crypto.com Arena. It will be their 61st game this season, which will, according to Elias Sports Bureau, tie the record for most games played by a team before All-Star Game, which is shared by the 1950-51 Tri-Cities Blackhawks and 2017-18 Minnesota Timberwolves.