The struggling Clippers head to Phoenix tonight looking to snap their recent skid against a Suns team that’s had their number this season.
Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. ET at PHX Arena, with TNT and truTV carrying the broadcast.
The Clippers enter as slight 2-point favorites, but they’ve lost five of their last six games and haven’t been able to figure out Phoenix this year. The Suns are a perfect 3-0 against LA this season, though those wins have been nail-biters – coming by a total of just 11 points.
Both teams are dealing with key injuries. The Clippers will be without Ben Simmons (knee), Derrick Jones Jr. (groin), and Norman Powell (hamstring). For Phoenix, Bradley Beal is questionable with a calf issue, while Cody Martin remains out.
Kawhi Leonard has been a bright spot for LA lately. He put up season highs in points (33) and rebounds (10) in their last game, but it wasn’t enough to avoid another loss to the Lakers.
The Clippers’ road woes continue to be a problem. They’re just 13-18 away from home this season and are wrapping up a brutal stretch of eight straight road games.
Phoenix isn’t exactly rolling either. They’ve dropped 11 of their last 14 games and are desperately trying to stay in the playoff hunt. Sunday’s 116-98 loss to Minnesota didn’t help their cause.
The Suns now sit four games out of the final Western Conference play-in spot. Not ideal for a team that had much higher expectations coming into the season.
Some interesting trends: Phoenix can’t seem to win on Tuesdays (0-5 in their last five Tuesday games), while the Clippers have struggled against the Suns recently, going 1-4 in their last five matchups.
ESPN’s analytics give Phoenix a slight edge, with a 51.3% chance of winning tonight’s game.
Remember that first meeting back in October? The Suns pulled out a thrilling 116-113 overtime win on the road. Don’t be surprised if we get another close one tonight.
