Clippers at Suns
The Los Angeles Clippers will visit the Phoenix Suns for their final regular-season games Tuesday and plenty is still up for grabs for Los Angeles as far as playoff positioning. The Clippers can still finish anywhere from second to fifth in the Western Conference, based on what the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets do in their final games. All three teams have identical records with one game to go.
The Los Angeles Clippers will visit the Phoenix Suns for their final regular-season games Tuesday and plenty is still up for grabs for Los Angeles as far as playoff positioning. The Clippers can still finish anywhere from second to fifth in the Western Conference, based on what the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets do in their final games. All three teams have identical records with one game to go.
The Clippers will face a Phoenix team that has lost four in a row and nine of 10 to eliminate itself from playoff contention for the fifth straight year. Suns point guard Brandon Knight is expected to miss the season finale after sitting out 15 of the last 16 games with a heel bruise, and starting center Alex Len is also done for the year thanks to a broken nose suffered March 30. Expect the Suns to give long looks to Gerald Green and Brandan Wright, who will be unrestricted free agents this offseason, as well as rookies T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (55-26): Los Angeles would probably relish the chance to rest some of its key players in the second of back-to-back games, but playoff positioning is too important, especially with the possibility of a fifth-place finish and losing homecourt advantage in the first round looming. Look for a big game from center DeAndre Jordan, who had 20 points and 21 rebounds in Monday’s win against the Denver Nuggets, the league-leading 28th time this season he has grabbed at least 15 rebounds in a game.
ABOUT THE SUNS (39-42): If starting point guard Eric Bledsoe plays for Phoenix, it will mark his 81st appearance this season, which would match his career high set in his rookie season with the Clippers in 2010-11. Bledsoe produced one of his two triple-doubles this season against the Clippers, totaling 27 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists in a one-point loss in December. Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul was up for the challenge in the most recent meeting, limiting Bledsoe to 17 points, seven assists and one rebound in a 20-point win by the Clippers in January.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers are trying for their first season sweep of Phoenix in club history.
2. The Suns have lost 18 games by five points or less, which matches the Utah Jazz for most in the NBA this season.
3. The Suns have lost four games on buzzer beaters this season, one on a banked-in 3-pointer by Clippers F Blake Griffin in the one-point win on Dec. 8.