The LA Clippers will host the Phoenix Suns on Thursday evening for the third of a five-game homestand. Continue reading for our Clippers-Suns preview.
Game Information
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
When: 7:30 p.m. PT
How to Tune in: NBATV, Bally Sports SoCal, ClipperVision, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
LA Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Terance Mann – Paul George – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac
Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, Torrey Craig, Deandre Ayton
Injury Report
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Injury Management), Norman Powell Out (Groin), Ivica Zubac Questionable (Knee)
Suns: Devin Booker Questionable (Hamstring), Deandre Ayton Questionable (Ankle), Cameron Payne Out (Foot), Duane Washington Jr. Out (Hip)
The Big Picture
With injuries, injury management, and the general ebbs and flows of an 82-game season, progression is hardly linear. That being said, the Clippers have a chance to extend their winning streak to four games tonight against the Phoenix Suns, which would equal the longest streak of L.A.’s season. A victory over Phoenix would also put the Clippers five games above .500 for the first time in the 2022-23 campaign. Regardless of who is out on the floor for either team, it would serve the Clippers well to keep building good habits — communicative on defense, paint-and-spray offense, and a sustained effort from the opening tip to the final horn.
The Antagonist
After beginning the season with a 16-7 record, the Suns have lately resembled the team many had expected them to be during the offseason. At the moment, they are injured, lacking depth and currently on a five-game losing streak, which includes a recent blowout loss to the second worst team in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets. But as we’ve seen countless times, teams rise to the occasion and play up to the level of contending teams when opportunity knocks. And, having had to sit on a nasty loss in Houston, the Suns will likely be foaming at the mouth to stem the tide. Despite their issues, this game against the Suns could well be a preview for the Clippers of a potential playoff series.
Clippers vs. Suns Game Notes
- Defending the 3-pointer: When you think of the Phoenix Suns, you think about a team with two stars that make a living in the midrange. While that is still mostly true, quietly, the Suns have become more than just an opportunistic 3-point shooting team. They are 10th in attempts per game (34.5), seventh in makes (13.0) and sixth in percentage (37.6). With guys like Torrey Craig, Landry Shamet, and Damion Lee spacing the court for the others to operate, the Clippers will want to try to limit the drive-and-kick opportunities as much as possible. If they can do that well, as they did against Boston on Monday, the Clips will find themselves in a good spot.
- Life without Kawhi Leonard: The Clippers are a much better team on both ends of the court when Kawhi Leonard is on it — go figure — and they’ve found a nice rhythm with his reintegration back into the lineup. But he’s out tonight on the second night of a back-to-back, and that’s no excuse for the Clippers to revert back to old habits suddenly. Offensively, the Clips will need to build on a strong second half against Minnesota to play mistake-free basketball that leads to proper execution. At the very least, valuing the ball, executing offensively, and preventing a star-deficient Suns team from easy opportunities, will make the Clippers’ job that much easier on Thursday.
