The host Phoenix Suns will attempt to maintain their hold on a top-six seed in the Western Conference when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Phoenix (46-32) has the same record as the Pelicans but sits just above the play-in line, as the Suns hold the tiebreaker against New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles (50-28) enters Tuesday’s contest riding a three-game winning streak, a run that has the Clippers sitting in fourth in the West — four games ahead of Phoenix with four games left in the regular season.
In order to run its winning streak to three, Los Angeles had to rally from a 26-point deficit in its 120-118 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
Paul George capped the comeback with the last of his game-high 39 points, hitting the go-ahead jumper with 7.1 seconds left. He then blocked Darius Garland’s would-be, game-tying layup with 1.7 seconds remaining to preserve the win.
In all three of their victories during the streak, the Clippers have been without Kawhi Leonard due to a knee injury. Leonard, who averages 23.7 points, has missed the past four games.
“These situations aren’t ideal, but it’s nice when posed with these challenges we come together,” George said following Sunday’s win. “We really just dug down. That second half was special.”
Leonard will be out again on Tuesday.
George’s 39 points were the second most he has scored this season after dropping 41 against the Charlotte Hornets back on March 31. George also had 11 rebounds and seven assists against Cleveland as Los Angeles prevailed for the sixth time in its past seven games.
The Suns are coming off a critical 113-105 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Bradley Beal poured in 33 points in the setback, while Devin Booker scored 25 and Kevin Durant added 23.
Prior to the setback, Phoenix had rattled off three straight wins.
In addition to having to contend with the Pelicans, the Suns still have to deal with the Sacramento Kings, who are lurking one game back. Phoenix is two games behind the fifth-place Dallas Mavericks.
“It is hard not to look at (the standings),” Durant said. “Everybody talks about it every day. When you open your phone, it is everywhere. Every game is important to everybody now, it is do or die for everybody at this time.
“Watching, or spectating, it is hard not to see it. … Knowing you can’t control too much, just try to focus on us.”
The Suns will face the Clippers again on Wednesday, and both games against Los Angeles are part of a season-ending 10-game stretch in which Phoenix faces teams that currently occupy a spot in the playoffs or play-in.
Wednesday’s contest will mark the finale of the four-game season series between the teams. The Clippers have already beaten the Suns twice, winning 131-122 on Jan. 3 before cruising to a 138-111 blowout five days later.
However, Los Angeles had Leonard in both of those games, and he scored 30 points in the first win and 17 in the second.
–Field Level Media
