Clippers Visit Phoenix in Clash of Western Powers

The Suns (43-18 SU, 37-23-1 ATS) are one game out of first in the West, but Los Angeles (43-20, 36-26-1) is right on their tail. The Clippers can pull into a tie for the second seed with a win over Phoenix, whom they’ve beaten in 16 of the last 18 meetings.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Uncertainty around the status of Kawhi Leonard and several other key Clippers kept this line off the board until Wednesday morning. Oddsmakers then opened the Suns as 3-point favorites, marking the first time Phoenix has been favored over LA since 2016.

Los Angeles News & Notes

The Clippers’ lengthy injury list got even longer Monday as Paul George and Nic Batum each suffered injuries in LA’s 120-103 loss at New Orleans. George tweaked his ankle when he landed on Terance Mann’s foot after jumping for a rebound, while Batum left the contest with a shoulder injury.

George told reporters Monday night that he expected to be healthy enough to suit up against the Suns. PG has lit up Phoenix in two previous meetings this season, averaging 36 points and hitting 14 of his 19 shots from behind the arc. LA could certainly use another big night from George with Kawhi Leonard listed as doubtful to return tonight. Leonard has missed four straight games and eight of LA’s last nine due to a sore right foot.

Despite Leonard’s absence, the Clippers had won four straight and 11 of 12 before Monday’s blowout loss. Mann led the Clippers in scoring against New Orleans with 17 points, while DeMarcus Cousins had 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Phoenix News & Notes

The Suns return home from a tough five-game eastern road trip that concluded Monday with a Sportsbooky 118-110 win in New York. Phoenix trailed by 15 points in the second quarter but outscored the Knicks 62-47 in the second half, snapping New York’s nine-game winning streak in the process. Chris Paul was huge down the stretch, hitting three big shots in the final 1:20 of regulation to finish the game with 20 points.

Phoenix, which was coming off consecutive losses to the Celtics and Nets, finished the trip with a 3-2 SU record against five of the six top teams in the Eastern Conference. Devin Booker seemed to get stronger as the trip went along, scoring 69 points in the final two games after averaging 19.3 in the first three.

Jae Crowder has sat out Phoenix’s last three games due to a right ankle sprain and is listed as day to day. If the power forward can’t return to face the Clippers, Cameron Johnson could enjoy a big scoring night, especially if Dario Saric sits out again with an ankle injury of his own. Johnson has played at least 30 minutes in each of Phoenix’s last four games and is a high-volume shooter, attempting 11 threes Sunday against New York.

Betting Pick: Clippers +3.5

Los Angeles is 19-7 ATS in its last 26 following a double-digit loss and should be live for the upset tonight.