On Sunday, the Los Angeles Clippers will travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns in an effort to clinch a postseason spot.
LA are in sixth place in the West, with the Lakers close behind. Phoenix are in fourth place with a 45-36 record. The Suns have already beaten the Clippers twice this season. The kickoff time in Phoenix, at the Footprint Center, is 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Latest news on Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook
In Phoenix, everything is fine. Kevin Durant is back and healthy. He’s had a good run of games to get used to his new teammates, and everyone is healthy right now. They’ve already secured the fourth seed, so there’s nothing to play for in this game.
They can’t be caught, and neither can the Kings. Fourth place, on the other hand, is not a bad spot because they have homecourt advantage in the first round.
And believe me when I say that if they make it to the second round, none of the top three teams want to face them. Expect to see none of Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, or Deandre Ayton on Sunday.
Phoenix’s Big 4 will sit out a second consecutive game to close out the regular season.
- RELATED: Chris Paul’ the latest injury status
In this final game, the Los Angeles Clippers still have something to play for. They are competing for the final two guaranteed playoff spots in the Western Conference with Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers. One of them will have to participate in the play-in tournament.
Because they are 4-0 against their crosstown rivals, the Clippers have the tiebreaker over the Lakers, but they must win to secure the final guaranteed playoff spot. The Clippers, on the other hand, have a chance to catch the Warriors, so expect a full-throttle effort on Sunday afternoon.
According to Joey Linn of SI.com, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue stated that no Clippers players will be rested against the Suns on Sunday, implying that Leonard will play both ends of the Saturday-Sunday back-to-back.
In 29 minutes against the Trail Blazers on Saturday, Leonard scored 27 points (7-17 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 10-10 FT), grabbed eight rebounds, four assists, and one block.
The Clippers are determined to earn the highest possible seed, even if it means facing the Suns in the first round.
If Leonard plays on Sunday, it will be his first appearance in both ends of a back-to-back since April 2021.
- Russell Westbrook – Active
Russell Westbrook finished with 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-3 3Pt), six rebounds, and six assists in 25 minutes against Portland on Saturday.
Westbrook’s numbers have been respectable since joining the Clippers, but not spectacular. The veteran point guard has scored at least 20 points in three of his last five games and is expected to be a key offensive weapon for the Clippers in the playoffs.
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Injury Report Clippers
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Paul George | Knee | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Marcus Morris | Back | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
Injury Report Suns
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Deandre Ayton | Rest | Game Time Decision |
| Cameron Payne | Back | Game Time Decision |
| Chris Paul | Rest | Game Time Decision |
| Devin Booker | Rest | Game Time Decision |
| Kevin Durant | Ankle | Game Time Decision |
| Bismack Biyombo | Knee | Game Time Decision |
| T.J. Warren | Illness | Game Time Decision |
