The Suns vs. Clippers Battle Without Star Players: Who Will Come Out on Top?

The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers will face off at Footprint Center on Tuesday in a highly anticipated game without their star players. Kawhi Leonard, who was named an All-Star this season, will be missing his fifth consecutive game due to right knee inflammation, while Jusuf Nurkic of the Suns is dealing with a right ankle sprain. Meanwhile, the Clippers’ backup big man Daniel Theis has been listed as questionable with a sprained left thumb.

The two Western Conference rivals will go head-to-head again in Los Angeles on Wednesday as the regular season nears its conclusion. Both teams have just four games remaining in the season.

Leonard has been crucial for the Clippers this season, averaging 23.7 points on 52.5% shooting. Without him, the Clippers have only won 6 out of 10 games so far. In matchups against the Suns this season, Leonard has scored a total of 47 points. However, during the playoffs last year, he was sidelined due to a knee injury after putting up an incredible 69 points in two games at Footprint Center.

Nurkic has been battling some minor injuries recently but managed to play in both Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans despite dealing with calf soreness. He scored double-digit points and recorded at least 10 rebounds in each of his last four games.

The Clippers currently hold the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 50-28, while the Suns are in the No. 6 seed with a record of 46-32. Although there is a chance these two teams could meet in the playoffs, it’s unlikely given that they are two games behind their respective playoff opponents for fifth and third seeds respectively.

The game on Tuesday will start at 7 p.m., and fans can catch it live on 98