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The Phoenix Suns blew their second game in a row, this time to the LA Clippers at the Footprint Center on Tuesday. The Clippers rode on Russell Westbrook's triple-double handing a 105-92 loss to the Suns and dent their chances of a sixth-seed finish.
The 'Big 3' of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal weren't enough to take the side home and are now in seventh place with a 46-33 record — a rung below the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans who won over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The Suns were led by Durant's 21 points. Booker and Beal had 12 and 19 points, respectively. Jusuf Nurkic's absence was felt as the team's defense in the paint took a hit with the mercurial Westbrook doing his job with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists. Paul George and Terence Mann had 23 and 17 points, respectively, to help the Clippers extend their winning streak to three games despite missing Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to injuries.
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Phoenix Suns Playoff Picture: Updated standings
The loss on Tuesday saw the Phoenix Suns drop to 46-33. They are now ahead of the Sacramento Kings and the LA Lakers by just one win, and trail the Pelicans by the same number. Their last three games are against teams that have played some quality ball of late and another slip could further alter their playoff plans.
All signs point to the Suns being participants in the Play-In to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Phoenix Suns Playoff Picture: Remaining games
Here's a look at the remaining games for the Phoenix Suns:
The Suns play the Clippers again as part of their final back-to-back this regular season. The latter have a homecourt advantage and that might prove to be a challenge for Phoenix. They ended their home stretch this season with a loss but will need to win in their away fixtures to have any chances of avoiding the Play-In.
The Kings and T-Wolves are formidable teams, with one of them in contention for a playoff berth, while the other has registered a spot in the postseason already. A loss to the Clippers on Wednesday will all but confirm that the Suns will end up playing either the Kings or Lakers in the Play-In tournament.
For now, they will need to bring their A-game while battling fatigue against a confident Clippers outfit.
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