Clippers vs. Suns: Both teams enter Tuesday's game eager for a win

PHOENIX - What would normally be considered one of the hottest matchups in the NBA's Western Conference in the weeks ahead of the playoffs is now a game between two teams desperate for a win. 

On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in Downtown Phoenix. 

What we know:

In 2021, the Suns and Clippers met in the Western Conference Finals. For the Clippers, it was the franchise’s first conference finals appearance in history. The Clippers lost the six-game series, and the Suns eventually lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals after six games. 

Since then, both teams have undergone plenty of changes. 

Minus Devin Booker, the Suns roster has had drastic changes, including the addition of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. What was thought to be a new "Big Three" in the league simply isn’t working. 

Also, the team parted ways with head coaches Monty Williams and Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer, who led the Bucks to their 2021 NBA Finals victory, now serving as the Suns' head coach. 

As for the Clippers, they have not played well since the All-Star break, even with a healthy Kawhi Leonard. 

The Clips have struggled offensively in Norman Powell’s absence, who has missed multiple games with different injuries. His latest is a right hamstring strain that he suffered during Sunday night’s game against the Lakers.

Powell, Ben Simmons and Derrick Jones Jr. are all out for Tuesday’s game. 

For the Suns, Beal is listed as questionable due to left calf injury management.

Despite Phoenix’s struggles, they’ve managed to beat the Clippers three times this season, including opening night at the Intuit Dome. 

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What we don't know:

(Getty Images)

With roughly 24 games left in the regular season, it’s unclear what the postseason looks like for either team. 

The Suns enter Tuesday's game with a 28-33 record and in 11th place in the West.

After hanging onto the sixth seed, the Clippers have now entered play-in territory with a current seventh-place standing. 

Both teams could also be in for quite a shift during the offseason. Kevin Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star, is expected to get traded while the futures of fellow future Hall of Famers Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are unknown. 

This story was reported from Los Angeles.