The Los Angeles Clippers have their shortest road trip of the season tonight, when they travel to face the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center, a place in which the Clippers have lost seven straight games. The Clippers' last win in Phoenix was a 103-99 triumph way back on April 17, 2007, which was the last game of the season against a Suns team that had already clinched the Pacific Division. The Clippers would take a road win of any kind against the Western Conference.
The Clippers have struggled on the road this season, with an 8-28 record, but six of those wins have come against the weaker Eastern conference. On the road against the Western Conference this season, the Clippers are just 2-19. Five of their remaining seven games are road games against the west, and Phoenix at 36-38 has the worst record of the remaining opponents. The Suns are 20-18 at home this season.
The Clippers are 1-2 against the Suns this season. Blake Griffin is now the franchise all-time leading rookie scorer, with 1,682 points. He passed Terry Cummings in Wednesday's loss to Dallas. Griffin is the first rookie to score 1,600 points and grab 900 rebounds since Tim Duncan in 1997-98. Griffin has 906 rebounds with seven games remaining, meaning he would have to average 13.4 boards per game in the final few weeks to reach 1,000 rebounds, a mark only reached in franchise history by Swen Nater (three times), Bob McAdoo (twice), and Elmore Smith.
For more news and information on the Clippers or tonight's game, be sure to read Clips Nation.