The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Tuesday.

The Suns (11-15) come into this matchup losing 11 of their last 15 games and that run has dropped them from a playoff contender into a bottom-dweller. What makes it even tougher is the fact that Devin Booker has missed the last two games because of a forearm issue. While it's not expected to be serious, it's hard for this team to compete without their leading scorer. There is some thought that he could return here though because Phoenix fans want to see he and DeAndre Ayton play together. The big man's 25-game suspension ends today and it'll be interesting to see how they deploy him after missing so much time. What makes it even more muddling is the fact that Aron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky and Dario Saric have all been playing so well. That means the addition of Ayton should make this one of the best frontcourts in the NBA and it'll be fun to see what they do at full force.

The Clippers (20-8) just had a four-game winning streak snapped in their most recent game but it was a bizarre result, to say the least. Los Angeles played the Chicago Bulls in that fixture and were narrowly beaten. That's a shocking result against one of the worst teams in the NBA. It was yet another loss without Kawhi Leonard, as five of the teams eight defeats have come in games where he was resting. That says a lot about how much value he brings to this team and it's scary just how good this guy is on both ends of the floor. His stellar play has them ranked Top-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency and there aren't many clubs in the league who have that same designation. The resting of Leonard could become an issue for playoff positioning though, as this team surely wants to play at home behind its 13-1 home record.

Phoenix won their first meeting with Los Angeles, 130-122, on October 26. Prior to that, the Clippers won 12-straight games over the Suns dating back four years.