Suns head to L.A. to battle Clippers after 0-7 homestand

By foxsports
Published

The Phoenix Suns are 0 for the month of February -- having lost seven consecutive home games as part of an 11-game losing streak.

They have three more opportunities to avoid a winless month, starting with a change of venue on Monday night, heading to the Staples Center to battle the Los Angeles Clippers.

The game can be seen on FOX Sports Arizona and FOX Sports GO, starting at 8 p.m.

The Suns (14-42) wrapped up an 0-7 homestand with Sunday's 118-11 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The margins of defeat have gotten smaller since Earl Watson took over as interim coach for Jeff Hornacek, but Watson is still looking for his first victory.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was impressed with the Suns' effort on Sunday: " They played their fannies off for him. ... Their aggressiveness and attention to detail was fantastic."

Despite that, the Suns are 2-26 since Dec. 20 and are two losses away from their longest losing streak since an 0-13 start to the 1996-97 season. And they've lost their last 14 on the road, by an average margin of 18.7 points.

The Clippers (36-19) are coming off a 115-112 loss to Golden State on Saturday, which followed a 105-86 win over San Antonio two days earlier. They allowed the Warriors to shoot 51.2 percent from the field.

Chris Paul has averaged 21.5 points and 9.8 assists while shooting 45.9 percent overall and 39.5 from 3-point range in 25 games that the team has been without All-Star forward Blake Griffin. He was on his way back from a torn quadriceps when he broke his hand punching an assistant equipment manager, earning a four-game suspension from the team he'll serve when he does return.

Paul has averaged 29 points and 10.3 assists in the last three games, and he's put up 20 points and 9.5 assists per contest in 34 meetings with the Suns.

The Suns have lost their last four games at Staples Center but enjoyed a rare bright spot in their sour season by winning the most recent meeting between the two teams, 118-104 in mid-November. The Suns' starting backcourt of Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe combined for 63 points in that one -- both are out for this one because of injury.