Facing Tough Stretch With Hopes for Best

Ready or not, the Clippers kick off arguably the most challenging two weeks of their schedule tonight against the league-leading Phoenix Suns.

Over the next 13 nights, they will play eight games against teams that brought a combined .755 winning percentage into Friday’s games. Seven are against the top five teams in the West, including home-and-home series against the Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings, and the other against the East-leading Miami Heat.

If the Clippers are still above .500 after they play at Dallas on Jan. 20, Coach Mike Dunleavy said this week, it will be “an incredible accomplishment.”

Kerry Kittles, sidelined since Dec. 17 because of sciatica caused by a bulging disk in his lower back, is expected to return soon, perhaps as early as tonight, but Dunleavy has said the Clippers probably will be without injured regulars Marko Jaric, Chris Wilcox and Shaun Livingston until sometime next month.

At one point Dunleavy might have viewed this stretch as a measuring stick for his young team, but with the injury glut he’s just hoping for the best.

“For us, where we are and what we’re trying to do, it really has more to do with playing well and the right way,” he said Friday. “When I say that, I’m talking about good execution, good screens, good decisions, don’t turn the ball over, make the right moves on defensive assignments.

“What happens is, if you’re doing [those things] consistently, you’re going to beat all the teams you’re supposed to beat, and that’s really all anybody can ask of you. You’re trying to get the most out of your talent level. I think we do that. And when we play the really elite teams, you’re hoping you can play it close for as long as possible and hopefully get to the point where you can steal a couple of these games.”

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The starting time for today’s game, originally 1 p.m., was changed last month when the evening slot became available because of the NHL lockout.

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TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix, 7:30, Channel 5

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KLAC (570).

Records -- Clippers 16-15, Suns 28-4.

Record vs. Suns -- 0-1.

Update -- The Suns, 14-2 on the road, have won 15 of their last 16 games. Amare Stoudemire, averaging 26.4 points and 8.6 rebounds, scored 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting in a 122-111 victory over the Clippers on Nov. 21 at Staples Center. Steve Nash, averaging a league-high 11.1 assists, had 22 points and 18 assists.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849.