Suns-Clippers Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Mar 28 2012 1:53AM

It's been almost two weeks since the Los Angeles Clippers lost a game at home.

Their most recent defeat at Staples Center came against the Phoenix Suns.

The Clippers look for a fifth straight home victory while trying to snap a four-game losing streak against the Suns on Wednesday night.

After being swept on a trip to Indiana, Oklahoma City and New Orleans last week, Los Angeles (28-21) returned home to beat Memphis and the Hornets by a combined 28 points. The Clippers shot 50.0 percent in each game while holding both opponents to 85 points.

"I think the last couple of games we locked in," forward Kenyon Martin told the Clippers' official website after Monday's 97-85 win over the Hornets. "We've done a better job of taking a teams' tendencies away and it's worked for us."

The club's back-to-back victories also might take some of the pressure off coach Vinny Del Negro, who was reported to be in trouble with the front office following the recent winless trip.

Los Angeles is giving up 86.0 points per game and allowing its opponents to shoot 44.4 percent from the field during a four-game home winning streak dating to a 91-87 loss to Phoenix on March 15. The Suns (25-25) made 41.0 percent of their shots in that contest, but outscored the Clippers 27-12 in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-0 against them this season.

The Clippers have dropped 13 of 14 in the series, with that lone victory 108-103 at home Dec. 26, 2010.

Chris Paul has been limited to 26 points on 11-of-27 shooting (40.7) in two games versus Phoenix in 2011-12, but he scored 25 against his former Hornets team Monday.

"We're playing for a lot right now," Paul said. "We had a lot of fun, just because we won. I could care less who the opponent was."

While Los Angeles is firmly entrenched in playoff position in the Western Conference, Phoenix remains on the outside looking in after losing 107-100 at home to San Antonio on Tuesday. Though the Suns have won 13 of 19, they are 10th in the West, two games behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Starting in place of injured veteran Grant Hill, Shannon Brown scored a career-high 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and Marcin Gortat added 21 with 14 rebounds Tuesday. The Suns were held to 17 fourth-quarter points while losing for the third time in 13 home games.

Brown's previous season high was 21 against the Clippers earlier this month.

"I didn't know I was going to start until we were doing our pregame (meeting) and they said Grant wasn't going to go," said Brown, who matched his career high with five 3-pointers. "I just wanted to come out, play hard, play within the flow of what's going on and I wish we could have come out with a win."

Gortat was held to eight points and six rebounds against the Clippers two weeks ago, but he's averaged 22.0 and 10.0 boards in the last three games overall.

It's uncertain if Hill will miss a second straight game with knee inflammation.

Griffin's strong finish lifts Clippers over Suns

Posted Mar 29 2012 2:30AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Clippers' playoff chances are looking stronger and stronger. The Phoenix Suns' situation is becoming bleaker with every loss.

Blake Griffin threw down three dunks in a 1:40 span late in the fourth quarter and had 27 points and 14 rebounds in the Clippers' 103-86 victory over the Suns on Wednesday night.

It was less than a week ago that the Clips returned from an 0-3 trip that put coach Vinny Del Negro on the hot seat. But he received a vote of confidence from owner Donald Sterling, and the team has suddenly taken off in the right direction.

"Winning is the best medicine," Griffin said. "We lost three games in a row before we came home, and the world was about to fall apart for us. But we're doing a better job of not letting teams fight back into it and making it harder on ourselves - at least we have the last three games. We're trying to finish out games and go to the playoffs on the right foot."

Chris Paul had 15 points and 15 assists to help the Clippers move two games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division. They have won five straight at home since their 91-87 loss to the Suns on March 15. The Clippers and Suns are among nine teams separated by six games in the race for the final five Western Conference playoff spots.

"Right now we control our own destiny," Paul said. "As long as we continue to win games, we don't have to keep looking over our shoulders seeing what other teams are doing. We're playing with more of a sense of urgency. I don't know why it's starting to come now, but we're starting to believe in each other.

"There's a lot of season left. Even though there's only 16 games to go, a lot can happen, so we're just going to keep trying to stay the course."

Marcin Gortat led Phoenix with 23 points and seven rebounds. Steve Nash had 15 assists, but only one point - on a free throw that came after a technical foul against Bobby Simmons with 4:14 to play.

"We didn't play well," said Nash, 0 for 4 from the field with four turnovers. "We didn't make shots and we gave up offensive rebounds (13). We have 15 games left and we have to regroup and find a way to win games as soon as possible. We have to be optimistic. We're lucky to still be in this position. We have overachieved thus far, but we are in a position to crawl back into the playoffs and prove everybody wrong."

In the 18 games Paul and Nash have played head-to-head, their teams have each won nine times.

"They're two of the elite point guards," Griffin said. "Obviously, Steve is older and in his last years, or whatever, and CP's in his prime right now and it's extremely fun to watch him. But it's also fun to see how good Steve Nash still is at his age and how much he helps his team."

Phoenix's Grant Hill missed his second straight game because of inflammation in his right knee. Shannon Brown, who scored a career-high 32 points Tuesday night in a home loss to San Antonio while starting in Hill's place, had 10 points in his 300th NBA game and 20th career start.

Los Angeles closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 74-64 lead. Phoenix got as close as 81-74 on Channing Frye's 18-footer, capping a 6-0 spurt while Griffin was taking a breather.

But the Suns made only one field goal over the next 5:45. Griffin returned to the floor with 6:19 remaining, and the Clippers responded with a 13-5 run capped by his back-to-back dunks 28 seconds apart. The second one came off Griffin's steal of Nash's turnover and made it 96-70.

"Luckily, they missed a lot of shots - because they had a lot of great looks. But we were consistent with our effort," Paul said. "We were up eight or nine at one point and it could have easily went to five or four. But we pushed it to 15 and put them away. The biggest difference is that we were getting stops. We got out in transition, and Blake's energy was contagious."

Notes: The Clippers, who lost the two previous meetings with the Suns this season by a combined margin of seven points, won for only the second time in their last 15 games against them. The season series concludes April 19 in Arizona. ... Phoenix rookie F Markieff Morris didn't play because of the flu. ... Griffin has scored 686 points in the paint this season, second only to Dwight Howard's 782 for Orlando. ... The Suns, two games out of a playoff spot, haven't gone consecutive years without a postseason berth since a three-year stretch from 1986-88. ... Nash is 122 assists away from surpassing Oscar Robertson for fifth place on the NBA career list, and would have to average 8.1 in the Suns' next 15 games to do it before the end of the regular season. He has reached double digits in 32 of his 47 games so far.

Notebook: Clippers 103, Suns 86

Posted Thursday March 29, 2012 1:48AM

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Clippers continue to right the ship following a three-game losing streak earlier this month that nearly sent their promising season spiraling out of control. They received 27 points, 14 rebounds and five assists from Blake Griffin, and 15 points and 15 assists from Chris Paul in the 103-86 victory Wednesday night at Staples Center. They've won three straight games, all by double digits.

THE STAT: The Clippers are 8-0 this season when Griffin records at least five assists, and won for just the second time in the last 15 games against Phoenix. They blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead in a loss to the visiting Suns on March 15.

QUOTABLE: "The last time we played them here at home it was kind of embarrassing. We had a lead and they just came back and beat us. We understand how important every game is right now. We're starting to play with a sense of urgency."
-- Chris Paul

TURNING POINT: After failing to earn separation during a poor-shooting second quarter for the Suns, the Clippers opened things up with a 10-2 run to end the third, giving them a 74-64 advantage heading into the fourth. Griffin then opened the final quarter by hitting a 17-footer and the Suns never got back within seven.

HOT: Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry had high praise for Clippers center DeAndre Jordan before the game, saying he might be the best shot blocker in the league. Jordan only blocked one shot against the Suns, but had the best night of his career in an area he has struggled the most, at the free-throw line. Jordan, a career 43.1 percent shooter from the stripe, shot 7-for-8, the most free throws he has converted in his four-year career and his best percentage when attempting more than four in a game.

NOT: Leading by six late in the first, the Suns gave it all back by missing their final two shots of the first and quarter and first 11 of the second. They went 9:52 between field goals. Unfortunately, the Clippers didn't make enough baskets during that stretch and led by only two at the half.

GOOD MOVE: During the fourth quarter, Griffin nearly 'posterized' Channing Frye in much the same way he did to Kendrick Perkins of Oklahoma City earlier this season and Timofey Mozgov of the Knicks a year ago. Frye had the good foresight to spin out of the way just as Griffin was elevating for the thunderous one-handed dunk.

BAD MOVE: Phoenix point guard Steve Nash would have broken an NBA record for the most assists without scoring any points, but Clippers backup forward Bobby Simmons was called for a technical foul after fouling Marcin Gortat with 4:13 remaining and the Clippers ahead by 16. Nash made the free throw to finish with one point and 15 assists.

QUOTABLE: "I was kind of questionable before the game with a back, so I wasn't really feeling mobile and I just tried to do whatever I could to help the team. Maybe I should have let someone else play, but I still thought I could contribute."
-- Steve Nash

NOTABLE: The Suns played without veteran small forward Grant Hill, who missed his second consecutive game with inflammation in his right knee, and rookie forward Markieff Morris, who was ill ... The Clippers shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the third straight game and are 10-1 when hitting that mark this season ... The Clippers are now two games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Friday vs. Portland, Monday @ Dallas, Wednesday vs. L.A. Lakers. For the Suns, Sunday vs. New Orleans, Tuesday @ Sacramento, Wednesday @ Utah.

• Suns: --
• Clippers: Billups, Leslie, Williams

• Suns: --
• Clippers: Simmons

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 12

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #22 Bill Spooner, #29 Mark Lindsay
• Attendance: 19060
• Duration: 2:19