Clippers-Suns Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Apr 19 2012 2:19AM

While the Los Angeles Clippers continue their push for a Pacific Division title, the Phoenix Suns are simply trying to qualify for the playoffs in the Western Conference.

The Clippers can match a season high with a sixth straight victory if they can snap a nine-game road skid to the Suns on Thursday night.

Having already clinched its first playoff berth since 2006, Los Angeles (39-23) is one-half game behind its rival and the Pacific-leading Los Angeles Lakers in its quest for the franchise's first division title. Chris Paul had 21 points with eight assists and Kenyon Martin added a tip-in and blocked shot in the final half-minute of the Clippers' 104-98 win at Denver on Wednesday.

"It's about winning basketball," said Martin, who has been a valuable reserve in 38 games for the Clippers since returning from playing in China this season. "Just never quit playing no matter what the situation is, always put yourself in a position to make plays. Just trying to get a `W.' We're fighting for playoff position.

Though Los Angeles has won 13 of 15 overall and is in position to match a season high with a fourth consecutive road win, it faces a daunting challenge trying to prevail in Phoenix for the first time since a 103-99 victory April 17, 2007. A 10th consecutive road defeat to the Suns (32-30) would match the Clippers' longest current skid away from home to any opponent. Los Angeles has also dropped 10 in a row at Cleveland.

The Clippers matched their second-lowest point total this season while shooting 36.8 percent during an 81-78 loss at Phoenix on March 2. However, Los Angeles snapped a four-game overall skid to the Suns with a 103-86 home win March 28.

Blake Griffin had 27 points with 14 rebounds in that contest, but scored 17 on 6-of-19 shooting (31.6) and pulled down seven boards in last month's road loss to the Suns.

Phoenix hopes its past home success against the Clippers will provide a means of motivation as it tries to move back into playoff position in the West. The Suns have dropped three of five to fall to ninth in the conference, one-half game behind Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot.

The Suns look to bounce back from a 109-97 home loss to West-leading Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Jared Dudley had 21 points for Phoenix, which shot 41.0 percent, including 6 of 20 from 3-point range, while having its three-game home winning streak end.

"We didn't play sharp," star guard Steve Nash said. "Hopefully, we can wash this away and go for broke (Thursday)."

Dudley, who has totaled 39 points in the last two games, had 22 with seven rebounds and four assists in last month's home victory over the Clippers.

Nash, who has scored 20 points over the last three games, was held to a season-low one while recording 15 assists in the road loss to Los Angeles last month.

It's uncertain if Suns forward and defensive stalwart Grant Hill will miss a third straight game with a sore right knee.

"He could play, but I don't want to stick him out there unless I know he's OK," coach Alvin Gentry told the Suns' official website.

Phoenix is giving up 106.0 points per contest over the last five games.

Suns end Clippers' streak with wild 93-90 win

By BOB BAUM
Posted Apr 20 2012 2:36AM

PHOENIX (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers have been beating just about everybody. Then came the dreaded trip to Phoenix, where they haven't' won in five years.

That streak of futility didn't end Thursday night when the Suns came away with a rough, intense 93-90 victory that bolstered their playoff hopes and dimmed the Clippers' prospects for a Pacific Division title.

Steve Nash of the Suns hit a crucial driving layup, then made two free throws for the deciding points in a game that featured 24 lead changes.

"It wasn't our type of game, really and it wasn't a clean game by either team," Nash said after the Suns' 10th straight home win over the Clippers. "We found a way to hang around when we could have gone south a lot of moments tonight. But we hung in there and found a way to just scrap and claw - you know, big win."

Chris Paul, who had 10 assists, scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half of just the third loss in 16 games for the Clippers, who had won five straight. Caron Butler added 19 points for the Clippers, while Blake Griffin scored 16 points, only two after the first quarter.

Griffin was sent to the court on a flagrant foul by Robin Lopez with 6:14 to play and said afterward that his neck was very sore.

"I thought it was dirty. He is trying to take him down," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "The league has got to do something to protect this kid. We can only get so many technical fouls. We can only do so many things and guys are taking shots at him. It is getting bad. The kid is in pain right now."

Jared Dudley scored 18 points and Channing Frye had 16 for the Suns, who moved into a tie with Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Suns have the tiebreaker against the Jazz. Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix while Nash and Sebastian Telfair both scored 13 points.

The Clippers fell one game behind the first-place Lakers in the Pacific Division with the Lakers holding the tiebreaker.

Lopez was ejected for a "flagrant foul 2"' for coming down hard on Griffin's head and neck on a layup, sending the forward crashing to the court.

"I was just going for the ball," Lopez insisted. "He got by me and I was just trying to go for the ball and he got a bit farther and I tried to go for his arms. It was what it was. It is my job to protect the rim. I tried to go for his arms.

"People have kind of called Phoenix soft in the past. Tonight I think we showed we can do a good job of being the aggressor, especially near the end."

Referees in the loosely officiated game reviewed the play before confirming the call, then added a technical against the Clippers' Mo Williams for shoving Lopez after the play. Telfair made the free throw on the technical, then Griffin sank one of two free throws to give Los Angeles a 78-75 lead.

It stayed close the rest of the way.

Paul made two free throws, then Nash sank the driving layup to tie it at 88 with 1:15 remaining.

In a rare move, point guards Nash and Telfair played together down the stretch. That allowed Telfair to defend Paul.

With the game tied at 88, Paul missed a jumper with Telfair in his face. Telfair found Gortat for a breakaway. He missed the dunk but was fouled by Randy Foye. Gortat, though, made just one of two free throws to put Phoenix ahead 89-88 with 48.4 seconds to go.

Paul made two more from the line with 42.5 seconds to go to put the Clippers ahead 90-89. After a timeout, Nash was fouled by Martin on a drive to the lane and made both free throws, giving Phoenix a 91-90 lead with 25.9 seconds left, the game's final lead change.

Telfair knocked the ball out of the hands of a driving Paul with 7.7 seconds to play. On the subsequent out of bounds play, the Clippers had to call a timeout, their last of the game, as Telfair denied Paul the pass.

After Williams' long 3-pointer rimmed in and out, Frye made two free throws with 2 seconds to go and Griffin couldn't connect from the top of the key at the buzzer.

Notes: The Suns' Grant Hill missed his third straight game after an aborted two-game comeback from a procedure to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee. ... The Clippers last won in Phoenix on April 17, 2007. ... The Clippers' only losses in their previous 15 games were to the Lakers on April 4 and Memphis on April 9. ... The Clippers' five-game winning streak was one shy of their season high. ... Nash needs four assists to pass Oscar Robertson for fifth on the NBA career list.

Notebook: Suns 93, Clippers 90

Posted Friday April 20, 2012 2:19AM

By Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Phoenix Suns are trying desperately to hang in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Los Angeles Clippers, the NBA's hottest team, have bigger goals in mind.

But you couldn't tell much difference between the two in Wednesday night's thriller, one that wasn't decided until Blake Griffin's 3-pointer hit the front of the rim as the final horn sounded.

Final: Suns 93, Clippers 90 in Phoenix in what ranked as the "game of the year" from the Suns' perspective.

The Suns (33-30) pulled into the No. 8 spot in the West. They can wrap up a playoff spot with wins Saturday, at home vs. Denver, and Tuesday night at Utah (also currently 33-30). The Suns own the tie-breaker with the Jazz.

The Clippers (39-24) had won 13 of 15 entering the game.

The Clippers led narrowly throughout most of the game until Steve Nash (13 points, six assists, six turnovers) hit two free throws with 26 seconds left -- on a foul disputed by Kenyon Martin -- to give the Suns a 91-90 lead.

Chris Paul then drove the lane, only to have the ball swatted out of bounds. The Clippers got the ball to Mo Williams, who launched a 3-pointer that spun out.

The Suns boxed out on the rebound, with Channing Frye drawing a foul. He hit both free throws to make it 93-90 with two seconds left.

Griffin caught a long inbound pass from Martin and threw up a turn-around 3-pointer that fell short.

The game was hard fought and, it seemed, loosely -- or perhaps inconsistently -- officiated, with bodies flying and tempers flaring.

Midway through the final quarter, the Suns' Robin Lopez threw an arm around Griffin as the Clippers' star attacked the hoop. Lopez was called for a flagrant-2 foul and was ejected.

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said, "I thought it was dirty. He was trying to take him down...He is hurt...His neck is bothering him.

"The league has to do something to protect this kid."

"I was just going for the ball," Lopez said. "Then he got a bit farther, and I went for his arms.

"He's on a fast break. He's not a very good free-throw shooter. You've got to take that into consideration."

Griffin said, "I don't think it's malicious or trying to hurt anybody but after a while it gets pretty frustrating, only you've got to keep playing. You can't complain."

Grant Hill, the Suns' best defender on Paul, sat out with continuing knee soreness. Hill missed nine games after undergoing knee surgery, then played in two games. Now, he's missed three.

"He's not quite there," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. Gentry, though, said, "I think there's a really good chance" he could play Saturday afternoon vs. No. 7 Denver.

Even without Hill, the Suns limited Paul to 6-for-19 shooting.

Jared Dudley led the Suns with 18 points.

QUOTABLE: "What a game! We kept hanging in and hanging in and fould a way to pull it out at the end."
-- Alvin Gentry.

THE STAT: Griffin shot 7-for-17 for 16 points and 11 rebounds. But he only scored two points after the first quarter.

TURNING POINT: When Mo Williams' 26-footer from up top spun in and out with four seconds left, and the Suns leading, 91-90.

QUOTABLE II: "It was tough when you play that hard and whistles decide he game. It was a hard-fought game or whatever but we should have won that game. I felt we played great defense down the stretch. We defended as well as could have...but I guess (ref) Kevin Fehr felt differently. It goes like that sometimes."
-- Chris Paul.

HOT: Dudley hit 4-for-7 on 3-pointers.

NOT: Griffin was 0-for-4 from the field after the first quarter.

NOTABLE: The Suns clinched a .500 or better season for the 30th time in the franchise's 44 seasons. They've done so seven of the past eight seasons, including three of four under Gentry.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Sunday vs. New Orleans, Tuesday @ Atlanta and Wednesday @ New York. For the Suns, Saturday vs. Denver, Tuesday @ Utah and Wednesday vs. San Antonio.

• Clippers: Billups, Leslie
• Suns: --

• Clippers: Jordan, Williams
• Suns: Dudley

• Lead Changes: 24
• Times Tied: 19

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #7 Kevin Fehr, #35 Kane Fitzgerald
• Attendance: 14644
• Duration: 2:31