Suns-Clippers Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Dec 07 2012 10:03PM

Already one of the highest scoring teams in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Clippers have taken their offense to another level lately.

The Clippers seek their fifth straight win on Saturday when they host the Phoenix Suns, losers of five in a row.

Los Angeles (12-6) surpassed 100 points for the fourth straight game on Wednesday night, cruising to a 112-90 victory over visiting Dallas.

After averaging 94.5 points on 43.3 percent shooting during their recent four-game losing streak, the Clippers have totaled 108.5 while connecting on 49.4 from the field in their four-game run.

They've scored 29 points or more in eight of their last 11 quarters.

The Pacific Division leaders don't figure to be slowed by the struggling Suns (7-13), who rank last in the league in scoring defense (102.7).

Ball security has also been a strength lately for the Clippers, who had committed 10 turnovers or less in three straight games before finishing with 18 against the Mavericks.

Chris Paul had only three turnovers, leaving him third in the league with a 4.07 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The All-Star point guard, however, made a vow to keep attacking after he had 14 points for the third consecutive game and dished out 13 assists.

"A lot of the guys have been telling me that I need to be more aggressive, that I'm letting guys off the hook," Paul said.

Blake Griffin averaged 21.3 points and 10.0 rebounds against the Suns last season, but couldn't prevent Los Angeles from dropping three of four meetings. He had 27 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Clippers to a 103-86 victory on March 28 in the last meeting at Staples Center.

Los Angeles will have to move on again without veteran guard Chauncey Billups, who is expected to miss at least two weeks with a foot injury.

While Billups has averaged 16.3 points in his career versus Phoenix, the Clippers might not need him against the Suns this time around.

After losing the last four games of their road trip, Phoenix dropped a heartbreaker on Thursday night when O.J. Mayo hit the go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds left to give Dallas a 97-94 win.

Markieff Morris had 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds for the Suns, who rallied from 15 down in the third quarter to tie it in the final minute on "money-back guarantee night."

"It's always the same story," said guard Goran Dragic, who had 15 points. "When you're down so many points and you're battling, your energy is going away because you're trying to get back in the game."

Aside from the breakout game by Morris, Phoenix has struggled to get consistent production from other sources.

Marcin Gortat, who's averaging 11.3 points per game, had three on 1 of 8 shooting on Thursday. Michael Beasley could be on his way out of the starting lineup after totaling 24 points on 10 of 35 shooting in his last three games.

P.J. Tucker was a candidate to take Beasley's starting spot, but he's now dealing with a sprained right MCL and may not be able to play against the Clippers.

The Suns have averaged 93.0 points during the five-game skid after scoring 102.5 over their previous 11 contests.

They might have a tough time getting back on track against the Clippers, who lead the NBA with 10.9 steals per game and have allowed 88.7 points in their last three home contests.

Phoenix hasn't lost six straight since March 3-12, 2009.

Clippers beat Suns 117-99 for 5th straight win

By BETH HARRIS
Posted Dec 08 2012 7:18PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) The bench bailed out the Clippers again.

Jamal Crawford led a fourth-quarter rally with 13 of his 21 points, and Los Angeles beat Phoenix 117-99 on Saturday, winning its fifth in a row while sending the Suns to their season-worst sixth straight loss.

"Thank the bench because the starters were struggling," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "They got us off to a bad start again. Our starters get into this energy on the offense and not on the defense. This game easily could have gone the other way."

Blake Griffin added 24 points and a career-best four steals, and Chris Paul had 16 points and 11 assists, but the Clippers' reserves carried them. Crawford made all four of his free throws to extend his streak to 55 in a row since Nov. 3.

"We owed them a lot," Griffin said about the reserves. "We want to put it away early, but with the way that our team is put together, our second team is just as capable coming in and putting that lead on teams."

The Clippers broke out in the final quarter after not leading by more than seven points through the first three periods. And they did it with their reserves, who scored every point. They opened with a 17-4 run in which Crawford scored 11 points on a variety of shots, including a 3-pointer and two free throws.

"They've got a hell of a basketball team," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry, who once guided the Clippers. "When the starters get 61 and the bench gets 56, that's a well-balanced team. They do a good job of passing the basketball."

Los Angeles fans were rewarded with a couple of big dunks by Eric Bledsoe and another by Matt Barnes that pushed the Clippers' lead to 110-93 with 4:04 to play. Their reserves outscored Phoenix's bench, 56-45.

"It started with defense," Griffin said. "We got five stops in a row and got into an 11-point lead."

Michael Beasley scored 21 points off the bench, and Shannon Brown added 19 for Phoenix, which hadn't lost six in a row since March 3-12, 2009.

"If we're going to get out of this, we've got to work our own way out and do it collectively as a group," Gentry said. "In this league, no one's going to help us and no one feels sorry for you. It's not a pity league."

Luis Scola scored 10 in a row for the Suns and finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Neither team managed to pull away in the third, when the Clippers led 85-83 before their starters went to the bench for good to start the fourth.

Los Angeles got a boost from its second unit early in the second, with Crawford scoring five in a row and Lamar Odom and Barnes chipping in as the Clippers played catch-up. Griffin and Paul took over the final 2:50, combining to score 11 of their team's final 14 points to send the Clippers into halftime leading 63-57.

Odom finished with eight points and eight rebounds, having dropped 12 pounds recently as he works his way back into shape.

"I don't think you can have too much talent," he said about the bench. "We need everyone to be successful to get to where we want to be."

The game began shortly after noon, and the Clippers' defense sleepwalked through the first quarter when the Suns led by seven.

Notes: Suns C Jermaine O'Neal was ejected in fourth quarter after taking offense to a call. ... Clippers G Chauncey Billups missed his second straight game because of tendinitis in his left ankle. ... The Clippers have scored 100 or more points in each of their last five victories. ... The Suns played their seventh road game in 14 days. They fell to 2-10 away from home. ... Beasley didn't start after totaling 24 points on 10 of 35 shooting in his three previous games.

Notebook: Clippers 117, Suns 99

Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Dec 08, 2012 6:43 PM - Updated Sat Dec 08, 2012 6:43 PM

THE FACTS: For three quarters Saturday afternoon, the Suns nearly matched the Clippers point for point. Then the fourth quarter arrived and Jamal Crawford and his fellow L.A. reserves went to work, leaving Phoenix in the dust in the 117-99 victory at Staples Center, the team's fifth consecutive victory.

THE STAT: Crawford came into the game leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring at 7.9 points a game, ahead of both Kevin Durant of the Thunder (7.7) and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers (7.5). He scored 13 of his 21 points in the final 12 minutes, helping the Clippers outscore the Suns, 32-16, in that span. Crawford also extended his league lead of 20-point games off the bench to 10. No other reserve in the NBA has more than five. The Clippers are 8-2 when Crawford scores at least 20 points.

QUOTABLE: "Thank the bench, because our starters are struggling."
-- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro.

TURNING POINT: With the Clippers leading by two points at the start of the fourth, Crawford scored the first seven points for L.A. to push the lead to 92-85, matching their biggest advantage of the game. Eric Bledsoe and Lamar Odom followed with baskets to extend the lead to 11 and the Suns never got closer than nine.

HOT: Nearly lost in another dazzling display by Crawford was a fine all-round performance by Clippers forward Blake Griffin. He finished with a team-high 24 points and filled up the remaining stat columns with eight rebounds, four assists and a career-high four steals, all in the first half. Odom also continued to round into shape. He scored a season-high eight points and also contributed eight rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes.

QUOTABLE II: "He wants it and I believe in him. I'm going to keep pushing him. I'm going to keep making him work and he's going to keep doing work."
-- Del Negro on Odom.

NOT: The Suns committed a season-high 20 turnovers, resulting in 30 points for the Clippers. Phoenix had a good night from the 3-point line until the fourth quarter, when they missed all eight attempts and finished 9 for 24 (37.5 percent). The Suns have lost six straight games for the first time since March 2009.

GOOD MOVE: Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry decided to move struggling small forward Michael Beasley to the bench and put Jared Dudley back in the starting lineup. The move seemed to motivate Beasley, as he scored 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting. He matched his career high by making four 3-pointers on seven attempts. Beasley has played well against the Clippers in his career, averaging 20.1 points in 10 career games before Saturday. The Clippers are one of only two NBA teams that Beasley averages more than 20 points against. The other is Sacramento (20.3).

BAD MOVE: Phoenix back-up center Jermaine O'Neal is trying to salvage a career that has gone south the last three seasons. He certainly didn't help his cause by picking up back-to-back technical fouls with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, further contributing to L.A.'s game-clinching run.

NOTABLE: The 117 points was a season high for the Clippers and the 63 first-half points also represented a season best for any half this season. L.A. is averaging 110.2 points in their five-game winning streak...The Clippers also recorded a season-high 64 points in the paint. ... The Clippers, who came into the game leading the league in steals at 10.9, had 12 more against Phoenix.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Sunday vs. Toronto, Tuesday @ Chicago, Wednesday @ Charlotte. For the Suns, Sunday vs. Orlando, Wednesday vs. Memphis, Friday vs. Utah.

• Suns: Frye, Marshall
• Clippers: Billups, Hill, Thompkins

• Suns: Gentry, O'Neal, O'Neal
• Clippers: Griffin

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #71 Rodney Mott, #56 Mark Ayotte, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 19060
• Duration: 2:13