Clippers-Suns Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 24 2013 2:52AM

The Los Angeles Clippers are unsure if Chris Paul can play in their upcoming games, most of which will take place on the road.

A visit to the Phoenix Suns might help if Paul has to sit out and could aid the Clippers' attempt to avoid a third straight defeat Thursday night.

Paul missed the Clippers' sweep of a three-game road trip last week because of a bruised right kneecap. He tried to play in the next two games but the injury ultimately proved too bothersome.

"There's no timetable right now," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He's just sore ... It's a pain tolerance thing. It's a bruise on your kneecap and you have to be able to run and move and cut and jump and do things and it's going to be sore for a while.

"He's just go to work through it and we'll get him a lot of therapy and when he's ready, he'll be ready."

In a 106-99 loss at Golden State on Monday, Paul had a season-low four points on 1-of-7 shooting and sat out a 109-97 defeat to Oklahoma City the next day. Blake Griffin had a season-high 31 points but the other starters combined for just 28.

Eric Bledsoe had 12 points - on 5-of-16 shooting - and four assists while starting in place of Paul. It might be up to Bledsoe to try to fill his All-Star teammates' big shoes when the Clippers play 10 of their next 11 on the road.

"Chris is the orchestrator. He'll organize everything out there," guard Jamal Crawford said. "There's no way to replace him, but collectively we'll get it together."

The Clippers have had it together in their two matchups with the Suns this season. Los Angeles (32-11) has won those games by a combined 44 points and handed out a 103-77 rout in Phoenix on Dec. 23, snapping a string of 10 consecutive defeats there.

Griffin had 23 points and 11 rebounds in that win and Jamal Crawford chipped in 22 off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting.

The Suns (14-28), the last-place team in the Pacific Division, don't appear poised for their first win over the first-place Clippers this season as they've lost 13 of 16 and a season-high four in a row at home.

Phoenix, though, pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 106-96 victory at Sacramento in its first game under interim coach Lindsey Hunter on Wednesday. Michael Beasley had 13 of his 19 points in the final period, and Luis Scola scored a team-best 21 on 9-of-13 shooting.

Hunter replaced Alvin Gentry, who was let go Friday after Phoenix dropped seven of eight.

"It's been painful," Scola said about the change in coaches. "You don't want it to happen. It's not the coach's fault, it's everyone's fault. We couldn't do it with Alvin, but we're going to try to make this coach successful."

Beasley is averaging 20.2 points on 53.8 percent shooting in 11 all-time games against the Clippers, his best output versus any opponent. With his help, the Suns will try to avoid suffering a fifth straight home loss for the first time since March 2004.

Crawford has topped 20 points in each of his last three games against Phoenix, and Griffin has averaged 23.5 points on 62.1 percent shooting (18 of 29) in this season's two matchups.

The Clippers haven't won three straight over the Suns in a single season since 1995-96.

Hunter 2-0 as coach after Suns beat Clippers

By BOB BAUM
Posted Jan 25 2013 2:41AM

PHOENIX (AP) The Phoenix Suns are 2-0 under Lindsey Hunter, and the Los Angeles Clippers dearly miss Chris Paul.

Goran Dragic scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half and the Suns held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 93-88 on Thursday night, giving Hunter his second victory in two nights as interim coach after he replaced the fired Alvin Gentry.

Marcin Gortat added 15 points, including two free throws with 23.3 seconds left. Luis Scola and Markieff Morris had 14 apiece for the Suns, who have won consecutive games for the first time since a season-high, four-game winning streak ended on Dec. 19. Dragic also had eight assists.

The Clippers, who lost their third straight, were without Paul for the fifth time in seven games because of a bruised right kneecap. The team is 3-2 without him, and he's expected to miss two more games.

Jamal Crawford led Los Angeles with 21 points. Eric Bledsoe scored 15 and Blake Griffin had 12. Griffin said he reinjured his left ankle early in the game but still played 36 minutes.

"Our offense was stagnant," Griffin said. "Our defense wasn't great. We did a poor job and it starts with me. I have to do a better job of setting the tone early and being a leader out there, especially with Chris not out there."

The Clippers shot just under 40 percent for the game, 33 percent (7 for 21) in the fourth quarter.

"Our focus is to create a defensive mentality, to create a defensive presence," Hunter said. "Our guys are working hard to do it. It's a difficult thing to just change like that. To see every last guy really buying into it and realizing that regardless of how you shoot the ball, if you can defend you always have a chance to win a game, and our guys have been phenomenal in that area."

Phoenix improved to 15-28 and pulled out of the cellar in the Western Conference, one-half game ahead of New Orleans.

"When you change a coach, you always get a little bit of a reaction from everybody," Scola said. "Everybody wants to play a little bit harder and everybody wants to do a little bit more. This is just a critical situation and everybody gives a little bit more of themselves. Our challenge is to maintain this."

The Clippers slipped to 32-12, 1 1/2 games behind West leaders Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The three-game losing streak is Los Angeles' second-longest of the season.

The Suns, who won at Sacramento on Wednesday night, scored six in a row to go up 86-79 on Gortat's layup on a pass from Dragic with three minutes left. But the Clippers reeled off the next six points.

Bledsoe blocked Dragic's shot and Crawford sank a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the lead to 86-85 with 26 seconds remaining.

After Gortat's two free throws with 23 seconds left put Phoenix up three, Crawford was fouled on a drive to the basket, narrowly missing a chance at a game-tying, three-point play. Instead, Crawford, an 88 percent free-throw shooter this season, missed one of two from the line to leave the Clippers down two.

Phoenix got the inbounds pass to Shannon Brown, who was fouled on what officials ruled was a clear path to the basket. Brown made both free throws to make it 90-86 with 15.4 seconds left and the Suns retained possession. One free throw by Morris and two by Dragic wrapped up the Suns' scoring.

Hunter became the fourth coach in Suns history to win his first two games. The other three - Gentry, Scott Skiles and Jerry Colangelo - also did it as midseason replacements.

The wins came despite a rocky change of power. Earlier in the day, Elston Turner confirmed he has left the organization after being passed over in favor of Hunter, who was director of player development and had never coached before. Dan Majerle also left as an assistant coach after being passed over for the interim job.

Dragic scored the final nine Suns points in the first half, the last two on free throws after coach Vinny Del Negro and Crawford were called for technicals with 0.3 seconds left to put the Suns up 50-46 at the break.

Crawford scored seven straight points, the last two on a drive, to put Los Angeles ahead 62-59 with 4:17 left in the third quarter. Phoenix finished the quarter with a 6-2 spurt to lead 68-66 entering the fourth.

The fourth quarter has usually been kind to the Clippers. Not on this night.

"We are very comfortable in the fourth quarter," Crawford said. "There has been a little bit of slippage but we have to know exactly where we want to go in the fourth quarter and what we want to do. I think that is where we were at previously and I think we will be able to get back to that."

NOTES: Suns C Jermaine O'Neal missed his second game in a row because of an irregular heartbeat. .. The Clippers lost four straight from Nov. 21 to Nov. 26., but had gone 24-5 since then. ... Ex-Sun Grant Hill got a warm reception from the crowd when he entered late in the first quarter for the Clippers. ... The Suns have won 11 of their last 12 games against the Clippers in Phoenix. They had won 10 straight before losing in their last meeting on Dec. 23. ... Four NBA interim coaches have won their first two games this season.

Notebook: Suns 93, Clippers 88

Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:15 AM - Updated Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:15 AM

THE FACTS: The Lindsey Hunter era has started out as well as possible for the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns pulled away from the visiting Los Angeles Clippers late in winning 93-88 Thursday night. That makes the Suns (15-28) 2-0 under Hunter, who replaced Alvin Gentry last week. The Suns had lost 13 of 15 before the coaching change.

The Clippers (32-12) lost their third straight, their longest skid since a 4-game streak in November.

"Regardless of how you shoot, you have a chance if you defend," said Hunter, whose team held the Clippers to 40 percent shooting.

Goran Dragic led the Suns with 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds. "I'm glad to see him smiling and being himself," Hunter said of his point guard. "We're giving him a lot of freedom and responsibility."

"It feels great," said Dragic, who had expressed his disappointment with the Suns' sluggishness lately.

"This season is really crazy. We're going step by step. It's not a good picture yet."

Marcin Gortat added 14 points and nine boards. The Suns led narrowly through much of the game before moving out to an 86-79 lead with 3:00 left.

Jamal Crawford hit a 3-pointer off a fast break, the Clippers' first hoop in 4:00, to bring the Clippers to within 86-85 with 27 seconds left. But the Suns hit their free throws, while Crawford missed a free throw to preserve an 88-86 Suns' lead with 19.4 seconds left.

Then the Clippers committed a clear-path foul, leading to four straight free throws for the Suns, which sealed the game.

Crawford led the Clippers with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Blake Griffin had just 12 points and eight boards. Chris Paul sat out with a bruised right kneecap.

QUOTABLE: "Every loss is a bad loss."
-- Jamal Crawford

THE STAT: The Clippers missed 10 of 26 free throws.

TURNING POINT: With the score 80-79 Suns, Luis Scola hit a jumper and scored on a follow shot. Gortat hit a layup on a pass from Dragic, and the Suns had an 86-79 lead. The Clippers never got closer than one point.

QUOTABLE II: "I'll take the baby steps. I'm going to be positive. At the same time, I'm going to hold him accountable."
-- Lindsey Hunter on the inconsistent Michael Beasley

IN THE ARENA: Fans greeted the introduction of interim coach Hunter with scattered boos. They have expressed disappointment that assistant coach (and playing legend) Dan Majerle was passed over for Hunter, who has no coaching experience. Hunter had been in charge of player development for the Suns. Majerle and lead assistant Elston Turner left the organization after they were bypassed.

"It's at a different level, but it's basically the same thing," said Hunter, who has coached youth basketball. "All I ask is that no matter what you do, mistake or not, hustle back on defense and keep giving effort." Hunter won his first game (at Sacramento Tuesday)...Fans gave an ovation to Grant Hill, who was making his first appearance since departing the Suns last year. Hill was playing in his seventh game for the Clippers. Fans gave an even greater ovation to TNT broadcaster (and Suns playing legend) Charles Barkley....Owner Robert Sarver, who made unusual small talk with reporters before the game, cheered as enthusiastically has he has in memory from his courtside seat.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: The Suns' Scola has been on a high lately. Coming into the game, he'd averaged 17.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting nearly 50 percent over the previous 12 games.

NOTABLE: The Suns' Jermaine O'Neal revealed after the game that he's been missing games because of an irregular heartbeat. He is on medication and hopes to return as soon as a few days, though he says he will make his decisions cautiously.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Saturday @ Portland, Sunday vs. Portland and Wednesday @ Minnesota. For the Suns, Saturday @ San Antonio, Sunday @ Dallas and Wednesday vs. L.A. Lakers.

• Clippers: Billups, Thompkins
• Suns: Frye, Garrett

• Clippers: Crawford, Del Negro
• Suns: Telfair

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #11 Derrick Collins, #29 Mark Lindsay
• Attendance: 16017
• Duration: 2:48