Elton Brand and the Clippers became the second team from Los Angeles to take the Phoenix Suns to the limit in these playoffs.
Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers will take some momentum into Game 7.
Brand had 30 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, Corey Maggette came off the bench to score 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers beat the Suns 118-106 Thursday to even the Western Conference semifinal series at three games apiece.
"After six games in the playoffs and four in the regular season, we know each other pretty well," Brand said. "It comes down to who plays the best in Game 7."
"I'll definitely give them credit for a terrific game," Suns star Steve Nash said. "It just didn't seem like we had a lot of pop tonight."
The Suns will get some time off now, since Game 7 isn't until Monday night in Phoenix, where they beat the Clippers in two of the three previous playoff meetings, including a 125-118 double-overtime triumph in Game 5.
The Clippers sounded like they can use the time off, too. Neither team will practice Friday.
"Sam Cassell's legs are tired, and he's 58, so I think the days off will help him," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said with a smile.
Cassell, actually 36, said he could have used some extra time off after extending himself in Tuesday night's double-overtime game.
"It took its toll on me," Cassell said after getting 15 points and eight assists but committing six of his team's 19 turnovers.
"I want the championship for us. My crew is ready," he said. "You have to take advantage of these opportunities because you never know when they're going to come back."
The teams have alternated victories in the series, with the Suns winning Games 1, 3 and 5 and the Clippers winning Games 2, 4 and 6.
The Lakers took a 3-1 lead in the first round before the Suns came back, becoming the eighth NBA team to overcome such a deficit.
The home team has a 76-17 advantage in NBA playoff Game 7s, including Phoenix's 121-90 victory over the Lakers on May 6. But the Clippers played the Suns tough in all three postseason games in Phoenix, winning one and coming close in the other two.
"We have no road fear at all," Dunleavy said. "We feel we can play with anybody."
The Suns are trying to reach the Western Conference finals for the second straight season and the eighth time overall. They lost to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in five games in the conference finals last spring.
The Clippers have won two playoff series in their history, and are looking to make it past the second round for the first time.
Quinton Ross, starting in place of Maggette, added a career-high 18 points and Chris Kaman had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who shot 61.5 percent and outrebounded the Suns 48-28.
"We just couldn't stop them," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't know if it's energy, but they played well. Give them credit, they played a good game. We got ourselves in trouble because we didn't make shots.
"You play all year to get home-court advantage, and we're at home in Phoenix."
Shawn Marion had 34 points, nine rebounds and six steals to lead the Suns, who shot 44 percent. Leonardo Barbosa added 25 points, Nash had 17 points and 11 assists, Boris Diaw had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Raja Bell scored 13.
"We have to figure out something by Monday," Barbosa said. "If we don't, we're done."
RSS