Clippers Get Rare Road Victory

PHOENIX —  The Clippers’ big three of Quentin Richardson, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette helped the team find its way to a road victory Tuesday night.

Richardson had 32 points for the second consecutive game, Brand scored 27 points and Maggette had 23 as the Clippers ended a four-game losing streak and a six-game road skid, beating the Phoenix Suns, 110-98.

“They paid a lot of attention to Elton, and that opened it up for everybody,” said Richardson, who also had 12 rebounds. “We played good defense and when we do that, we have a chance.”

Richardson has averaged 29.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in the three games since he returned to the lineup after sitting out two games last week because of a back injury.

The victory was the Clippers’ first on the road over a Western Conference opponent since Dec. 20 at Dallas, ending a string of 12 losses.

They have won only four of 21 road games against Western Conference teams.

With their 27th victory overall, the Clippers matched last season’s total with 15 games to play.

They meet the Lakers tonight at Staples Center.

Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said one of the big differences in Tuesday’s game was second-chance points.

“In the first half, the Suns had 15 second-chance points,” he said. “In the second half, they had four. That’s huge.”

In winning for only the third time in 13 games, the Clippers handed the Suns their 20th loss in the last 26 games.

The Suns, who played their fourth game in five nights, have to go 7-0 in their final seven games at America West Arena to avoid the first losing record at home since their inaugural season in 1968-69.

Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 28 points, Shawn Marion had 19 points and Joe Johnson had 18.

The Suns led, 28-24, after the first quarter, but they got sloppy in the second quarter, committing eight turnovers as the Clippers built a 61-54 halftime lead.

Maggette was seven of nine from the field in the first half and had 19 points. Richardson scored 17, and Brand had 12. Marion and Stoudemire each scored 16 and Johnson had 13, accounting for all but nine of the Suns’ first-half points.

The Clippers extended the lead to 87-72 by the end of the third quarter by scoring the final seven points of the quarter while outhustling the tired Suns.

“The problem we’ve had has been getting a lead and keeping it,” said Brand, who was held to five points in Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks. “This time, we kept it.”

Phoenix Coach Mike D’Antoni said his team’s demanding schedule might have taken its toll.

“We didn’t quite have the energy,” he said, “and we don’t have the experience and the basketball savvy to play under control.”

Said Stoudemire about the Clippers: “Their big three are real good once they get going, and they’re hard to stop. They are tough under the boards.”