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Sports

Matt Barnes scores 28 points to lead Clippers to 5th straight win, 104-96 over Suns

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Los Angeles Clippers' Matt Barnes, right, blocks the shot of Phoenix Suns' Alex Len during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York) (The Associated Press)

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    Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin shoots over Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York) (The Associated Press)

PHOENIX – Matt Barnes scored 18 of his season-high 28 points in the third quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers won their fifth game in a row, 104-96 over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Barnes made 12 of his first 13 shots, scoring 16 points in the first 5:09 of the third quarter. Blake Griffin added 22 points and Darren Collison had 18 for Los Angeles.

DeAndre Jordan had 10 points and 17 rebounds and blocked Goran Dragic's layup try with the Suns still in it with 41 seconds to go.

P.J. Tucker scored 18 and Gerald Green 17 on 6-of-19 shooting for the Suns, who played without center Miles Plumlee (right knee sprain). They also lost guard Leandro Barbosa to a broken left hand in the first half.

After Jordan's block, his two free throws sealed it at 101-94 with 39.5 seconds left.

Phoenix led by as many as 12 in the third quarter and trailed by as many as 15 in the fourth before cutting it to three late.

Trailing 61-49, Los Angeles outscored the Suns 32-10 to take an 81-71 lead on Barnes' layup after a Clippers offensive rebound with 38.9 seconds to go in the third quarter. Markieff Morris scored to cut Los Angeles' lead to 81-73 entering the fourth.

Barnes shot 7 of 7 for 18 points in the third quarter. Griffin added 12 in the period.

Los Angeles built its biggest lead at 90-75 on Jared Dudley's layup with 8:48 left. Dudley appeared to hurt his back on the play and left the game.

Phoenix got back in it with an 11-0 run. Morris scored on a baseline dunk, then followed with a 3-pointer that cut the Clippers lead to 90-86 with 6:31 left.

Green was 3 for 16 before making two 3s and bouncing in a 16-footer to cut the lead to 97-94 with 2:37 to go. Griffin made a fadeaway 13-footer with 2:09 left.

The Suns outscored the Clippers 16-2 over the final 3½ minutes of the first quarter and the opening 1:45 of the second to lead 30-24 after newcomer Shavlik Randolph made one of two free throws with 10:15 left in the half.

Dragic got his offense in gear in the final 1:19 of the half. He sank a 3-pointer, stole Barnes' pass for a layup, then fed Alex Len for a layup as Phoenix used a 9-2 run to lead 55-44 at the break.

NOTES: The Clippers were without Jamal Crawford (strained left calf) for the second game in a row. ... Len, a first-round draft pick, got his first start in place of Plumlee and struggled with six points and six rebounds in 19 minutes. ... Plumlee injured his knee in practice last week and had been trying to play through it. ... Suns G Eric Bledsoe, coming back from knee surgery, participated in a full scrimmage Monday. ... Bledsoe was hurt in the Suns' 107-88 win over the Clippers in Los Angeles on Dec. 30, the only other time the teams have met this season.