• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Suns seeking second straight win over Clippers

Dec 28, 2007 - 3:49 PM LA Clippers (9-18) at Phoenix (20-9) 9:00 pm EST

PHOENIX (Ticker) - After a 20-point drubbing, the Los Angeles Clippers probably don't want to face the Phoenix Suns again for long time.

However, the Clippers travel to face the Suns again on Friday in the back end of a home-and-home series.

Amare Stoudemire scored 30 points and pulled down 15 rebounds - completing a double-double in the first half - to lead the Suns to a 108-88 victory on Thursday against the Clippers.

The victory was just Phoenix's fourth in its last nine games as it has surrendered an average of 112 points during its last four losses.

Stoudemire has been terrific for the Suns this season, averaging 20.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The All-Star center also stepped up his defense on Thursday, holding Chris Kaman to a season-low nine points and just nine rebounds.

"Offense is nothing new, scoring is easy for me," Stoudemire said, "but defense is where we are trying to get better as a team, and I think tonight as a unit we did a great job."

The Clippers, who are last in the Pacific Division, have been awful lately, dropping their fifth consecutive game on Thursday. Los Angeles has won just three of its last 17 games and haven't scored more than 92 points during its current slide.