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Struggling Suns take on Clippers in playoff rematch

Nov 4, 2006 - 3:59 PM Phoenix (1-2) at LA Clippers (1-1) 10:30 pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Suns needed seven games to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in last year's Western Conference Semifinals. They will be looking for some of that postseason magic in the regular season.

The Suns will take on the Clippers in a playoff rematch on Saturday at the Staples Center.

Directed by two-time MVP Steve Nash, Phoenix tied a team playoff-record with 15 3-pointers and won their second Game Seven of the postseason, returning to the Western Conference finals with a 127-107 victory over Los Angeles on May 22.

But the Suns are far away from last season's form on the young campaign. They have dropped two of their first three contests.

Leandro Barbosa scored 22 points in his first start and Nash contributed 17 points and 10 assists for the Suns, who shot 41 percent (32-of-78) and erased an 11-point deficit in the second quarter against the Utah Jazz on Friday.

The Jazz, however, escaped with a 108-104 triumph on the road. After Utah took the lead with under a minute remaining, Barbosa missed a point-blank layup that would have tied the game.

The Clippers rallied to edge the Denver Nuggets, 96-95, here on Thursday. Sam Cassell scored 35 points, including the game-winning foul shots with 12 seconds left.

Offseason acquisition Tim Thomas added 21 points for Los Angeles, which ended their eight-game losing streak in home openers, which was the longest in the NBA.