Suns 81, Clippers 78
SUNS 81, CLIPPERS 78: Jared Dudley scored 22 points, including a pair of clinching free throws with 13.3 seconds left, as Phoenix extended its mastery of visiting Los Angeles.
Center Marcin Gortat added 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Suns handed the Clippers their ninth consecutive defeat in Phoenix.
Grant Hill added 14 points for the Suns, who won despite a season-low 32 points in the first half and squandering an 11-point fourth-quarter lead.
Blake Griffin scored 17 points to pace Los Angeles, which has dropped 12 of the last 13 meetings with Phoenix.
The Suns closed the third quarter on a 13-3 run to carry a 63-52 lead into the fourth, but the Clippers stormed back with an 11-2 spurt capped by Mo Williams' 3-pointer to tie it at 70 with 3:39 to play.
Gortat's tip-in and a pair of free throws restored the lead to four, and the closest the Clippers got was within 77-75 on Chris Paul's 3-pointer with 26.5 seconds left.
The Clippers appeared on the verge of delivering an early knockout punch when Kenyon Martin and Williams combined for all the points in a 10-1 spurt for a 33-22 second-quarter lead.
The Suns, however, responded with a 10-0 run of their own and held Los Angeles without a field goal for the final 4:58 to pull within 35-32 at halftime.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Suns PG Steve Nash, a two-time league MVP, wound up with more turnovers (seven) than points (six) for the third time this season. ... Suns F Channing Frye had a well-rounded first-half stat line. He had 10 rebounds and zero points on 0-for-10 shooting. Frye finished with 14 rebounds and shot 2 of 18. ... Los Angeles has not won in Phoenix since April 17, 2007. ... Martin had a season-high 14 points, only the second time he's scored in double figures in 12 games since joining the Clippers after his season in China ended.