Clippers Finish Season Sunk by the Suns

Larry Nance scored 21 points and Bernard Thompson had all 10 of his during a decisive second-quarter rally as the Phoenix Suns beat the Clippers, 118-99, in the NBA season finale for both clubs Sunday night.

After Walter Davis’ three-point goal at the first-quarter buzzer cut Phoenix’s deficit to 27-26, rookie Nick Vanos scored eight points in an 18-2 run to start the second period for a 44-29 Suns’ lead.

Thompson then added eight of his 10 points in a six-minute stretch for a 64-43 halftime lead.

Phoenix led by 31 at one stage of the third quarter and took a 91-69 lead into the final period.

The Clippers closed to within 12 four different times in the fourth quarter behind the hot shooting of Marques Johnson, Norm Nixon and Michael Cage, but they got no closer.

Davis finished with 17 points for the Suns while Jay Humphries added 16 and rookie Ed Pinckney 15.

Nixon had a game-high 28 points, while Johnson and Cedric Maxwell had 18 each and Cage 15 for the Clippers who wound up 32-50 with 6 losses in their last 12 games.

Phoenix, also 32-50, failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs for the first time in nine years and suffered its first back-to-back losing records since the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons.

“It’s been a long year,” Sun Coach John MacLeod said. “We’ve had a lot of problems. We’ve had so darn many injuries the past two years, it’s hard to get any consistency. But the guys really showed some character. They didn’t nip at each other and they played hard. It’s an excellent group.”

The Clippers were playing without rookie center Benoit Benjamin, who missed his third straight game with a stomach flu and fever.