NBA PLAYOFFS : The Suns Also Rise in West as Warriors Fall, 116-104

Kevin Johnson stood face to rib cage with Manute Bol after a hard collision under the basket in the first half, a 6-foot-1 point guard bellying up to the Golden State Warriors’ 7-7 center.

Neither moved for a few seconds, and each went their separate ways. Bol could offer only a standoff.

It was much the same with the Warriors, who gave the Phoenix Suns a good stare, but little else when it mattered most. As a result, a four-point game turned into a runaway in the closing seconds Tuesday night and the Suns clinched the Western Conference semifinal series with a 116-104 victory at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The victory, before a capacity crowd of 14,471, gave Phoenix a berth in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers in a series that opens Saturday at the Forum.

The Suns, who ousted Golden State four games to one, lost three games at the Forum, by 14, 12 and two points. But they beat the Lakers at Phoenix by 15, 17 and 23, the first time they defeated Los Angeles more than once in a season since 1983-84. Also, it was the Suns’ first home-court sweep since 1980-81.

“I haven’t given it any thought,” Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said of reaching the conference championship round. “It must feel good.”

Indeed, there was much to be concerned with in eliminating the Warriors.

Golden State, playing with starter Larry Smith (fractured nose) and key reserve Terry Teagle (sore left knee) banged up, led, 64-53, with 7:13 to play in the third quarter.

But Phoenix then took the lead, lost it, and then regained it again, stretching their margin to 13 points with 7:34 left to play.

The Warriors were ahead, 100-96, with 3:57 left, before being shaken, once and for all. Tom Chambers scored seven of his 24 points, which tied Johnson and Dan Majerle for game-high honors, in the stretch.

Don Nelson-coached teams have twice rallied from 3-1 deficits to force a seventh game--his Milwaukee Bucks ended up losing both series--but hopes of tying the series were dim. “We’ve said all along that there isn’t one area of the game we can dominate,” said Nelson, who turned 49 Monday. “You name it and they (the Suns) can beat us on it.”

Indeed, in the first four games, Phoenix:

--Won by an average of 24 points; its only loss--in Game 2--was by five points.

--Outrebounded the Warriors, 235-179, including 89-54 on the offensive end. Johnson, the point guard, had more rebounds than any Golden State player in Game 4 and as many as any Warrior in Game 3. He had nine in the clincher, again as many as any Warrior, and 11 rebounds.

--Tied the franchise record for points in a playoff game, 135, but the first time was an overtime game.

--Limited Mitch Richmond to a combined 12 points and 15-of-48 shooting (31.3%) in the first three losses, including four of 16 for 11 points Saturday in Game 4.

Tuesday, with some Phoenix players already talking about facing the Lakers, Nelson switched the lineup, and got results. Ralph Sampson made his first start of the playoffs and Smith, the usual starting center, moved to forward, Rod Higgins going to the bench.

With that, the Warriors controlled most of the first half. Winners of three of four postseason road games, they went ahead, 26-22, at the end of the first quarter.

The lead reached 11 points, 47-36, with 2:21 left in the first half, when Higgins’ jumper capped a 10-2 run.

Phoenix responded with a surge of its own, when Mullin and Richmond were both in the Golden State lineup with three fouls. Quickly, the deficit for the Suns went from 50-40 with 1:20 remaining to 50-49 at halftime on Majerle’s basket with two seconds to play.

“If there were two bad minutes we played, it was there,” Nelson said.

Neither Richmond nor Mullin fouled out, finishing with 23 and 22 points, respectively. The Warriors simply ran out of time in other ways.

NBA Playoff Notes

North Carolina State Coach Jim Valvano came to Arizona for speaking engagements, as planned, but apparently will not be going to Los Angeles today to meet with the Clippers about their vacant position. Valvano, in attendance at the game, refused to comment, but his agent, Art Kaminsky, reiterated there would be no talks with the Clippers, something team officials now confirm. They had announced last week Valvano would meet with owner Donald T. Sterling today, but Kaminsky, who had called the Clippers several times since the end of North Carolina State’s season, immediately denied it, adding that his client is not pursuing any National Basketball Assn. position . . . Laker scout Ronnie Lester, who followed the Phoenix-Golden State series, on the key to the Western Conference finals: “I think both are high-scoring teams, but whoever plays the best defense probably wins.” . . . Fourteen Phoenix players, including Steve Kerr, who appeared in only 26 regular-season games because of injuries, and Dean Garrett, who missed the entire season, each received a $7,700 bonus from the team as a reward for outscoring opponents by 7.7 points. “We think the real key to success is point differential,” president and chief executive officer Jerry Colangelo told the Phoenix Gazette when asked about the $1,000-per-point bonus. “It’s a true test because it’s also an incentive to play defense and hold the other team’s scoring down.” The Suns averaged 118.6 point during the regular season and held their opponents to 110.9.