Clippers Lose to Suns, 113-93 : Pro basketball: Schuler says, with the Benjamin trade, it was a tough day for his team. Smith plays center.

Tom Chambers scored 26 points, 15 in the second half, and Dan Majerle added 23 off the bench to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Clippers, 113-93, Wednesday night before 11,068 at the Sports Arena.

The Clippers (16-35) have lost eight of nine, with San Antonio coming in Friday. Phoenix is 34-17.

Ron Harper led the Clippers with 26 points, on 11-of-16 shooting. Charles Smith had 15 rebounds, seven offensive, and 10 points playing center in place of Benoit Benjamin, who was traded earlier in the day to Seattle for Olden Polynice and a pair of first-round draft choices.

“No matter how much you want to downplay it, this was a tough day for these guys,” Clipper Coach Mike Schuler said. “They lost a friend and a teammate through the trade.”

Clipper guard Gary Grant said in an interview with Prime Ticket after the game that he wanted to be traded. He had denied the same thing after practice Tuesday. General Manager Elgin Baylor said Grant has said nothing to him about the request.

The Clippers led the Suns, 58-56, at halftime, thanks in large part to 13 points by Harper, 12 by Grant and 57% shooting in the second quarter. But when Phoenix outscored them, 29-19, in the third quarter, the Suns started to take control.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Suns had pushed the lead to 17, 102-85, on a pair of free throws by Majerle.

“We just decided to play defense more,” Majerle said of Phoenix’s second-half surge. “We pressured more and did not allow any easy baskets.”

The Clippers shot only 31% in the third quarter and 33% the fourth, a combined 14 for 59 the second half.

Clipper Notes

Assistant coach John Hammond and his wife, Marsha, became the parents of a baby girl Tuesday afternoon with the birth of seven-pound, five-ounce Lauryn Shay Hammond. . . . Doctors have given approval for Houston center Akeem Olajuwon, on the injured list since Jan. 4 while recovering from surgery to repair a damaged right eye socket, to return Feb. 28 against the Clippers at the Sports Arena. Olajuwon, who has three more games to wait, was hurt when he was hit in the face by an elbow from Chicago’s Bill Cartwright. . . . Though both sides downplayed the meeting as informal talks, David Falk, the agent for Charles Smith, spent part of the day with team officials. The Clippers would like to renegotiate Smith’s contract, but Falk and Smith are considering waiting until the end of the season.