Clippers Go Down Fighting to Suns : Pro basketball: After trailing by 19 points, L.A. stages a rally before losing, 127-121.

The Clippers weren’t at full strength, and that kind of opponent has been a problem for the Phoenix Suns.

This time, the Suns pulled it out with a 10-0 run at the start of the third quarter, beating the Clippers, 127-121, Friday night. Phoenix clinched third place in the West when Seattle beat San Antonio.

“It was a tough game to play in, because it’s the last couple of games, but they’re very important,” said Dan Majerle, who went end to end for a layup after a steal to complete the surge that gave Phoenix its biggest lead of the game--83-64--with 9:34 left in the third.

The Clippers were stubborn all night and got back within eight points, 95-87, on a dunk by Loy Vaught with 3:52 to go in the third, but Phoenix managed to lead 104-90 when the period ended.

Then Majerle, who had 24 points, got the last of them on a three-point play with 8:35 left, sending the Suns to a 114-97 lead that the Clippers couldn’t overcome.

“I thought we played our hearts out,” Clipper Coach Bob Weiss said. “We hung in there when we could have been completely blown out.”

Phoenix, which won its sixth straight and 10th in a row at home, swept the series this season after the Clippers won it 3-2 last season when the Suns had the NBA’s best record.

But the Suns didn’t have to face Dominique Wilkins in the two games they had left after the Clippers acquired the nine-time All-Star. Ron Harper also missed the game. Both were out with back injuries.

Vaught scored 29 points, hitting 14 of 18 shots. Terry Dehere had 19 points, and Gary Grant 17 for Los Angeles.

A.C. Green led the Suns to a 43-33 rebounding edge, pulling down 16 to go with his 19 points. Mark West and Cedric Ceballos had 17 points apiece, and Kevin Johnson had all of his 15 points and 13 assists in the first half.

“We didn’t want to let this game get away. The main objective was to get the win,” Coach Paul Westphal said.

The Clippers lost their fifth straight road game, finishing the season 10-31 away from home, but not without a fight.

The lead changed hands eight times in the first half, and the Suns never could take a double-digit lead in the first 24 minutes.