Ceballos Comes Back to Haunt the Clippers

Cedric Ceballos looks as good in the Phoenix Suns’ purple, orange and black road uniforms as he did in the Lakers’ purple and gold.

Ceballos, playing in Los Angeles for the first time since he was traded back to the Suns on Jan. 10, had 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Suns handed the Clippers their sixth loss in seven games, 112-96, Thursday night before 7,018 at the Sports Arena.

“For some reason, somehow I always stay in purple,” said Ceballos, who has averaged 25 points and 10.5 rebounds in two games against the Clippers.

The Clippers, who play at Phoenix next Tuesday, have a two-game lead over the Suns for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

And the Clippers didn’t play like a playoff team for the last 2 1/2 quarters, falling behind by 19 points with two minutes remaining.

“When we started that game I thought we were really ready,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “For 15 minutes we were really ready, then somebody explain the turnovers and the complete defensive lapse.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a team go from beautiful to ugly so fast. It’s all of us.”

Sun guard Rex Chapman played one of his best games of the season, getting 22 points as the Suns (25-38) defeated the Clippers (26-35) for the second time in three games.

“We took this game as a playoff game,” Sun center John (Hot Rod) Williams said. “I don’t know if they did, but we were thinking about the playoffs. We knew if we want to make the playoffs, we had to win this game.”

Chapman made four of five three-point shots in the third quarter as the Suns built a 16-point lead going into the final quarter.

The Suns made six of eight three-point shots in the quarter and shot 62.5% from the field. The Clippers, who missed 16 of 24 shots in the third quarter, were outscored by 11 points.

“The guys were setting me great screens,” Chapman said. “Danny [Manning] and Hot Rod were helping me out.”

The best matchup was in the backcourt, where Clipper guards Malik Sealy and Darrick Martin had to contain Phoenix guards Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd.

“Those are tough matchups, I’m glad I don’t have to guard them,” Fitch said before the game.

Johnson, who had 27 points, eight assists and three steals in his last game against the Clippers, made seven of 10 shots and had 23 points, five rebounds and five assists.

“When the game was on the line, it was Chapman and Johnson that hurt us the most,” Fitch said.

Martin, who had 18 points and nine assists in his last game against the Suns, had 17 points and eight assists, but scored only four points in the last three quarters as the Clippers were outscored, 88-64, and shot merely 37.5% after shooting a lofty 53.8% in the first quarter.

Sealy, who missed seven of 10 shots in his last game against Phoenix, missed 12 of 17 shots and had 11 points, three rebounds and four assists.

Kidd, activated from the injured list hours before the last Clipper-Sun game, had eight points and nine assists as the Suns defeated the Clippers, 110-93, on Feb. 14 at Phoenix. But he missed nine of 11 shots and had seven points, four rebounds and two assists.

Clipper forward Loy Vaught, who came into the game averaging a team-high 14.9 points and 10.3 rebounds, missed 11 of 18 shots and had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

You knew it wasn’t going to be a good night for Vaught, who was recovering from a cold, when the Clippers ran their first play of the third quarter to get Vaught started, but he missed a jump shot.

Clipper forward Charles Outlaw, starting his 11th consecutive game, made a career-high nine field goals and had 19 points and eight rebounds.