Clippers Need to Get Score Right

Other than the final score, things went well for the Clippers in Friday’s 94-91 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The up-tempo Suns scored fewer than 100 points for the first time in the series, shot 37.2% from the field and 25.9% on three-pointers -- great work against the NBA’s highest-scoring team, the Clippers said.

Of course, the numbers didn’t add up to a victory, and that’s all that matters.

The Clippers trail, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 today at Staples Center, and Coach Mike Dunleavy has issues to address on offense after his team shot only 42.2% in Game 3.

The Suns could take a commanding lead in a series that shifts to Phoenix on Tuesday for Game 5, so the Clippers need to get everything right this time.

“Obviously, the pressure is on them,” Phoenix Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “This is when we, if we’re smart, come out and play even harder. ... This is when you really turn the screws up.”

After losing the series opener, the Clippers routed the Suns by 25 points in Game 2, and players said it’s time for another rebound performance.

“This basketball team always responds when it has to,” point guard Sam Cassell said. “All year, every time, this basketball team does what it has to do, and I know my guys are going to respond. No doubt.”

Cassell could get it started. The 13-year veteran scored 28 points in Game 1 and 23 in Game 2, so D’Antoni made a change, assigning 6-foot-7 forward Shawn Marion to guard the 6-3 Cassell.

The result? Cassell missed eight of 10 shots and scored six points in 35 minutes.

“If I guard Sam the whole game, I can make it very hard for them,” Marion said. “I think he only scored one time on me.”

Cassell was on the bench for all but the final 1 minute 17 seconds of the fourth quarter, in part because of Marion’s strong defense.

During the regular season, Cassell and power forward Elton Brand often played a two-man game down the stretch to seal victories, but that wouldn’t have worked Friday with Marion on Cassell, Dunleavy said.

“Sam is a real crafty veteran,” Brand said. “I’m sure he’ll get the job done.”

Brand also wasn’t at his best. He scored 40 and 27 points in the first two games, so D’Antoni continued to adjust.

Marion struggled against Brand, so D’Antoni shook up the lineup, sending James Jones to the bench and starting Tim Thomas, who guarded Brand with a lot of double- and triple-team help. Brand scored 20 points, but missed 10 of 17 shots.

“We’ve got to be more patient,” Brand said. “Personally, I can’t get caught up in it and say, ‘Oh, I can score 30 on these guys every night.’ That doesn’t matter, winning the game matters, so I just have to have faith in my teammates and get the ball out to the right guy.

“They mixed it more. It was from the baseline, the top, the bottom

Freed of battling Brand, Marion led the Suns with 32 points and 19 rebounds. He had only a 50-second break in a 48-minute game.

“I guarded [Brand] a little bit, but I didn’t have to guard him as much, and I guess it helped me,” Marion said. “Without him leaning on me all night, I didn’t have the wear and tear.”

Despite Marion’s big night and Thomas’ 19-point, 14-rebound effort, the Suns weren’t satisfied.

“We need to play better,” point guard Steve Nash said. “We weren’t up to our best, and we’re going to have to be if we want to win this series.

“It’s dangerous territory. You can’t play like that all the time. You have to play at a higher level.”

The Clippers want to go there too, Dunleavy said.

“We just have to bring our game,” he said. “I told the guys from the beginning I didn’t think home court would matter in this series, and nothing’s changed.

“We know we can win there, and they can win here. It’s really just a matter of who plays well.”