Clippers’ dry spell extends to desert

PHOENIX -- Same teams. Same result. Different venue, with the Clippers traveling for this toppling -- Staples Center jeers recast into US Airways Center cheers.

A loss is a loss and the Clippers were dealt their sixth in a row Friday night, a 94-88 defeat to the Phoenix Suns, who swept the back-to-back, home-and-home series.

But the Clippers, a depleted team looking for any encouraging sign through the fog of defeats, could take away some positives after hanging with the Pacific Division leaders much of the evening.

For one, they at least forced Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire to play in the fourth quarter, unlike in Thursday’s 108-88 Suns victory in Los Angeles.

And Sam Cassell returned to the lineup for the first time in 15 games since straining his calf Nov. 26, pumping the offense with 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes.

“We are just trying to find a way,” Cassell said. “It’s just difficult right now for us. The effort was definitely there though. This game went down to the wire.”

The Clippers (9-19), who have lost all three meetings with the Suns this season, have only one more game against them, on Jan. 15. That means they will go the entire regular season without the injured Elton Brand available to suit up for any game against Phoenix.

“In the past, he’s been the guy we can go to as the focal point of our attack against them,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He’s been able to deliver points and plays.”

The Clippers erased a 14-point second-quarter deficit, even leading briefly in the third quarter. But the Suns (21-9) made their last three shots in the final 1:22 to surge ahead.

A night after scoring 30 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, Stoudemire haunted the Clippers again, with a game-high 28 points on 12-for-15 shooting. Nash had 10 points and 10 assists. Grant Hill had 22 points for the Suns, who shot 48.1% but missed 10 of 23 free throws.

Clippers center Chris Kaman resumed his double-double trek with 22 points and 20 rebounds but missed 13 of 22 shots. The Clippers shot only 34.7% -- Corey Maggette was three for 17 -- but outrebounded the Suns, 56-45, and 16-6 at the offensive end.

“He’s got a lot of confidence and he is an excellent player,” Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni said of Kaman. “But I kind of look at it globally. It is a team game and if we keep somebody shooting 35%, we should win.”

Phoenix scored 18 fastbreak points to the Clippers’ two and blocked a season-high 16 shots.

“They are a tough team to play,” Kaman said. “They try to run you into the ground and tire you out. . . . We played a lot better than we did [Thursday], but still, it’s never fun to lose a game.”

In an unfavorable pregame ritual, Cassell and Cuttino Mobley received treatment side-by-side on the trainer’s table. After they jumped off, Maggette and Quinton Ross took their place.

Dunleavy sought new ways to manage his mangled rotation. At one point in the second quarter, Cassell, Brevin Knight, Mobley and Richie Frahm shared the court with forward Josh Powell -- a lineup with two point guards and two shooting guards.

“We are short-handed,” Cassell said. “We’ve got guys playing out of position. We had Corey Maggette playing power forward. Sometimes, I was playing small forward.”

They have two days off before playing host to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who, like the Clippers, have been a cure to a lot of teams’ ailments this season.

The game also kicks off a six-game homestand, one of the longest this season for the Clippers, who are only 4-9 at home.

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jonathan.abrams@latimes.com