Clippers’ Third-Period Surge Sinks Suns : Nixon, Johnson Help L.A. Snap Losing String on Road, 107-96

PHOENIX — Clipper Coach Don Chaney still had the flu, but he finally had something to smile about.

Norm Nixon scored 19 points, and Marques Johnson got 9 of his 18 points during a decisive third quarter Friday night as Los Angeles beat the Phoenix Suns, 107-96, for their first road win in the last 10 games.

“I just never know how we’re going to play. It’s inconsistency that drives a coach up the wall,” said Chaney, who missed the team flight here Thursday night because of illness. “Our only motivation these days is to go right at their pride. I would like to finish this season as strong as possible and hope there is some carryover to next year.”

The score was tied 20 times before a three-point play by rookie Benoit Benjamin put the Clippers ahead to stay at 73-72 with 6:08 left in the third period.

Benjamin had five points and Johnson three in a 17-4 run to give Los Angeles an 85-77 lead entering the final quarter, in which the Clippers led by as many as 14.

“Benoit played terrific,” Chaney said. “It’s been like raising a kid with him. I’ve yelled and screamed. I’ve tried sensitivity, videotape, and he’s finally turned it around. All of a sudden, he’s a different guy. I’m hoping next year he’ll be a great player.”

Benjamin finished with 18 points, while Cedric Maxwell added 14 and Franklin Edwards 10 for the Clippers, who limited Phoenix to a season-low 34 points in the second half.

“L.A. controlled the ball in the second half; they played conservatively and they took control,” Sun Coach John MacLeod said. “We had a number of chances to get back in it, but our shots wouldn’t go down. Their play seemed to throw us off stride. They pressured us a little bit and created problems for us with their halfcourt trap. But we have no excuses. They just outplayed us.”

Phoenix was paced by Walter Davis’ game-high 26 points. Alvan Adams added 19, Jay Humphries 12 and rookie Ed Pinckney 11.

The Suns had turned a 30-30 tie after the first period into a 62-58 halftime lead behind Bernard Thompson’s nine second-quarter points.

“We’ve had over 60 points almost every half recently,” Adams said. “Of the 34 we had here in the second half, I think we had 25 of them in the first 20 minutes. We were really cold offensively out there.”