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NBA Playoffs 2012: Phoenix Suns Stake Claim To Postseason With Win Over Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers lost Thursday night in Phoenix, falling 93-90 to the Suns in a nationally televised game on TNT. That win for Phoenix put them into a tie with the Utah Jazz for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with three games remaining.

The Clippers still have a shot at the Pacific Division crown and the No. 3 seed, but they need five out of six things to go their way in the final three games for both the Clippers and Lakers. More likely, the Clippers seem destined for the No. 4 seed, where they would get home court advantage for the first time in franchise history.

Here are the Western Conference standings:

NBA Western Conference Standings
Seed Team W-L Pct GB Remaining Games
1 San Antonio
45-16 .738 --- 3 home / 2 road
2 Oklahoma City
45-17 .726 ½ 2 home / 2 road
3 Lakers 40-23 .635 6 1 home / 2 road
4 Clippers 39-24 .619 7 1 home / 2 road
5 Memphis 37-25 .597 3 home / 1 road
6 Dallas 35-28 .556 11 1 home / 2 road
7 Denver 34-28 .548 11½ 1 home / 3 road
8 Phoenix 33-30 .524 13 2 home / 1 road
8 Utah 33-30 .524 13 3 home / 0 road
10 Houston 32-31 .508 14 2 home / 1 road
Through games of April 19

Houston lost on the road in New Orleans, putting a damper on their playoff hopes. Phoenix holds the tiebreaker with Utah, but it looks like Tuesday's Suns vs. Jazz tilt in Salt Lake City. Here are the relevant games on Friday's schedule:

5:30 p.m. - Golden State at Dallas

6:30 p.m. - Los Angeles at San Antonio

7 p.m. - Oklahoma City at Sacramento

For more news and notes on Lakers basketball, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll. For all your Clippers information, be sure to read Clips Nation.