The Los Angeles Clippers clinched the third seed in the Western Conference with a 112-101 win over the Phoenix Suns in their final game of the regular season.
Blake Griffin ensured that the visitors made a strong start, making his first six shots in a row as the Clippers established a 26-point lead by half time.
The Suns were missing a string of players through injury, leaving them with just eight available for this game, but Archie Goodwin and Gerald Green tried to get the visitors back into the tie in the second half.
A three-pointer from Green helped reduce the gap to 10 points with three minutes still to play, but Jamal Crawford added a couple of late efforts to make sure Phoenix could not complete the comeback.
The win guarantees that the Clippers will finish at least third in the conference, but they can jump up to second if the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets lose later today.
The Clippers finish the regular season with a 56-26 record, while the Suns slip to 39-43.
Sian Cowper
