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Laker's playoff hopes dashed
When the postseason starts, the Los Angeles Lakers' season will be over. Quentin Richardson led Phoenix's record-setting 3-point barrage with seven, and the Suns knocked the defending Western Conference champions out of the playoffs for the first time in 11 years with a 125-99 victory Tuesday night.
The Lakers, who lost for the 12th time in 13 games, had only a thin shot at reaching the postseason anyway, something coach Frank Hamblen acknowledged by resting Kobe Bryant's injured right leg.
Richardson had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Suns won their sixth straight.
Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points and Shawn Marion had 22 and 12 rebounds. Marion and Leandro Barbosa, who scored 14 points, made four 3-pointers each as Phoenix set a franchise record with 17 from beyond the arc.
Bryant, who missed his first start since he was activated from the injured list Feb. 13 after sitting out 14 games with a sprained right ankle, had triple-doubles in two previous games against Phoenix, forcing the Suns to rally for both victories.
The Lakers' couldn't afford another loss when Denver beat Memphis 94-91 earlier Tuesday night. The Suns completed the elimination and sent Los Angeles into the draft lottery for the first time since 1993-94 and only the second time ever.
The Lakers' only lead against the Suns came on a jumper by Caron Butler in the opening seconds.
The score was tied four times after that before the Suns pulled away to increasingly larger leads.
Butler had 30 points for the Lakers, with Chucky Atkins scoring 14 and Devean George 12.
Richardson made five 3-pointers in the first 5:44 of the second quarter, tying a franchise high with six in one half and sending the Suns to a 54-40 lead.
The game got even more out of hand in the third when Richardson capped a 9-3 spurt with his final 3-pointer. It boosted Phoenix to a 79-62 lead with 10:01 to go.
Atkins had two layups and two free throws in 2 minutes to get the Lakers within 90-80 with 2:57 left in the third, but that only started a 12-5 surge by Phoenix that Barbosa capped with two 3-pointers in the final 1:02.
Reserves played much of the fourth quarter, preventing Phoenix point guard Steve Nash from matching John Stockton for the longest streak of double-digit assist games in the last decade. Nash had eight points and nine assists in 24 minutes, ending his career-best run of 14 straight games with at least 10 assists.
Stuntman Evel Knievel got a big hand between the first and second quarters when he helped the Suns mascot put on a helmet for a motorcycle jump — over three mini-vehicles. ... Before the game, Fox color commentator Dan Majerle won $100 from Suns owner Robert Sarver by sinking a spur-of-the-moment 25-footer with no warmup. ... Lakers C Vlade Divac was activated from the injured list, replacing C Chris Mihm (sprained ankle) on the roster, but George started for Mihm. ... Los Angeles is 6-9 this season without Bryant. ... The Lakers lost their ninth in a row on the road.
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