Suns, Clippers clash before welcoming All-Star break

The All-Star break will be a welcome sight for both the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns following the teams' matchup Thursday in downtown Phoenix.

Attention-getting stretch drives are expected for both teams, who have not quite met internal expectations, although the Suns are much improvedafter a 1-9 stretch into the middle of January.

Phoenix's next step is to get the All-Star break behind them in order to see ne