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    August 11, 2018 9:08 AM EEST

    BOSTON -- The Phoenix Suns needed help to snap a three-game losing streak that hurt their post-season prospects. They got it when the Boston Celtics had their worst shooting game of the season. The Suns still had to finish well and they did by scoring the last seven points for an 87-80 win Friday night that moved them one game behind Memphis for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot. "Our offence wasnt very good," Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek said. "Defence, when you arent shooting the ball well, can win you the game and I think it did tonight." The Suns scored just 58 points in the last three quarters. But the Celtics made a season-low 30.9 per cent of their shots and missed 65. Boston coach Brad Stevens was especially upset with his teams play after Jeff Greens two free throws for the Celtics made it 80-80 with 2:02 left, the fourth tie of the fourth quarter. "We didnt play with any poise," he said. "The last 40 seconds were awful." Alex Len started the decisive spurt with a three-point play on a tip-in and a free throw with 54.1 seconds left. The Suns (37-28) finished the scoring with a dunk by Markieff Morris and a layup by Goran Dragic, who led them with 20 points. Before the season people said "we were going to have 15, 16 wins," Dragic said. "We dont care if its pretty or ugly. We need to have those wins." Eric Bledsoe had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Morris added 15 points for Phoenix. Kris Humphries led the Celtics with 11 points, 13 rebounds and one thrown towel while on the bench when they collapsed in the final minute. "Hes upset because we lost and he certainly has got a right to be," Stevens said. "That was not a good ending. It was not a good performance." Chris Johnson also scored 11 for the Celtics, but threw a bad pass that was stolen by P.J. Tucker and led to the dunk by Morris with 23.1 seconds to play. The 7-foot-1 Len put the Suns ahead to stay after entering the game in the fourth quarter when Miles Plumlee went out after being poked in the eye. The rookie centre was averaging just 2.4 points and 9.1 minutes per game before Friday but finished with six points and three rebounds in nine minutes. "Obviously, the tip was huge," Hornacek said, "but I think (with) just his size in there, he does a nice job of sliding his feet and getting in a good position, making guys shoot over him." The Celtics lost for the 10th time in 13 games while shooting worse than their previous low for the season of 32.3 per cent in a 109-85 loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 19. They trailed 64-60 after the third quarter, but scored the first nine points of the fourth to take a 69-64 lead on Avery Bradleys layup. Then the Suns went back in front, 70-69 with six straight points, but the Celtics pulled ahead 78-75 with 3:17 remaining before the Suns tied it on Bledsoes three-point play. The Suns led by 10 in the first quarter and by 11 when they took a 38-27 lead with 8:34 left in the second quarter. Then a layup by Rajon Rondo began a 17-6 run by the Celtics that tied the game at 44 with 59 seconds remaining in the half. Two free throws by Channing Frye with 26 seconds to go put Phoenix on top 46-44 at intermission. Both teams went cold from the field in the third quarter. Boston made 4 of 20 shots and Phoenix hit 7 of 21. But the Celtics trailed by only four after Kelly Olynyk got an offensive rebound and sank a short jumper from the left baseline at the buzzer. Their fourth-quarter finish was much worse. "We kind of got a bit antsy there at the end," Olynyk said. "I think we kind of rushed a bit." NOTES: Bradley missed his previous 13 games with a right ankle injury. ... Bledsoe played his second game after missing 33 following knee surgery. ... The Suns scored just 17 points in the second quarter and 18 in the third. ... Former Celtic Gerald Green scored four points and has 12 in his last two games after averaging 26 in his previous five. Sam Dekker Jersey . scored 18 of his career- high 28 points in the first half, as fifth-ranked Ohio State dominated No. Brice Johnson Jersey . The hard-serving 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup in Montreal. http://www.clippersnbateamshop.com/Customized/. Jones took a beating, the worst one of his record reign, in a bout against Alexander Gustafsson that knocked the light heavyweight champion on the canvas for the first time in his career and put his belt in jeopardy. Louis Williams Jersey . Johnson shared an update after his surgery Tuesday on Twitter. He also wrote, "now lets get on the grind." The running back told The Tennessean he was having surgery in Pensacola, Fla. Patrick Beverley Jersey . Lauzon rushed for 42 yards on 15 carries for the Vert et Or (2-3) while quarterback Jeremi Roch completed 19-of-32 passes for 251 yards and one interception. Alexandre Aube scored the other touchdown for Sherbrooke.The Pittsburgh Penguins have taken control of their series with the New York Rangers, winning Game Four to push the Blueshirts to the brink. Notes on Crosby, Malkin, Nash and more. RANGERS REELING The Pittsburgh Penguins have been having their way with the New York Rangers and it continued in Game Four, with Pittsburgh winning 4-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Through the first four games of this series, the Penguins have controlled play to a surprising degree, considering that the Rangers were a superior possession team during the regular season. In 5-on-5 score close situations against the Rangers, the Penguins are getting 59.5% of the shot attempts against the Rangers. Its hard enough to get the better of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but if their team is dominating the puck, the hill gets awfully steep in a hurry. In Game Four, Crosby and Malkin, playing together, toyed with the Rangers, controlling better than 78% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. Crosby contributed a couple of assists and Malkin had a goal and an assist to increase his team-leading playoff point total to 12 points in 10 games. Malkin only had three shots on goal, but had 13 attempts (six missed the net, four blocked). LW Chris Kunitz and defencemen Kris Letang and Paul Martin were also over 70% in terms of shot attempts. With Penguins D Brooks Orpik leaving after only 5:15 of ice time, Martin (30:05 TOI) and Letang (27:56 TOI) both logged heavy minutes. The mirror image, for the Rangers, is that Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin (who scored the Rangers first goal) and Brad Richards were getting worked, all on for 25% or less of the shot attempts. The Rangers had LW Chris Kreider in the lineup for the first time since March 24.dddddddddddd. He played 15:24 and was one of two Rangers to at least break even on shot attempts. The other Ranger with better than 50% Corsi in the game was the much-maligned Rick Nash, who led the Rangers with four shots on goal (and six attempts) but, for the eighth straight game, he was held without a point and has been a target for boos from the MSG faithful. Thats not unreasoanble, Nash has one goal in 23 playoff games with the Rangers over the past two seasons, yet over the past two regular seasons, hes scored 47 goals in 109 games -- his 0.43 goals per game in that span ranks 13th, between Joe Pavelski and Marian Hossa. Expectations are higher and the fact that the Rangers are unable to score, managing five goals in four games against Marc-Andre Fleury (not exactly the paragon of playoff goaltending in recent seasons), only serves to highlight Nashs playoff drought. It should go without saying that Nash generating as many shots as he is (a playoff-leading 45, with zero goals!) makes it likely that he will resume scoring soon but, for the Rangers sake, with time running out, it may not be soon enough. Fatigue, and a compacted schedule have been commonly cited reasons for the Rangers poor play in this series. Whatever the excuse might be, they are left without wiggle room now. They need to win three straight against the Penguins or they will have plenty of time to rest very soon. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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