BOSTON -- The Phoenix Suns needed help to snap a three-game losing streak that hurt their post-season prospects. John Kuhn Jersey . 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. Packers Jersey . The team says Paul is day to day and is questionable for Mondays game against New Jersey. Paul is averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 37.3 minutes in nine games for the Clippers, who beat Miami and the Lakers in their last two games. Nick Perry Jersey . -- Having played six seasons with the Kings, Kevin Martin is very comfortable at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.VAL DISERE, France - World Cup leader Tina Wierather of Liechtenstein protected her lead from the first run to win the first giant slalom race of her career on Sunday, her second victory of the season and third of her fast-improving career. "Today was a very great day for me. It was always my dream to be good in GS," Wierather said. "I took quite a long time to get there. It feels awesome to have my first win (in GS)." Wierather leads overall with 595 points from Lara Gut (568), who finished second, and Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany (535). "Its cool to have the chance to fight for it. Its the first time Ive been so consistent. But its only December so Im not thinking about that," Wierather said. "Its just that Ive been healthy for some years now and I could improve a little bit every summer. I feel very strong and feel ready for more than just downhill, but also super-G and GS." Julia Mancuso of the United States did not finish the second run. After winning a super-G race at St. Moritz last weekend, the 24-year-old Wierather secured her third career win and 13th podium finish with an overall time of 2 minutes, 24.10 seconds. "Its a process of many years. I tried to improve my technique, my physical performance. Its like a big puzzle and at the moment it looks like it is working," Wierather said. "I used to play tennis until I was 12. I never liked this battle. In skiing its you against the hill and you see the time. You just fight the hill and not the other girls. Thats what I like about ski racing." Wierather was 0.75 seconds clear of Gut, who was third after the first run, and 0.95 ahead of Swedens Maria Pietilae-Holmner, who had been second. Italian Federica Brignone was fourth, ahead of the former World Cup winner Hoefl-Riesch. Gut has four World Cup wins this season, and five podiums, but had failed to finish the last two GS races. "Its always fun to be on the podium and to make points," the 22-year-old said. "But I was skiing good even in Beaver Creek and St. Moritz before going off course." Pietilae-Holmner, the GS runner-up at the 2007 worlds, securedd her first World Cup podium in GS. Aaron Rodgers Jersey. "Its a perfect Christmas present," the 27-year-old said. "I had two seasons with both knee injury and shoulder injury. Im back without injury so I can put the energy in the right things." World slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin was eighth, improving from her 12th-place finish in slalom at Courchevel on Tuesday. The previous weekend, the 18-year-old had failed to finish another GS in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz. "I was really tired coming from the U.S. to here (Europe). I had to rethink how I was doing things, getting my recoveries and stuff," Shiffrin said. "Before this race I actually got some rest and I felt a lot better today, which means that I just have to ski faster. Im happy with the top 10." She thought that she could have done better, however, with more preparation. "I think the first run was a little bit straighter than I thought it would be from looking at it on inspection. Its a lesson for next time," she said. "I have to be able to see its a little straighter so I can go, because some of the other girls hammered it and they were really fast, and thats where I lost some time." Defending overall champion Tina Maze, who was second in Saturdays downhill, improved in her second run to finish 11th. The Slovenian is still looking for her first win of the season and says she feels mentally tired. "Maybe its the result of the progam I have. Since St. Moritz every day Im in ski boots, skiing and training and its tough to be in shape every day and to concentrate 100 per cent," she said. "I really need two days break now, just to relax a little bit. I think its pretty tiring when youre going up and down and fighting every day to be positive." The 30-year-old Maze looked set for a competitive time but almost fell on her first run. "I was skiing really good so Im excited about my skiing, but with that mistake it was just too hard to come in front and be relaxed in the second run," she said. "I was attacking too much and on this snow when you push too much its not a good idea." cheap jerseys ' ' '
