The Los Angeles Clippers have beaten the Phoenix Suns 114-107 to level the Western Conference playoff series at 2-2, while the Miami Heat defeated the New Jersey Nets 102-92 to give them a 3-1 Eastern Conference lead.

Sam Cassell starred in the Clippers' victory showing no ill-effects from a troublesome ankle, eventually finishing the match with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. He also hit a clutch 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining to hold off a fast-finishing Suns outfit.

The Clippers led by 13 points with 6 minutes left, but the Suns rallied behind their traditional run-and-gun style of play to draw the match back to 106-105 with 1min 12sec still left on the clock, before Cassell’s shot from behind the arc put the result beyond doubt.

The Clippers superior 55-37 rebounding count was the key to their success as was their ability to successfully shut down the NBA’s MVP, Steve Nash, who had a quit night by his standards finishing with only eight points and 11 assists.

The nets home-loss means they now have to beat the Heat in Miami over the next two matches to keep their title hopes alive.

For the Heat, Dwayne Wade scored 31 points, while Antoine Walker played his best game of the series to finish with 20 points. Shaquille O’Neal chipped in with 16 points.

Vince Carter’s 26 points and Jason Kidd’s outstanding triple-double (17 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) were not enough to save the Nets, who pushed the Heat all the way but never actually led at any point during the game.