PHOENIX (AP) -- There was no jubilation in the Houston Rockets'

locker room after their playoff-clinching 98-97 victory over the

Phoenix Suns on Saturday night -- not after almost blowing a

16-point fourth-quarter lead.

"We've got to play better, man, we've got to play better,"

said Tracy McGrady, who scored 34 points. "Once they put that

pressure on us, we kind of folded a little bit, and thank God we

had a cushion."

The Suns, down by 16 with 10:41 to go, had a chance to win it at

the finish but Steve Nash missed an 18-footer, and Steven Hunter's

attempt to slam home the rebound bounced out.

"I don't understand it," Hunter said. "Nine times out of 10,

that dunk falls."

Houston committed two 24-second shot-clock violations in the

final 58 seconds, and Bob Sura missed two free throws with 7.8

seconds to go to give Phoenix a chance for a victory.

"We didn't stop them," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said.

"They played last night. We're humble enough, at least I am, to

understand every time you win you don't have to beat your chest

like you're a resident genius. We were fortunate to win."

The Suns, who lost at Golden State on Friday night, have a

losing streak beyond one game for just the third time all season.

With San Antonio's victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix

is just one game ahead of San Antonio and Miami for the best record

in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said poor play in the second and

third quarters made the difference.

"We have a bit of habit, being young, just kind of taking it

for granted that we're good," D'Antoni said. "I know it's human

nature, but they need to gear it up now because we just can't go

into the playoffs like this."

Amare Stoudemire had 32 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns but

fouled out with 2:01 to play. The Suns went flat after shooting out

to a 24-10 lead.

"We've got to stop being comfortable with the lead,"

Stoudemire said. "We've got to bring our 'A' game and play hard

from the jump ball to the end. That's what we've got to do in order

to win a championship. We've got to think like champions and play

like champions."

Dikembe Mutombo, playing 23 minutes with Yao Ming in foul

trouble, had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who stayed

a half-game ahead of Denver for the No. 6 spot in the West. Houston

is a game behind Sacramento for the No. 5 spot with six to play.

Sura scored 13 and Yao 10.

Nash had 19 points but just five assists. Shawn Marion scored 20

and Joe Johnson 16 for the Suns.

Quentin Richardson was 0-for-7 shooting and didn't score. He was

0-for-5 on 3-pointers. Overall, Phoenix made just 8 of 31 from

behind the arc.

Trailing 83-67 with 10:41 left, the Suns went on a 12-1 run to

cut it to 84-79 when Stoudemire drew Yao's fifth foul and sank two

free throws with 7:21 to go. During the surge, Stoudemire blocked

Mutombo's rebound try from behind and Yao's inside shot.

Houston stretched the lead back to 93-83 on two free throws

apiece by McGrady and Mike James with 4:55 to play, then Phoenix

made it 95-91 on Stoudemire's rebound of his own miss with 2:12

remaining. After Stoudemire fouled out, McGrady missed one of two

free throws, and Marion's 15-footer from the baseline cut the lead

to 98-95 1:22 from the end.

Twice Sura found the ball in his hands as the shot clock wound

down. He couldn't find the rim either time.

Sura joked that McGrady is supposed to be the one who has

possession at the finish.

"I don't get paid enough to take shots like that," Sura said.

"He does."

After Houston's second shot-clock violation, Hunter's dunk cut

the lead to 98-97 with 14 seconds remaining. Nash had to chase Sura

down the court to foul him with 7.8 seconds to play. Marion

rebounded Sura's second missed free throw and called a 20-second

time out to set up the last play.

Nash's shot was short, and a wide-open Hunter missed the dunk.

McGrady said he could care less about clinching the playoff

berth.

"We still have six more games left. That's the only thing I'm

focused on, and trying to move up this ladder," he said. "I don't

care about clinching anything."

McGrady scored 11 in a 19-4 outburst that put Houston ahead

70-59 with 2:40 to play in the third quarter. Sura's wide-open

3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer gave Houston a 78-64 lead

entering the fourth.

David Wesley's 3-pointer gave the Rockets their biggest lead,

83-67, 10:41 from the finish.<

^Notes: The visiting team won all four games of the season series.

... The Suns had shot 42 percent from 3-point range in the previous

nine games. ... Houston improved to 9-9 against the five teams

ahead of them in the Western Conference. ... Mutombo reached double

figures in rebounds for the eighth time this season and second game

in a row.