Player-coach rift dogs Suns, who face Clippers next

(Photo credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images)
The Phoenix Suns have won seven of their last nine games as they enter Monday night's home contest against the Los Angeles Clippers, who are on a roll themselves as winners of six of their past eight.

Belying the Suns' surge, however, is a rift between former starting center Jusuf Nurkic and coach Mike Budenholzer.

After Saturday night's win over the Washington Wizards, Nurkic cla