HALL THAT TALK PUT ON HOLD `BATTLE OF L.A' IS NOT REALITY JUST YET.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE Staff Writer

Hold all that talk about a Lakers-Clippers Hallway Series at Staples Center. The Lakers have some major business to take care of in Phoenix first.

And the way the Suns have played the past two games, the Clippers might want to check out flight plans to the Valley of the Sun.

A 3-1 Lakers lead over the Suns in the first round of the playoffs has suddenly deteriorated into a 3-3 tie. Now, the Lakers have to go to Phoenix on Saturday for a seventh and deciding game.

The Suns made sure of that Thursday, unleashing a flurry of fast break dunks and three-point daggers at a stunned group of Lakers in a 126-118 overtime victory at Staples Center.

A Suns team that was reeling after the Lakers ripped their hearts out last Sunday in overtime victory bounced out of Staples Center on Thursday buoyed by the prospects of returning home for Game 7 in Phoenix.

"We just continue to believe in each other and continue to stick together," Steve Nash said. "That's the biggest thing we've done."

Added Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni : "The pressure's on both teams. We took the winds out of their sails a little bit, but they'll be back. It should be a great game."

The Suns will be joined at home by Raja Bell, who spent Thursday at the team hotel after being suspended for taking out Kobe Bryant on a drive to the basket in Game 5.

Bell will be a welcome addition, if only because he has shown the ability to at least slow Bryant down. Bryant, with room to operate without Bell hounding him all over the court, finished with 50 points Thursday.

But he was upstaged by a team effort from the Suns, who got 32 points from Nash, 22points from Leandro Barbosa, 20 points from Boris Diaw and 19 from Shawn Marion.

"We got big lifts from everybody," Nash said.

It was the type of balanced, fastbreak game the Lakers had feared from the Suns all series, but up until Thursday managed to avoid.

But the Suns played loose and lively all night, illustrated by the series-high 126 points they scored.

"We played a little bit looser," D'Antoni said. "We were able to knock down some shots we normally made during the regular season. We've played that way now the last three games. It's just that we didn't play too well those first three games."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson agreed.

"They definitely got things going, and now they've got some momentum," Jackson said.

Barbosa was inserted into the starting line up to replace Bell, drawing the unenviable task of guarding Bryant. It wasn't an easy task - Barbosa gave up three inches and 30 pounds to Bryant and it showed, as Bryant was able to overpower enough times to generate a series-high 50 points.

But Barbosa hardly played scared.

"He gave us speed and toughness," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He played a great game."

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Lamar Odom and the Lakers must win Saturday in Phoenix to make the ``Hallway Series'' reality.

Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer