However, the Phoenix faithful showered Nash with plenty of appreciation during a first-quarter timeout, as the video screen showed a highlight reel from the two-time MVP’s eight seasons with the Suns, while Diddy’s “Coming Home” blasted over the loudspeakers.

Canadian flags waved, homemade “We Love Steve” signs were held up and the majority of U.S. Airways Center gave Nash a standing ovation after taking in a video that showed off the point guard throwing alley-oop passes, swishing 3-pointers with ease and sporting a variety of haircuts.

“It was a great reception; obviously this is a very special place for me,” Nash said after finishing with 11 points and two assists in the Lakers’ 92-86 loss to the Suns. “To be in front of these incredible fans — I’m very grateful for the reception but also for my time here, which was the best years of my life.”

After seeing the Suns’ video tribute, Nash said, “Very flattering and very sweet of the organization. It was very kind of them.”

Nash was drafted by the Suns with the 15th overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first two seasons in Phoenix before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He had a big game the last time he returned to Phoenix as a visitor, racking up nine points and 14 assists on April 3, 2004, as a member of the Mavs. The Suns signed him as a free agent in 2004 and he went on to win two MVP awards.

“I really want our team to try to get a win and continue to improve,” Nash said before the game when asked if he wanted to have an impactful performance in his return Wednesday. “It has been a really up-and-down season, obviously. I hope a little bit of momentum can keep us going.”

Nash, who turns 39 in February, said he had planned to retire with the Suns before the offseason unfolded.

“I thought that’s the way it was going. I thought I would retire in Phoenix. But it’s a difficult business to make any sort of predictions like that,” Nash said. “It just became apparent in the last couple months before free agency that that wouldn’t be a home run, and that’s when other options started to become a reality. … It just felt like they wanted to perhaps go in a new direction.”

It was also a homecoming of sorts for Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni, who was with Nash in Phoenix from 2003-08, taking the team to two Western Conference finals.

“Sometimes you have a bunch of guys that you think everywhere should be like this and you take it for granted how they clicked and how good it was and how much fun it was to watch them every day,” D’Antoni said. “You kind of take it for granted after a while.

“You’re chasing the championship, you’re chasing this and you forget what we had was good and sometimes you should take care of it a little bit better. I probably didn’t do that.”

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Kobe Bryant scored 38 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost for the second time this season to their Staples Center co-tenants.

Bryant carried the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they closed to 99-97 on his 23-foot jumper with 1:29 left. But Paul scored the Clippers’ final eight points to seal the victory and drop the Lakers two games below .500. The Clippers lead the Lakers by 10 games in the standings.

The Lakers continue to struggle under new coach Mike D’Antoni. They’ve lost three of their last four games.

The Clippers shot 50 percent and outscored the Lakers 52-36 in the paint.

Bryant scored 16 points in the fourth, when the Lakers rallied from 19 points down. The Clippers fouled for much of the final 5:51, and the Lakers made 10 of 12 free throws. Howard missed two foul shots but then made two to get the Lakers within four before Bryant’s jumper got the Lakers the closest they had been since early in the game.

But Paul closed with a flourish, including a 6-for-6 stretch at the line, while Bryant’s 3-pointer went in and out with 43 seconds to go.

The Lakers got within three early in the third only to have the Clippers push their lead to 10 points. It was a similar situation in the second, when the Lakers got within five points on Bryant’s 3-pointer before the Clippers ran their lead back to 10 points by halftime.

The first three quarters were punctuated with several highlight dunks from both sides. Paul fed DeAndre Jordan and Griffin on alley-oop slams that had the sellout crowd of 20,179 roaring.

The Clippers had dropped two consecutive road games earlier in the week, when their 17-game winning streak was snapped.

Jodie Meeks scored 14 points for the Lakers and fellow reserve Jordan Hill had 13 before he sprained his right ankle early in the fourth.

Game notes

Clippers F Jamal Crawford missed the game with a sore left foot that he hurt in Denver. … Clippers G Chauncey Billups will start working out Saturday after being out most of the season recovering from surgery. … Clippers F Grant Hill is expected to return next week after missing all season because of surgery.

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