Amare, Nash help Suns snap road skid
January 31, 2010
HOUSTON (AP)—The Phoenix Suns finally figured out how to win the kind of roadgame they’ve been losing lately.
Amare Stoudemire scored a season-high 36 points, Steve Nash(notes) handed out 16assists and the Suns snapped a five-game road losing streak with a 115-111overtime victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
Nash scored 11 points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds, and GrantHill(notes) added 19 points for the Suns, who got their first road win since a 113-109victory in Sacramento on Jan. 5. Their last road win before that came on Nov. 29in Toronto.
Phoenix Suns center Robin Lope… AP – Jan 31, 10:40 pm EST Houston Rockets guard Trevor A… AP – Jan 31, 10:31 pm EST
Houston Rockets coach Rick Ade… AP – Jan 31, 10:29 pm EST
Phoenix Suns center Robin Lope… AP – Jan 31, 10:25 pm EST
Phoenix Suns center Robin Lope… AP – Jan 31, 8:50 pm EST
Houston Rockets' Luis Scol… AP – Jan 31, 8:36 pm EST
Houston Rockets' Luis Scol… AP – Jan 31, 8:36 pm EST
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“A lot of things didn’t go our way, and we found a way to hang around andget it done,” Nash said. “On the road, the way we’ve lost a lot of games likethat this year, to have the toughness to continue and find different ways to winthe game was exciting.”
Aaron Brooks(notes) scored 24 points after shooting poorly in the first half andTrevor Ariza(notes) had 21 for the Rockets, who’ve lost five of their last eight games.
The Rockets shot 38 percent (40 of 106), but overcame poor shooting withstingy defense in the second half to make it close at the end.
Brooks hit a pull-up jumper with 1:18 left in regulation to cut the Suns’lead to 97-96. Nash was called for a technical foul, claiming Brooks pushed offbefore the shot. Brooks sank the resulting free throw to tie it, but Nash sank a3-pointer with 1:08 to go for a 100-97 Suns’ lead.
Ariza tied it with a 3-pointer from the corner with 11.3 seconds remaining.Nash fell as he threw up a last-second shot that came up short at the buzzer.
The Suns led by 18 early, and had blown leads of 15 points or more fivetimes this season. But Nash remained confident in this one, even after the gamewent to an extra period.
“I still felt like we could find a way to win,” Nash said. “We had a goodenergy about us and we were tough enough tonight to dig through it.”
Stoudemire fouled out with 3:08 left in the overtime and the scored tied at104. Jason Richardson(notes) finished a fast break with a layup, then scored again offa set play as the Suns took a 111-107 lead.
Brooks hit a free throw and Luis Scola(notes) scored in the lane to pull Houstonwithin one. Jared Dudley(notes) sank two free throws with 5.3 seconds left, and theSuns fouled Brooks before he could shoot a tying 3.
Brooks made the first free throw, then was called for a lane violation whenhe threw the ball off the rim and tried to get his own rebound. Nash hit twofree throws with 3.6 seconds left to clinch the victory.
“Everybody, from the second unit on down, showed great tenacity,”Stoudemire said. “We had to scrap for it, but we had enough professionalism topull it out in the end.”
The Rockets missed 14 of their first 16 shots and quickly trailed by 13.Chase Budinger’s(notes) driving layup with 4:24 left in the first quarter snappedHouston’s 6-minute scoring drought, but Richardson immediately dunked analley-oop pass from Hill for a 21-8 lead.
Phoenix stretched the lead to 56-38 in the second quarter, as Houston’sstarters continued to misfire. Brooks, coming off a 33-point game againstPortland on Friday, went 1 for 7 from the field in the first half. Scola andShane Battier(notes) both went 2 for 7.
“We shot the ball terrible in the first half,” Brooks said. “We shot theball terrible pretty much the whole game, but our defense is what allowed us tostay in the game.”
Phoenix led 60-48 at the break, and Stoudemire swished three jumpers fromthe top of the key early in the third quarter. From there, the Rockets tightenedtheir defense and mounted a 16-2 run. Brooks sank back-to-back 3-pointers to cutthe deficit to 68-67, and Scola tipped in Ariza’s miss to put the Rockets up byone.
Nash delivered five assists in the final three minutes of the third quarter,and Phoenix took a 79-73 lead to the fourth.
NOTES: Stoudemire has 16 double-doubles this season. … G Will Conroy(notes),recalled from the Rockets’ developmental league affiliate on Thursday, made hisHouston debut in the first quarter. Conroy replaced regular backup point guardKyle Lowry(notes), who’s out at least a week with a sprained left knee. … The Rocketswent 11 for 34 from 3-point range, a season high for attempts.
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