Stoudemire, Suns nip Spurs

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 10, 2005 by Associated Press

PHOENIX -- Amare Stoudemire scored 44 points and the Phoenix Suns beat San Antonio 107-101 Wednesday night for their first win over the Spurs this season.

The Spurs played without injured All-Stars Tim Duncan (ankle) and Manu Ginobili (groin), so it was no preview of a possible playoff meeting between teams battling for the NBA's best record.

But it was satisfying to the Suns, who snapped their longest current losing streak to one team.

Since beating Phoenix in a playoff game on April 27, 2003, the Spurs had won six consecutive regular-season games and two playoff contest against the Suns.

The coveted victory wasn't locked up until Stoudemire dunked for a 105-98 lead with 1:19 to go on a play that began with Steve Nash missing a short jumper. Stoudemire had 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Shawn Marion deflected the ball to Joe Johnson, who shoveled it to Stoudemire underneath.

Marion had 18 points and 17 rebounds and Nash had 11 points and 15 assists. Leandro Barbosa scored 15 points off the bench and Johnson finished with 12.The Suns earned their fourth straight win and snapped San Antonio's five-game winning streak, despite a season- high 30 points from Tony Parker.

Duncan, who turned his right ankle Sunday, played 30 minutes Tuesday against New Jersey but decided to rest it on the second half of a back-to-back. Ginobili, who scored a career-high 48 points in San Antonio's come-from-behind 128-123 overtime win in Phoenix on Jan. 21, did not dress.

This time, Phoenix barely had a lead to protect after Parker's buzzer-beating jumper cut their lead to 83-80.

Barbosa made a 3-pointer and Stoudemire had a three-point play in the first minute of the fourth, but Stoudemire also picked up his fifth foul with 9:34 left and sat out more than 4 minutes.

The Spurs crept within 91-90 on a driving layup by Mike Wilks with 7:08 remaining.

But Marion dunked and made a layup and Steven Hunter dunked on a give-and-go with Marion in the next 1:08, opening a 97-92 lead. Stoudemire scored the Suns' last 10 points on three dunks and four free throws.

The Spurs, down 54-44 at halftime, roared back behind Parker, who had 10 points halfway through the third quarter. Bruce Bowen capped a 22-12 run with a free throw that tied it at 66 with 5:16 left.

Stoudemire had two quick baskets and Barbosa scored in transition as the Suns went ahead 74-66, but San Antonio battled back.

Stoudemire thrived without Duncan in the paint, scoring 11 of Phoenix's first 15 points on three backboard-rocking dunks, a layup and three foul shots.

But, after the Suns went up 40-26 on a runner by Nash early in the second, the Spurs went on a 14-6 run in the next 7:14.

Marion took over late in the first half, scoring on an alley- oop, stealing a pass and dunking again for a 52-42 lead with 1:25 to go.

CELTICS 95, HAWKS 91: At Boston, Antoine Walker stole the ball from Al Harrington with 35 seconds left and fed Ricky Davis for the clinching basket Wednesday night as Boston withstood the unusually feisty Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks, who have the worst record in the NBA and just two road wins in 32 tries, led for the first 42 minutes and didn't trail until Paul Pierce hit a fallaway jumper with 3:53 left. Pierce finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, making 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to ice the game.

Walker had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who are 5- 1 since getting him from Atlanta at the trading deadline. Davis scored 21 for the Atlantic Division-leading Celtics.

Harrington scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, Obinna Ekezie had 10 and 10 and Tyronn Lue scored 25 for the Hawks.

RAPTORS 106, MAGIC 96: At Toronto, Chris Bosh had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and six other Toronto players reached double figures in scoring.

Orlando rookie Dwight Howard had 17 points and tied a season- high with 20 rebounds for the Magic, who have lost two straight following a three-game wining streak. Morris Peterson and Rafer Alston each had a team-high 16 points for the Raptors, who are fighting to stay in the playoff race Orlando's Steve Francis scored 27 points and Hedo Turkoglu added 21. Turkoglo started in place Grant Hill, who missed his second straight game because of an injured left shin.

Former Jazzman Donyell Marshall and Matt Bonner each added 14 points, and Jalen Rose and former Cougar Rafael Araujo had 13 apiece.

PISTONS 92, WARRIORS 88: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess scored 20 points each as the Detroit Pistons snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Pistons lost the final three games of a six-game West Coast trip, but were able to beat Golden State to extend their season- best home win streak to eight. Baron Davis tied the game at 88 with a 3-pointer with 1:48 to go, but after both teams missed on their next possessions, Rasheed Wallace's jumper put Detroit up two with 44.2 seconds left. Former Michigan State star Jason Richardson was fouled 6 seconds later, but missed both free throws, and Prince put the game away with a driving layup at the other end.