Ellis' hot streak helps Warriors down Suns
SAN FRANCISCO: Monta Ellis scored 15 consecutive points for the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter to end the Phoenix Suns' eight-game winning streak with a 129-114 victory on Monday.
Ellis finished the game with 31 points and the hot-shooting Warriors got a season-high 32 points from Stephen Jackson for the home win in Oakland.
Baron Davis added 28 points and 10 assists for Golden State. Steve Nash led the Suns with 23 points and 13 assists and Shawn Marion added 10 points and 14 rebounds.
The Warriors shot 65.5 percent from the field in the first quarter, scoring 45 points to take an eight-point lead over the Suns.
"It (the 45-point quarter) kind of put us on our heels," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters. "We just couldn't catch up with the turnovers. Every time we turned it over, they seemed to hit a three. It just took the wind out of our sails."
Phoenix used an 8-2 run to end the third quarter to pull within 103-92 of Golden State.
The Suns narrowed the lead to nine with 10:14 to go in the game but then gave up nine consecutive points as Ellis began his streak.
In other games, the Sacramento Kings ended the San Antonio Spurs' five-game winning streak with a 112-99 home win. Beno Udrih had a career-best 27 points.
Caron Butler scored 35 points and Antawn Jamison 27 as the Washington Wizards handed the Dallas Mavericks their first home loss of the season, a 110-98 setback. Dirk Nowitzki had 31 points for Dallas.
Stephon Marbury had a season-best 28 points when the New York Knicks ended the Utah Jazz's three-game winning streak with a 113-109 home victory. Zach Randolph contributed 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks. Carlos Boozer paced Utah with 30 points.
Tracy McGrady had 36 points, 19 of them in the fourth quarter, to power the Houston Rockets to an 88-71 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Yao Ming added 14 points and eight rebounds .
Agencies
(China Daily 11/28/2007 page24)
