Suns burn Nets for 5th straight home victory
PHOENIX, Arizona: Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points to earn the Phoenix Suns a 116-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday, their fifth successive home win.
The loss was the 14th successive for New Jersey in Arizona. The Nets have not won in Phoenix since 1993.
All five Phoenix starters finished in double figures with Shawn Marion collecting 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with five steals in the NBA's only game of the day.
"We did what we needed to do tonight and we played some great defense tonight," said Marion.
"We rebounded, and most of the time when we out-rebound a team that means either we're bigger than them or they aren't that big. "
Boris Diaw added 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists with Steve Nash contributing 13 points and nine assists.
Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 24 points.
Phoenix raced to a 35-20 first-quarter lead behind seven points each from Stoudemire and Nash and never trailed. The margin reached 18 in the second quarter.
Stoudemire, who was 11 of 16 from the floor, scored 10 successive Phoenix points in the third period.
That gave the Suns a comfortable 73-58 lead after the Nets had pulled to within nine at 65-56 on Jason Kidd's jumper.
Agencies
(China Daily 01/22/2008 page24)
