Posted Apr 04 2012 2:15AM
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash controlled the game when it mattered most, making big shots and finding open teammates in the fourth quarter with the game in doubt.
It's a trait the veteran All-Star point guard has exhibited throughout his NBA career, and he did it one more time Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Marcin Gortat had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Nash added 18 points and 12 assists and the Suns held off the Kings for a 109-100 victory.
It was a key win for Phoenix, which is trying to move up in the standings with 13 games remaining, including six of the next seven on the road.
The Suns won their second straight and third in four games to move over the .500 mark (27-26) for only the third time this season.
The Suns moved within 1 1/2 games of Houston for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff berth.
"We know every game is critical," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "You have to treat every game like a playoff game. This group understands that urgency."
It was Nash helping to push the lead to double digits in the fourth quarter when the Kings kept hanging around, hoping they could get a win on a night when they didn't play well.
Sacramento even had a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter that didn't last long.
After getting a rest for the first half of the fourth quarter, Nash entered the game with 6:25 remaining and was key in a 12-2 run that put Phoenix ahead 101-90.
He made a 3-pointer and followed with an off-balance shot in the lane. A basket by Channing Frye gave the Suns an 11-point lead with 4:05 remaining.
Nash had seven points and three assists in the fourth. Nash also got Phoenix back on track in the second quarter when it squandered much of its 17-point lead but managed to go into halftime ahead by eight, thanks in part to Nash.
"I wouldn't call it a good win, but it was one we needed," said Jared Dudley, who scored 15 points. "They kept making runs at us and twice Steve Nash had to step in and come to the rescue and bail us out."
The Suns won despite the play of DeMarcus Cousins. He scored a career-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of four. Cousins said Nash was the difference-maker.
"All the credit goes to Steve. He's an incredible player and he knows how to run his team. He sits on the sidelines, rests up a little bit, and then comes back in to (get) you. He doesn't take a lot of shots until the end of the game. He's a tough matchup."
Read the rest @ nba.com
No comments:
Post a Comment