Suns Dominate in Wolves’ Den
Phoenix finish road-trip undefeated
Suns-115
Timberwolves-82
Suns Boxscore |
Timberwolves Boxscore
McCarty scored 8 points off the bench for the Suns against the TWolves
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 2 (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Suns saved their best for last to finish up a wildly successful six-game road trip. Amaré Stoudemire led five players in double figures with 28 points and 15 rebounds as the Suns used a dominant third quarter to roll to a 115-82 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Phoenix went a perfect 6-0 on its season-high road trip, averaging a remarkable 110.6 points in the six wins. The Suns handed Minnesota its fourth-worst home loss in franchise history. The Timberwolves had one of their lowest-scoring performances this season, only scoring 82 points in the game.
"The Wolves are a good team," Phoenix swingman Quentin Richardson said. "But I don't care who you're playing, 6-0 is the best road series you can get. We got some good roadkill on this trip. We got some bucks, a wolf, a raptor. We even got a bear too,” Richardson laughing. Stoudemire dominated the second quarter with 14 points, helping the Suns keep their head above water with a 62-58 halftime lead. When the Timberwolves collapsed inside in the second half, Stoudemire's sharpshooting teammates took over. Shawn Marion scored 11 points in the third quarter, hitting two of Phoenix's six 3-pointers in the period. Walter McCarty and Jim Jackson had two 3-pointers apiece, with Jackson hitting back-to-back from long range late in the quarter to give the Suns their largest lead of the game.
"We were up 40 and we could have been up 50 if we kept playing hard through the rest of the 3rd, but we rested a little during the end of the quarter,” Stoudemire said. Phoenix emptied its bench for the final period and managed to outscore the Timberwolves 29-16 in the quarter, long after the game had been decided. "This was a fun game," Richardson said. "Everybody was playing great D, especially on their guards.” We were making shots and making plays." It was less fun for the Timberwolves, whose starters were outscored, 92-63. "Tonight there was one team that was playing loose and making plays and one that was just out there," Minnesota guard Troy Hudson said. "You can't do that against a team like Phoenix. They thrive when they play fast and loose and they're too good to let them play their game."
Marion scored 23 points, Nash added 22 and 12 assists and Richardson and Jackson scored 10 points apiece for Phoenix, which returns home to face New York on Saturday. The Timberwolves trailed 49-39 in the second quarter when guard Sam Cassell left the game holding his left arm. He did not return and his team was unable to rally without him. "We wanted to run at (Garnett) and get the ball out of his hands," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "His energy is crucial for the Wolves. We know that if we make others shoot, they're going to have to hit a lot of jumpers to beat us, because we know we're going to score a lot of points." Garnett has scored a combined 66 points in the three games against the Suns this season. "It felt like high school out there tonight," said Garnett, who grabbed 8 rebounds. "I haven't been triple-teamed that many times since then. But it's my job to fight through and still lead the team. We'll get it turned around; we're still a confident team."
Game Photos
Sprewell picking the ball away from Johnson
Spree had a rough night from the field shooting 4-10
Nash going behind his back past Olowokandi
Marion dunking on Szczerbiak with one hand
Garnett fronting Stoudemrie in the post
McCarty contesting Garnett's fadeaway jumper