Suns Wins 13th in a Row Against the East
Monday, February 26, 2007; 3:01 AM
-- The Suns are perfect in the East, where the Nets and Heat are trying to keep playoff hopes alive despite losing records.
Amare Stoudemire scored a season-high 43 points and Phoenix won its 13th consecutive road game against the Eastern Conference by beating the Atlanta Hawks 115-106 Sunday night.
  Phoenix Suns center Amare Stoudemire (1) goes up against Atlanta Hawks forward Shelden Williams (33) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007, at Philips Arena in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith) (Gregory Smith - AP) |
The Suns have visits left to Indiana on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Wednesday as they try to become the first NBA team to sweep its interconference road schedule.
Stoudemire added 16 rebounds, three blocks and six assists. He made 15 of 17 free throws.
"I just took what the defense gives me," Stoudemire said. "There are some stretches when I don't score, other players do. And I have no problem with that. We're just trying to play team basketball."
New Jersey got 40 points from Vince Carter for the second time in three games and the Nets beat the Knicks 101-92. The win moved second-place New Jersey (27-30) two games ahead of New York in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings.
Shaquille O'Neal had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Miami held Cleveland to 36 percent shooting in an 86-81 win _ the Heat's first victory since Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder Wednesday. The Heat improved to 2-7 without Wade, the reigning NBA finals MVP who is still deciding whether to rehabilitate his shoulder or have season-ending surgery.
"We have to make every possession count now," O'Neal said. "There's really no room for mistakes now."
In other games Sunday, it was: Detroit 95, Chicago 93; Houston 97, Orlando 93; Minnesota 98, Washington 94; L.A. Lakers 102, Golden State 85; and Sacramento 110, Indiana 93.
Stoudemire scored 18 points in the first quarter and was the major reason six Atlanta players finished with four fouls.
"They were sending guys, two or three guys double-teaming me the whole night," Stoudemire said.
Shawn Marion scored 21 points and Leandro Barbosa added 19 for the Suns. Steve Nash had 14 points and 13 assists as he kept looking for Stoudemire, who made 14 of 25 shots from the field.
