Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Two-time MVP Steve Nash doesn't expect the back spasms that forced him out of the Suns' game last night in Oklahoma City to be a long-term problem.
Nash, 34, played nine minutes before his bad back flared up and he had to leave the Suns' 110-102 win against the Thunder.
"The negative is that I didn't get to contribute, but the positive is I didn't have one incident that jarred it and it was a huge reaction that could keep me out for an extended period of time," Nash said.
Leandro Barbosa replaced Nash and finished with 10 points and a career-high six steals. Third-stringer Dee Brown, who began the season with the Wizards and signed with the Suns as a free agent on Wednesday, got his first playing time and hit a three-pointer, made an assist and committed three fouls in 13 minutes.
· PISTONS: G Allen Iverson grinned as he looked at the box score after Detroit stopped Orlando's seven-game winning streak.
"I'm not used to seeing myself with 15 points and knowing that I had a good game," he said. "Before, even if I only had 20 points, I didn't think I was doing my job."
Iverson was Detroit's fourth-leading scorer on a night when no Pistons player reached 20.
"This is a different feeling, but I like it a lot," he said. "I've won four scoring titles and I've scored 23,000 points, so I've done a lot of big things when it comes to scoring the basketball, but now I've got different goals."
The Pistons have now won four in a row, the last two without G Richard Hamilton (groin).
Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 19 points, while Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace each added 16. Antonio McDyess came off the bench with 11 points and eight rebounds despite a fourth-quarter rib injury.
· CLIPPERS: G/F Ricky Davis was suspended five games for violating terms of the NBA's drug program.
The suspension will begin tonight against the Kings. Davis will be eligible to return Jan. 8 against the Spurs in San Antonio.
Davis, who has been sidelined with a sore left knee, is averaging 4.3 points in 13 games in his first season with the Clippers.
Davis, 29, signed as an unrestricted free agent after averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 82 games for the Heat last season.
· NETS: New Jersey assigned 2007 first-round draft pick Sean Williams to the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League.
The 6-foot-10 center, drafted 17th overall, averaged 1.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 11 minutes per game this season.
-- From News Services
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