Stoudemire Shoots Suns to 7th Straight Victory
The jury is still out on the Suns' trade for Shaq, but the team is sure trying to show everyone that they're better sans trade. Phoenix won it's 7th straight game last night, this one against the Houston Rockets, who have struggled since reeling off 22 straight wins.
Amare Stoudemire played fabulous, finishing w/ 38 pts and 13 rbs in the win. What was more amazing, was Amare setting a franchise record by hitting 20 of 20 free throws in the game. STAT credits the improvements in shooting to his extra practice and shooting drills. It's pleasing to see a superstar continually working to improve on a weakness (see MJ & Kobe for examples).
Shaq also had a strong game for the Suns, although he probably played too many minutes (35) in the win. O'Neal finished w/ 23 pts and also pulled down 13 rebounds in the Suns 7th straight victory.
Phoenix is easily the hottest team in the league, but they have tough road trip coming up. With games against Boston and Detroit, the Suns will certainly be tested. We might have a better idea about how they might enter the playoffs (strong vs. weak) after the road trip.
With the recent 7 game winning streak, the Suns have crawled back up to the 3rd seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff race.
Game Notes:
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Guard Raja Bell missed the game due to a sprained ankle, which he suffered in the previous Suns game.
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Phoenix shot 76% in the first half.
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Grant Hill led the Suns w/ 10 assists, but only scored 2 pts.
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Steve Nash played well, but only finished w/ 5 assists while committing 6 turnovers...when's the last time that happened?