Amare Stoudemire had 21 points and was one
of eight Phoenix players in double figures, as the red-hot Suns blasted
the Hornets 124-104 at US Airways Center.
Grant Hill scored 18 and Goran Dragic 14 while Channing Frye and Jason
Richardson totaled 13 points each. Steve Nash checked in with 12 points and 10
assists for Phoenix, which moved to 8-1 on the year and were coming off an
impressive 4-1 east coast road trip.
It's the team's best start since opening with an 11-1 ledger in 1980-81 and
ties them with Boston for the best start so far in 2009-10.
They have to make a quick turn-around and head to Los Angeles for a meeting
with the defending NBA champion Lakers Thursday night.
"The Lakers are on a three day rest and at home, waiting on us, so tonight we
were able to get in and play great basketball for the first three quarters and
the starters had a chance to rest," said Stoudemire. "The second unit played
great and got the win for us, so it felt good - we got a chance to really rest
up and ice there in the fourth quarter."
The Suns shot a sizzling 63 percent (29-for-46) in the first half and racked
up a whopping 75 points -- the most by a team in one half so far this season.
"I think we can play even better - we did a lot of things right on both ends
of the floor, but the funny thing is I don't even think we're running yet,"
said Richardson. "So once we get to that where we're just up and down and
going like we normally do, we'll be pretty good."
Chris Paul notched 25 points, six assists and four steals for New Orleans,
which put the wraps on a three-game road trip and have dropped three of four.
The Hornets have one road win in six tries this season.
"They got on us early and we were just trying to catch up all night," said
Hornets center Emeka Okafor. "It's hard to win a game doing that, especially
against a team as good as that. They do an excellent job spreading the floor
and you have to commend them on how they play and they did a great job
tonight."
Phoenix scored 40 in the first quarter to take an early 11-point advantage,
which only grew before halftime. The hosts opened on a 14-2 run in the second
with a Leandro Barbosa three-ball dropping for a 54-33 margin only 3 1/2
minutes in.
Richardson and Paul traded threes near the halfway point with Phoenix still
holding a 16-point lead. A Dragic make from beyond the arc just outside the
final minute brought the margin back to 21 before the Suns settled on a
19-point lead at the break, 75-56, with four different players already in
double figures.
Phoenix kept pouring it on in the second half and an 11-3 surge provided an
88-61 advantage midway through the third. The hosts eclipsed the century mark
upon entering the final 12 minutes, leading 101-77.
The outcome was never in doubt from there as Phoenix -- and New Orleans --
went to their respective benches to finish out the rout.
Game Notes
Phoenix snapped a six-game skid to the Hornets by taking the team's final
matchup last season...Okafor posted 13 points, James Posey scored 11 and David
West ended with 10 for the Hornets, who shot 44.7 percent from the
floor...The Suns hit at a 55.4 percent clip for the game and received 11
points apiece from Jared Dudley and Barbosa...The Suns' largest lead stood at
29 points. New Orleans was outrebounded 45-29...Phoenix has won 12 consecutive
home games dating back to last season...The Suns also became the fastest team
in NBA history to record 100 three-pointers on Wednesday. Last year's New York
Knicks squad did it in 10 games.
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