GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: NEW YORK (2-3) at PHOENIX (5-2)

[SportsTicker]

NBA: NEW YORK at PHOENIX

<div class="pre">NEW YORK (102) AT PHOENIX (113)

NEW YORK

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

F JONES F 45:37 7-13 3-4 3 6 9 3 2 3 7 19
D LEE F 26:54 2-10 0-1 1 4 5 2 2 0 1 4
E CURRY C 25:34 7-11 3-4 3 5 8 0 6 1 1 17
J CRAWFORD G 40:54 8-16 3-4 0 1 1 4 1 1 5 21
M COLLINS G 5:58 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0
N ROBINSON 25:37 7-15 2-2 1 2 3 5 4 1 0 18
R BALKMAN 22:53 2-5 0-2 1 3 4 1 3 0 0 4
J JEFFRIES 12:13 0-1 2-2 1 2 3 2 0 1 0 2
M ROSE 11:38 1-4 2-2 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 4
W CHANDLER 17:48 4-7 0-0 1 1 2 0 4 1 1 8
R MORRIS 4:54 2-3 1-1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 5
Q RICHARDSON DNP - HYPEREXTENDED RIGHT ELBOW

TOTALS 240:00 40-86 16-22 12 24 36 19 26 9 17 102
(.465) (.727) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 17 (15 PTS)

PHOENIX

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

G HILL F 36:31 7-8 4-4 0 3 3 2 4 0 2 21
S MARION F 30:43 9-14 3-4 2 5 7 1 3 2 2 23
A STOUDEMIRE C 29:56 8-14 10-14 4 8 12 1 3 1 0 26
L BARBOSA G 43:08 11-18 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 3 4 23
S NASH G 34:22 2-6 1-1 0 3 3 12 2 1 6 5
B DIAW 31:48 2-6 4-5 0 2 2 6 1 1 3 8
E PIATKOWSKI 10:34 1-3 0-0 0 3 3 0 2 0 0 3
B SKINNER 18:04 1-3 2-2 3 4 7 0 3 3 1 4
M BANKS 4:54 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A TUCKER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
D STRAWBERRY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S MARKS DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 41-73 24-30 9 29 38 23 20 11 18 113
(.562) (.800) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 19 (22 PTS)

NEW YORK 29 22 21 30 - 102
PHOENIX 34 29 24 26 - 113

BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW YORK - J CRAWFORD, E CURRY, R BALKMAN. PHOENIX -
A STOUDEMIRE 4, B SKINNER 2, S MARION 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW YORK 6-16 (.375), F JONES 2-5, J CRAWFORD 2-
4, N ROBINSON 2-6, W CHANDLER 0-1. PHOENIX 7-19 (.368), G HILL 3-4,
S MARION 2-4, A STOUDEMIRE 0-1, L BARBOSA 1-4, S NASH 0-3, E PIATKOWSKI 1-
2, M BANKS 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NEW YORK - TEAM.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JOE CRAWFORD, PHIL ROBINSON, RON OLESIAK.
A - 18,422. T - 2:12.</div>

 

[SportsTicker]

NBA: NEW YORK at PHOENIX

<div class="pre">NEW YORK (102)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
F Jones 45:37 7-13 3-4 3-9 3 2 19
D Lee 26:54 2-10 0-1 1-5 2 2 4
E Curry 25:34 7-11 3-4 3-8 0 6 17
J Crawford 40:54 8-16 3-4 0-1 4 1 21
M Collins 5:58 0-1 0-0 0-0 2 1 0
N Robinson 25:37 7-15 2-2 1-3 5 4 18
R Balkman 22:53 2-5 0-2 1-4 1 3 4
J Jeffries 12:13 0-1 2-2 1-3 2 0 2
M Rose 11:38 1-4 2-2 1-1 0 2 4
W Chandler 17:48 4-7 0-0 1-2 0 4 8
R Morris 4:54 2-3 1-1 0-0 0 1 5
Q Richardson DNP - HYPEREXTENDED RIGHT ELBOW

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 40-86 16-22 12-36 19 26 102
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.465, FT-.727. 3-Point Goals:
6-16, .375 (F Jones 2-5, J Crawford 2-4, N
Robinson 2-6, W Chandler 0-1). Team Rebounds:
5. Blocked Shots:3 (J Crawford, E Curry, R
Balkman). Turnovers:17 (F Jones 7, J Crawford
5, M Rose 2, E Curry, D Lee, W Chandler).
Steals: 9 (F Jones 3, J Crawford, J Jeffries,
R Morris, W Chandler, N Robinson, E Curry).


PHOENIX (113)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
G Hill 36:31 7-8 4-4 0-3 2 4 21
S Marion 30:43 9-14 3-4 2-7 1 3 23
A Stoudemire 29:56 8-14 10-14 4-12 1 3 26
L Barbosa 43:08 11-18 0-0 0-1 1 2 23
S Nash 34:22 2-6 1-1 0-3 12 2 5
B Diaw 31:48 2-6 4-5 0-2 6 1 8
E Piatkowski 10:34 1-3 0-0 0-3 0 2 3
B Skinner 18:04 1-3 2-2 3-7 0 3 4
M Banks 4:54 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
A Tucker DNP - COACH'S DECISION
D Strawberry DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S Marks DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 41-73 24-30 9-38 23 20 113
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.562, FT-.800. 3-Point Goals:
7-19, .368 (G Hill 3-4, S Marion 2-4, A
Stoudemire 0-1, L Barbosa 1-4, S Nash 0-3, E
Piatkowski 1-2, M Banks 0-1). Team Rebounds:
11. Blocked Shots:8 (A Stoudemire 4, B
Skinner 2, S Marion 2). Turnovers:18 (S Nash
6, L Barbosa 4, B Diaw 3, G Hill 2, S Marion
2, B Skinner). Steals: 11 (B Skinner 3, L
Barbosa 3, S Marion 2, S Nash, B Diaw, A
Stoudemire).

--------------------------------------------
NEW YORK 29 22 21 30 - 102
PHOENIX 34 29 24 26 - 113
--------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: New York - 1 (Team, 9:25
1st).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,422. T: 2:12.
Officials: Joe Crawford, Phil Robinson, Ron
Olesiak.</div>

 

[SportsTicker]

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- While New York Knicks guard Stephon Marburywas in the air on Tuesday, his team was getting pounded into theground.


Amare Stoudemire collected 26 points and 12 rebounds and SteveNash dished out 12 assists as the Phoenix Suns outclassed theundermanned Knicks, 113-102, at the U.S. Airways Center onTuesday night.


Shawn Marion had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Suns, whotook advantage of New York playing without Marbury and forwardsZach Randolph (death in the family) and Quentin Richardson(elbow).


"We'll be fine once we get those guys healthy," Crawford said."We just have to hang together and play with the guys that areout there."


But Suns coach Mike D'Antoni admitted his team's performanceleft a lot to be desired.


"I thought it was OK. I wasn't fairly impressed. I thought wewere still a little sluggish," D'Antoni said. "They had 15 guyshurt, but we should have had more energy, worked harder.

"The crowd was worse than we are. They're deader then we are.What are they waiting for, April? It might have been who wewere playing, but that is no excuse."


The most glaring absence for the Knicks was the 30-year-oldMarbury, who skipped the Knicks' morning practice on Mondayafter reportedly being informed that he would not start inTuesday's game.


The enigmatic point guard flew back to New York prior to thecontest in a huff - sparking rumors that the Brooklyn native hadplayed his last game for his hometown team.


If so, Marbury's tenure in New York has been rife withunfulfilled expectations and controversy since his arrival in2004-05.


But teammate Jamal Crawford still wants Marbury to be a part ofthe team.


"Of course, I want (Marbury) back. He is my teammate," Crawfordsaid. "That is something we will deal with. It is notsomething you expect (his absence), but you have to deal withit."


The Knicks spent this summer fighting off an embarrassing sexualharassment lawsuit by former Madison Square Garden employeeAnucha Browne Sanders. The central figures in that case - coachIsiah Thomas and Marbury - are again front and center in NewYork's current debacle.


Thomas' relationship with Marbury may have eroded after thepoint guard's testimony in the very public trial most likelycaused the coach - and MSG - to lose the case. Thomas respondedby reportedly benching Marbury at an odd time, just five gamesinto the season.


As a result, the Knicks started second-year guard Mardy Collins- a defensive-minded player - and relied heavily on 5-9sparkplug Nate Robinson against the high-powered Suns.

Collins' spot in the starting lineup was short-lived after hesprained his right foot at the 6:02 mark in the first quarter.But his presence most likely would not have mattered against theSuns.


"Injuries are part of the game, and we've certainly been hit withour share this early in the season," Thomas said. "Even withyour full team and your best team, it's still hard to come intothis building and get a win."


The timing could not have been worse without Marbury, who lefthis teammates behind just in time for the matchup with two-timeMVP Nash - one of the league's top floor generals.

Nash seemed to be toying with Knicks on Tuesday, probing thelane and finding wide-open teammates for uncontested jumpers. Hehit his first field goal just two minutes into the final periodbut still dominated the contest.


The unselfish play of Nash led to 56 percent shooting (41-of-73)from the field by Phoenix, which scored a season-high 63 pointsin the opening half and effectively put the game away early inthe third quarter.


The Suns shot 61 percent in the first quarter but ended up withjust a five-point lead going into the second at 34-29.Stoudemire, who played nearly 30 minutes while he is coming backfrom knee surgery, paced Phoenix with 12 points in the quarter.

"That is the best I felt since game one so, since I have beenback, that is the strongest I felt," Stoudemire said. "I wantedto be aggressive from the start and supply some energy. I aman energy guy and wanted to supply energy by attacking early."

Leandro Barbosa, making his second consecutive start replacingthe injured Raja Bell, scored 23 points and Grant Hill added aseason-high 21.


"Everyone is telling me to keep playing and firing away. Ittakes guys a little while to get used to the pace here," Hillsaid. "When you hear about Richardson being hurt, Marbury nothere, you have a tendency to be even more complacent. As coachsaid, we are not planning to beat the Knicks, we are planning towin a championship."


Crawford scored 21 points for New York, which plays at the LosAngeles Clippers in the second of a four-game West Coast roadtrip on Wednesday night.