Stoudemire's big rebound helps Suns beat Magic
APNews
Dec 12, 2009
Amare Stoudemire capped a 28-point night with an emphatic offensive rebound dunk with 6.9 seconds to play and the Phoenix Suns stayed unbeaten at home with a 106-103 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
The Magic, at the end of a four-game trip after being beaten at Utah on Thursday, lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns, at 8-0 the only team in the league yet to lose at home. Phoenix has won 17 straight at home, dating to last season.
The Suns' Jared Dudley matched his career high with 19 points.
Rashard Lewis scored 24 and Mickael Pietrus 23 for the Magic, who trailed by 19 in the second quarter and 14 in the third.
Orlando's Vince Carter left the game 2 1/2 minutes into the second half with a sore right knee.
Dwight Howard took only one shot, and made it, for the Magic. He was 8 of 17 at the foul line but grabbed 18 rebounds.
There were 66 3-point attempts in the game, 38 by Orlando.
Lewis put up an airball 3-point try with about 4 seconds to go, then two jump balls were called in the final 2.5 seconds. Stoudemire tapped the ball away on the second jump, with 1.9 left, and the game ended without the Magic getting up another shot.
The lead changed hands five times after Dudley's free throw tied it at 95 with 4:11 to go. Grant Hill's 12-foot bank shot on a behind-the-back pass from Nash put the Suns ahead for good 104-103 with 1:09 to go.
Each team turned it over after that. Stoudemire gave up the ball in the lane for the second time down the stretch, but Anthony Johnson lost it out of bounds on the ensuing dribble up the court with 34 seconds left.
Dudley missed a 3-pointer from the corner, but Stoudemire grabbed the ball away from Lewis on the fight for his 10th rebound, then dunked it to put his team up by three.
After falling behind 41-22 in the second quarter, the Magic went on a 22-6 run, cutting Phoenix's lead to 47-44. The Suns led 61-52 at the break.
Orlando cut it to 79-76 on Pietrus' fourth 3-pointer of the third quarter _ in four tries _ with 3:19 left. The rally could have been better had Howard missed six straight free throws.
The Magic took their first lead since the game's early minutes, 90-89, on Johnson's driving layup with 8:26 to play. Johnson's 3-pointer put Orlando ahead 95-91 with 6:21 to go before Nash's 3 eight seconds later cut it to 95-94.
NOTES: The Magic have lost eight in a row in Phoenix. ... Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy called three timeouts in the first 14 minutes of the game. ... The Magic haven't swept a season series from the Suns since the 2001-02 season. ... The Suns' Robin Lopez had five fouls in five minutes.