FArting
Lopes Up!
The Phoenix Suns were without several key players their last time out, and the result was their most lopsided loss of the season.
The Suns hope to have two-time league MVP Steve Nash and four-time All-Star Shawn Marion back on Saturday night as they look for their 20th straight win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Phoenix.The Suns' 19-game home winning streak over the Bucks ties San Antonio's domination of Golden State for the longest active run at home by one team over another. Phoenix hasn't lost a home game to Milwaukee since a 115-107 defeat on Feb. 21, 1987 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum with the last 14 victories coming at US Airways Center.Phoenix swept the two-game season series from Milwaukee in 2006-07, and has won 28 of the last 32 meetings.If the Suns remain shorthanded, though, the streak could be in jeopardy.After rallying from 16 points down to beat Indiana 129-122 in overtime on Wednesday, Phoenix had little left in Thursday's game at Utah. To make things even more difficult, the Suns were without Nash, who was home with the flu and Marion, who bruised his elbow. Grant Hill continues to recover from an appendectomy, and is expected to miss up to three weeks.Phoenix was outscored 28-12 in the third quarter by the Jazz and lost, 108-86. The Suns lead the league in scoring (110.0 points per game) and are second in field goal percentage (48.8 percent), but were held to season lows in points and shooting (36.1 percent) on Thursday."I thought for the first half, we gave it a shot. We came out in the second half and our legs were wobbly," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We just didn't have enough fire power. We had some guys that tried to get it done, but didn't quite get it done."The Suns, who are tied with Dallas atop the Western Conference, have just a half-game lead over the surging Los Angeles Lakers in the Pacific Division. Phoenix is 12-4 at US Airways Center this season.Nash is averaging 24.0 points and 12.0 assists in three home games against the Bucks since rejoining the Suns before the 2004-05 season.Marion, who had 38 points and 37 rebounds in the season series against Milwaukee in 2006-07, is averaging 22.0 points and 12.3 boards in seven career home games against the Bucks.Amare Stoudemire is averaging 19.4 points and 9.3 rebounds in seven career games against Milwaukee -- all wins. He had 21 and 14 versus the Jazz.The Bucks (15-21) lost to the Lakers 110-105 on Friday, snapping a three-game winning streak and dropping to 5-16 on the road. Milwaukee had allowed an average of 88.0 points in its previous three games.Michael Redd returned to the Bucks' lineup after missing four games because of a deep left thigh bruise. Redd came off the bench for the first time since April 16, 2003, and scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting in 25 minutes."I haven't come off the bench in years, but I approached coach (Larry Krystkowiak) about it just to work my way back in tonight and not just get thrown back into the fire," Redd said.Redd had 37 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his only game against the Suns last season, a 122-116 road loss on Dec. 1, 2006.
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=280112021
Bucks 100
Suns 117
Stat
we better win this game
