Recap: Phoenix vs. Portland
Sports Network | November 22, 2008
Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Shaquille O'Neal registered 19 points with a game-high 17 rebounds as Phoenix topped Portland, 102-92, at US Airways Center.
Amare Stoudemire had 17 points and nine boards for the Suns, who snapped a two-game slide and bested Portland for the 11th consecutive time. Steve Nash added 16 points and dished out seven assists.
Brandon Roy led all players with 26 points for the Blazers, who had won three of four coming in. Steve Blake contributed 22 points and five assists while LaMarcus Aldridge picked up 14 points in the loss.
After failing to make up much ground for most of the contest, Portland crept within 49-47 on a rare four-point play from Blake with 8:58 to play in the third quarter, then assumed a 56-54 advantage with six minutes remaining on another Blake three-pointer.
However, two straight from beyond the arc by Raja Bell touched off a 15-3 run ending on an O'Neal free throw with under three minutes left in the period for a 69-59 Phoenix advantage. The Suns maintained that 10-point edge heading to the fourth.
An early burst put the home team up 78-63 after a Stoudemire lay-in, but the Blazers rebounded with nine in a row to come within four with 7:27 to play.
One final run, this time 12-4, pushed the Suns in front by a comfortable margin as Bell finished the spurt with a layup. Portland never threatened the rest of the way.
Thanks to seven points from Stoudemire, the Suns led 21-17 after one, then led by as much as nine in the second quarter before taking a 41-36 edge at halftime.
Phoenix has also won 17 of the last 19 matchups...Grant Hill scored 15 points off the bench for Phoenix, while Bell had 14 points...Portland's Greg Oden scored five points and recorded just one rebound in less than 14 minutes of play.
