Even with extra player, Sixers burned by Suns

PHOENIX - Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash sat out Tuesday's win at the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an ailing abdomen and back, common injuries for someone of the advanced age of 36.

It's never a good thing for Phoenix opponents when Nash rests. Last night was the 11th time this season Nash has played on 2 days' rest. In the first 10, he averaged 22.1 points and 12.3 assists.

It was much of the same last night at the U.S. Airways Center as Nash returned from his mini-hiatus and, quite simply, put a hurting on the 76ers.

Nash accounted for 20 points and 13 assists in leading the Suns (36-23) to a 106-95 win over the Sixers (22-35).

"He controlled the game," said Sixers forward Elton Brand, who finished with 10 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. "He might not play many minutes, but that's how he plays. It's like pick your poison with him, he can knock down three-pointers, he can knock down midrange, he can finish in the lane. And you can see how he creates for the other guys."

Nash did all his damage last night in just 29 minutes, not even playing in the fourth quarter.

A night after the Sixers showed a capable running game in winning at Golden State, Nash displayed why he is still one of the premier lead guards in the league - perfectly orchestrating both the fastbreak and halfcourt game.

He was practically flawless in 17 first-half minutes, making all six of his field goals, including a pair of treys, for 16 points while dishing eight assists and grabbing three rebounds. His no-look drop-off pass to Amare Stoudemire resulted in a made 17-footer just before the buzzer to give the Suns a 58-47 lead at the break.

Nash finished the game 8-for-9 from the floor, his only miss a three-pointer.

"I didn't have any problem with our effort," said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. "There was a stretch there where we didn't execute as well, we didn't make shots and they just had it going and we really couldn't really lock in on their scheme of things offensively. Nash was fresh and he was high-level."

The Sixers, still shorthanded due to the absence of Allen Iverson (personal reasons) and injuries to Willie Green (shoulder sprain) and Jason Smith (ankle sprain), couldn't keep up with Phoenix' energy, particularly Nash's, who assisted on the Suns' first four baskets of the second half. A Nash 10-footer gave the Suns a 73-53 lead with 8 minutes, 40 seconds to go in the third. The lead hovered around that same margin for much of the remainder of the quarter.

The Sixers did get to within 11 a couple of times in the fourth, but that was as close as they'd get.

"They did a good job of finding the open man and executing their plays," said Andre Iguodala, who led the Sixers with 20 points, his fourth-straight game with at least 20. "Nash shot the ball well, and he's got a great supporting cast, guys who can really shoot the ball."

Jason Richardson paced the Suns in scoring with 24, while Stoudemire added 22. Lou Williams added 19 for the Sixers, while Thaddeus Young had 16.

Much of the talk surrounding the Sixers' recent success, in which they'd won seven of 10 entering last night, surrounded the improved play of the defense, and the numbers proved it. In the seven wins, the Sixers had allowed just under 95 points a game, in the three losses, just over 110.

Last night the Suns shredded any and all types of defense. the Sixers threw at them, as Phoenix shot 51.2 percent from the field (44-for-86) and hit eight of their 21 three-point attempts.

And if the Suns needed an extra help scoring, the Sixers seemed willing to supply it as they started the fourth quarter with six players on the court, resulting in a technical foul. Phoenix guard Goran Dragic missed the foul shot however, saving the team from further embarrassment as the crowd roared in approval.

"That was just a miscommunication between me and another player," said Iguodala.

"We fought," said Brand, who didn't see action in the fourth quarter as Jordan stayed with his second unit. "It was a three-point game with under 2 minutes to go in the first half and we let them get into a rhythm and they got an 11-point lead. Then they came out in the second half and hit a couple of threes and that put us behind the eight-ball."