Suns go for three wins in three nights vs. Pistons
Mar 16, 2012, 7:26 PM | Updated: 7:29 pm
Are the Phoenix Suns an elite team? Not in terms of
record, but they could land on an elite list Friday at US
Airways Center.
The Suns look to join the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and
Oklahoma City Thunder as the only teams this season to
notch three wins in three nights. The team standing
between the Suns and that list is the 16-27 Detroit
Pistons.
The fact that this feat is even possible comes as somewhat
of a surprise considering what transpired during the
middle game of Phoenix’s second and final back-to-back-to-
back game this year. Head coach Alvin Gentry rested
veteran leaders Steve Nash and Grant Hill in Los Angeles
against a talented Clippers team, but the Suns gutted out
a 91-87 win at Staples Center.
The Suns trailed the Clippers by as many as 17 points in
the contest and by 11 points heading into the fourth
quarter, but once again, Gentry’s team showed resiliency.
In Phoenix’s seven wins since the All-Star break, they’ve
overcome a double-digit deficit in each.
“Of course our goal is to make the playoffs,” center
Marcin Gortat said after the game. “Obviously, it was a
huge win for us, like I said that game is going to build
our chemistry and atmosphere on the team you just got to
keep grinding right now, you just got to get more wins.”
With Hill in street clothes, Shannon Brown made the most
of his start, scoring a team-high 21 points. Brown’s
three-pointer with 2:25 left in the game gave the Suns
their first lead since early in the first quarter.
Phoenix will have their hands full Friday with explosive
Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey and center Greg Monroe, who
are both coming off great games. Stuckey scored 35 points
Wednesday against in a win over Sacramento, and is
averaging 25.3 points in his last 7 games. Monroe also had
a monster game against the Kings, tying his season-high
with 32 points and adding 11 rebounds.
With a win against Detroit, the Suns would reach the .500
mark for the first time since January 8, when they were 4-
4.
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