NBA Game Summary - Sacramento at Phoenix

04.17.2005

Phoenix, AZ (Basketball News) - Amare Stoudemire poured in 38 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Phoenix to a 116-98 rout over Sacramento at America West Arena.

Joe Johnson had 22 points and Shawn Marion contributed 17 for the Suns, who have won four straight and 13 of their last 16 games overall. Leandro Barbosa netted 17 points off the bench in the win.

Phoenix continues to lead the Spurs by two games for the top spot in the Western Conference after San Antonio also won on Saturday.

Eddie House had 17 points and Mike Bibby contributed 16 for the Kings, who had their four-game winning streak halted.

Sacramento’s loss was costly as it dropped them into a tie for fifth place in the conference with Houston, which defeated the Nuggets earlier in the night. The Kings, though, do not own the tiebreaker with the Rockets by virtue of Houston’s better conference record and would finish behind them if the two teams remain tied at the end of the regular season.

Phoenix led by as many as eight points in the first quarter and held a 32-26 edge after one period.

In the second, House’s bucket nearly five minutes in gave Sacramento a 42-41 advantage, but the Suns responded and built their lead to seven points on Quentin Richardson’s three-pointer with around four minutes remaining. Marion’s two free throws with five seconds left in the quarter gave Phoenix a 62-52 lead at the intermission.

Stoudemire scored 16 points and Marion added 15 for the Suns in the first half. Bibby netted 13 for the Kings in the opening 24 minutes.

Phoenix blew the game wide open in the third quarter as it led by 26 points after the period. Stoudemire’s basket early in the frame made it a 14-point game and the margin continued to balloon as Johnson’s field goal with around 7 1/2 minutes remaining widened the gap to 80-59.

The Suns led by as many as 27 points in the quarter and they outscored Sacramento 37-21 in the period.

Stoudemire was unstoppable in the quarter as he scored 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting to help his team garner a 99-73 edge after 36 minutes.

The Kings never seriously threatened in the fourth quarter.

Stoudemire’s 22 points in the third was a season-high for points in any quarter by a Phoenix player...The Suns improved to 30-10 at home. It is the 20th time in franchise history they have won at least 30 home games in a season...Phoenix has won 32 games more than last season and that turnaround is tied for the third largest improvement in NBA history. The 1979-80 Celtics also had a 32-game turnaround...The Kings have lost 10 of their last 16 road games...Phoenix leads the season series 2-1 and the teams will square off one final time on Wednesday at ARCO Arena...Sacramento forward Peja Stojakovic missed the game with a strained left groin.

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