NBA Game Summary - Phoenix at Charlotte

03.23.2005

Charlotte, NC (Basketball News) - Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion scored 26 points apiece, and the Phoenix Suns established a team record with their 28th road win of the season, rolling to a 120-105 victory over the Bobcats at Charlotte Coliseum.

Amare Stoudemire added 23 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Suns, who also matched a franchise record with their ninth straight road win.

"Our record speaks for itself," Marion said. "When you win on the road, that says you’re a good basketball team."

Steve Nash collected 11 points and 10 assists in the win, and Jim Jackson scored 15 off the bench.

Jason Hart scored 21 points off the bench to lead Charlotte, which has lost 14 of its last 16 games. Gerald Wallace was activated from the injured list after missing seven games with bruised ribs, and he scored 17 points in 30 minutes.

The Bobcats snapped a 10-game losing streak with a win over Orlando on Monday, but they were never really close in this one.

Johnson scored 18 points in the first half and Phoenix led by as many as 29 on the way to a 70-47 advantage at intermission.

The Suns shot 53 percent to Charlotte’s 37 percent in the half. They opened the game with a 12-4 run, capped by Johnson’s three-pointer, and scored 11 straight at one point to lead 36-14 less than two minutes into the second quarter.

The Bobcats were never closer than 20 before halftime, but they executed better in the third quarter and, behind 11 points from Jason Kapono, got as close as 13 before heading into the fourth down 91-76.

"They hit some shots and cut into our lead, but we kept our composure," Marion said.

Charlotte was only as close as 10 points in the final quarter.

Brevin Knight chipped in 12 points and a game-high 15 assists for the Bobcats, who shot just 41 percent in the game. They have dropped both meetings with Phoenix this season.

"They’re really good, and they understand their style," Knight said. "You make shots the way they did, you don’t need to defend that much."

The Suns ended the game shooting 48 percent, including 12-of-29 (41 percent) on three-pointers.

The Suns won 27 road games during the 1992-93 and 1994-95 seasons...Marion also had 10 rebounds...Kapono finished with 15 points and Emeka Okafor scored 13 with seven rebounds for the Bobcats.

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