NBA Game Summary - Phoenix at Memphis

Memphis, TN (Basketball News) - Amare Stoudemire scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 110-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven opening round playoff series.

Shawn Marion contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who will try to close out the series with a victory in Game 4 on Sunday at FedExForum. Steve Nash, who left the game briefly with a right shoulder injury, added 13 points and eight assists in the win.

Joe Johnson had 20 points and Jim Jackson added 17 for the Suns, who set a franchise playoff record with just five turnovers.

Lorenzen Wright had 14 for the Grizzlies, who failed again to post the franchise’s first postseason win. Memphis has lost all seven of its playoff games after reaching the postseason for the first time last year.

The Suns had a 16-point lead after three quarters and were ahead by 19 early in the final stanza. Memphis would not threaten the rest of the way, as the Phoenix lead was still 17 with under three minutes remaining.

Phoenix led by 10 at halftime and maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the rest of the contest. A basket by Quentin Richardson shortly after the break gave the Suns a 63-49 cushion.

Stoudemire gave the Suns a 69-54 lead with eight minutes left in the third. The lead swelled to 78-61 after a pair of free throws by Stoudemire with 2:46 left in the frame and the Suns carried a comfortable 83-67 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies opened the game with eight straight points and maintained the lead until the closing seconds of the first quarter. A basket by Gasol with 3:49 left in the frame gave Memphis its biggest lead, 24-15.

The Suns, though, made 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc to stay close and took their first lead, 31-30, on a jumper by Johnson just before the end of the first quarter.

Despite hitting 64 percent of its shots (14-of-22) in the opening stanza, Memphis found itself behind after one and would not lead again.

Stoudemire’s one-handed dunk over Stromile Swift with 6:52 left in the second quarter highlighted a nine-point burst that gave the Suns a 44-34 lead midway through the frame.

Stoudemire, who had 19 points in the first half, was fouled after finishing another drive with a dazzling move. He missed the free throw, but Jackson came up with the offensive rebound and would hit from three-point range to give Phoenix a 49-36 cushion midway through the second quarter.

Phoenix went to the locker room with a 57-47 lead.