Suns halt Mavs’ nine-game winning streak

Amare Stoudemire scored 24 with nine rebounds, Steve Nash posted 23 points and 11 assists and Shawn Marion had 20 points for the Suns, who have won five of their last seven games. Boris Diaw chipped in 16 points in the victory.

Phoenix, which has already clinched the Pacific Division, is No. 2 in the Western Conference and is three games ahead of the third third-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

The Suns shot a blistering 64.8 percent from the floor.

Josh Howard poured in 28 points and grabbed seven boards, while Jerry Stackhouse donated 25 points off the bench for the for the Mavericks, who had a nine-game winning streak snapped, but still remain as the top seed in the West with a 9 1/2-game advantage over the second place Spurs.

Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points, six rebounds and six assists and Jason Terry scored 20 for Dallas, which finished 45.6 percent shooting from the field.

After Nash hit a driving layup to put the Suns up by two late in the first quarter, Dallas netted seven of the final nine points in the frame for a 29-26 edge.

Things were nip-and-tuck for most of the second, with Phoenix using a 6-0 spurt to take a three-point lead, and then extending it to 60-56 on Diaw’s two free throws just before halftime.

In the third, the Mavericks were able to tie the contest at 69 on Terry’s jumper, but the Suns went on a 12-4 burst — capped by Marion’s alley oop dunk — to lead by eight with 3:34 remaining.

Terry, though, ended the quarter with a three-pointer to cut Dallas’ deficit to 89-82.

Barbosa’s trey opened up a 10-point cushion for Phoenix early in the fourth as the Suns dominated, outscoring the Mavericks 37-22 en route to the impressive win.

Game Notes

Phoenix dropped to 30-8 at home this season...Attendance was 18,422.