Phoenix Suns Team Report - April 5

(Basketball News) - The Phoenix Suns host the fading Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at America West Arena.

The Suns are No. 1 in the West, as they have a two-game lead over the Southwest Division-leading San Antonio Spurs for the top overall spot in the conference.

It is the third meeting of the season between the Lakers and Suns. In the two previous contests, Phoenix defeated LA at home on November 19th and at the Staples Center on December 8th. The teams will play for a fourth and final time in the 2004-05 campaign on April 11th at the Staples Center.

The road team has won four of the last six meetings in this series, while the home team has won 12 of the last 17 contests. The Lakers have lost five of their last eight at Phoenix.

The Lakers are on the brink of missing the postseason for the first time since 1994. LA, which is 33-40 and has nine games left on its schedule, trail the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies by 8 1/2 games for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies host the Nuggets tonight at FedExForum. Memphis and Denver are both 41-31.

Phoenix continues to play winning basketball, as it enters Tuesday’s contest on a five-game winning streak. On Sunday, Shawn Marion scored 23 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Suns over the Houston Rockets, 91-78, at the Toyota Center. Joe Johnson added 19 points and Jim Jackson scored 15 for the NBA-leading Suns, who have won eight of their last nine games overall.

Center Amare Stoudemire played just 27 minutes because of foul trouble during Sunday’s win for Phoenix. He finished with nine points and 14 rebounds, while MVP candidate Steve Nash dished out a game-high 11 assists.

Nash has finished in double-digits in assists in 14 straight games, which is the longest streak for this achievement since Mark Jackson did it as a member of the Nuggets in the 1996-1997 campaign. He is averaging 15.9 points and 11.9 assists in his last 10 contests.

Marion has registered consecutive double-doubles and has recorded 12 in his last 13 contests. He is averaging 22.4 points and 13.6 rebounds in his last 10 games.

Phoenix, which is 30-7 in games decided by 10 points or more this season, has scored at least 100 points in 24 of its last 25 games. The Suns, who have scored under 100 points only 10 times this campaign, are 23-3 when they allow under 100 points.

The Suns, who are 9-2 in Tuesday games this season, are 26-9 at home. They have won three straight and are 7-3 in their last 10 at America West Arena.

Phoenix will visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday and will then host the Houston Rockets on Saturday. The Suns will play six of their final nine games at home.