Suns try to make it 11 straight wins at Houston

Amare Stoudemire posted a season-high 42 points and nine rebounds, as the red- hot Suns got their 10th straight win with a 137-122 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at the FedExForum.

Raja Bell scored 25 points in the win over Memphis for the Suns. All-Star forward Shawn Marion finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Leandro Barbosa netted 13 and reigning MVP Steve Nash contributed 12 points and a game-high 15 assists.

On the injury front for Phoenix, forward Kurt Thomas (hyperextended left elbow) is expected to miss tonight’s contest. He is averaging 5.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 37 games this season.

The Suns, who will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at US Airways Center, are 12-5 on the road this season. They have won four in a row as the visitor.

Houston plays the first of a short two-game homestand. On Tuesday, Dirk Nowitzki scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and pulled down 10 rebounds, leading the surging Dallas Mavericks to a 109-96 comeback win over the Rockets at American Airlines Center, despite Tracy McGrady’s season-high 45-point night for Houston.

McGrady was 17-for-29 from the field, including 4-of-11 from three-point range, for a season-high 45 points in the loss to Dallas for the Rockets, who had their four-game winning streak halted. Juwan Howard finished with 16 points, while Rafer Alston netted 12 in defeat.

The Rockets are 13-3 at home this season. They are scheduled to host Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

This is the second meeting of the season between the clubs. On November 29th, Nash keyed a fourth-quarter run by scoring eight of his 17 points during the surge, as the Suns defeated Houston, 102-91, at US Airways Center.

Phoenix has won five straight after losing its last three at Houston. The Suns have won four in a row in this series.