Stoudemire leads Suns past Bobcats 115-106
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-11 14:13

Amare Stoudemire came close to the first triple-double of his career with 36 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, leading the Phoenix Suns past the Charlotte Bobcats 115-106 Friday night.

Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire (32) pulls down an offensive rebound over Charlotte Bobcats center Primoz Brezec of Slovenia, left, and guard Keith Bogans, right, in the second quarter Friday, Dec. 10, 2004, in Phoenix. [AP]

The victory was the Suns' fourth in a row, 13th in their last 14 games and gave them a 17-3 record — tying Seattle for the best in the NBA — on the one-year anniversary of Mike D'Antoni taking over as head coach.

Shawn Marion and Quentin Richardson each added 20 points for Phoenix, which exceeded its NBA-high average of 108.6 points per game. Joe Johnson scored 12 points and Steven Hunter 10, with Steve Nash contributing nine points and 14 assists.

The expansion Bobcats were led by former Phoenix point guard Brevin Knight's season-high 17 points. Primoz Brezec had 16 points, and Keith Bogans and Kareem Rush each scored 15.

Phoenix now has won 12 straight games when playing an expansion team for the first time. Its only loss to an expansion team was to fellow first-year franchise Milwaukee in the 1968-69 season.

Stoudemire scored 20 points in the first half, including nine straight for Phoenix late in the second quarter as the Suns raced to a 64-55 lead. He shot 8-for-12 and grabbed eight rebounds.

The Suns used an 11-0 run during a two-minute span of the first period to take the lead for good, 15-8. Phoenix led by as many as 11 points six times during the half and Charlotte never came closer than four.

Richardson, who hit consecutive 3-pointers during the spurt that carried the Suns from an 8-4 deficit into the lead, finished the half with 14 points.

Knight surpassed his previous season high of 14 points in the first half, scoring 15 on 6-of-8 shooting.

The Bobcats helped themselves stay in contention by committing only one turnover in the half. However, they couldn't keep up with the running Suns, who outscored them 15-0 on fast-break points.

Charlotte sliced the deficit to three points, 65-62, early in the third period, but the Suns responded quickly with a 12-2 surge, higlighted by 3-pointers by Johnson and Marion.

Marion finished the quarter with 15 points and Phoenix led 93-79 after three. The highlight of the period, though, was a scintillating finger-roll dunk by Stoudemire.

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