Box Score

 

PHOENIX (101)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
S Marion            44  7-14   4-4  3-18   5   5   21
A Stoudemire        41  9-19   4-7   4-9   1   3   22
S Williams          16   0-4   0-0   2-7   0   3    0
S Marbury           35  7-13   8-9   0-4   8   1   23
P Hardaway          42  9-16   0-0   4-9   5   3   18
J Voskuhl           13   1-2   0-0   1-3   0   2    2
J Johnson           26  4-11   0-0   0-0   3   0    8
B Outlaw             4   1-1   1-2   0-0   0   0    3
D Langhi            13   1-5   0-0   0-2   0   2    2
C Jacobsen           6   1-2   0-0   1-1   1   1    2
T Gugliotta        DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
J Tsakalidis       DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 40-87 17-22 15-53  23  20  101
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.460, FT-.773. 3-Point Goals:
4-12, .333 (S Marion 3-6, S Marbury 1-2, P 
Hardaway 0-1, J Johnson 0-3). Team Rebounds: 
4. Blocked Shots:4 (S Marion 2, A Stoudemire 
2). Turnovers:12 (A Stoudemire 3, P Hardaway 
2, S Marion 2, C Jacobsen 2, S Williams, J 
Johnson, S Marbury). Steals: 8 (A Stoudemire 
3, S Marbury 2, P Hardaway, S Marion, J 
Johnson).


MEMPHIS (99)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
M Miller            28   5-9   2-2   0-5   2   2   14
P Gasol             40  6-13  8-10  3-11   6   4   20
L Wright            32   1-5   1-2  2-12   3   5    3
J Williams          40  7-20   2-2   0-3   7   2   22
W Person            40  6-13   0-0   1-6   1   0   14
E Watson            16   5-7   1-1   0-0   4   1   11
S Battier           30  5-12   3-3   2-3   1   3   15
M Batiste           11   0-4   0-0   1-2   1   2    0
R Humphrey           3   0-0   0-0   0-1   0   0    0
B Knight           DNP  - DID NOT DRESS                                  
S Swift            DNP  - THUMB INJURY                                   
R Archibald        DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 35-83 17-20  9-43  25  19   99
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.422, FT-.850. 3-Point Goals:
12-28, .429 (M Miller 2-4, J Williams 6-11, W
Person 2-7, S Battier 2-6). Team Rebounds: 3.
Blocked Shots:12 (P Gasol 7, W Person 2, L 
Wright 2, S Battier). Turnovers:12 (L Wright 
3, J Williams 2, E Watson 2, P Gasol 2, M 
Miller, S Battier, M Batiste). Steals: 6 (M 
Batiste 3, J Williams 2, L Wright).

--------------------------------------------
PHOENIX              23  32  23  23   -  101
MEMPHIS              31  23  23  22   -  99
-------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Phoenix - 2 (COACH Johnson, 
0:13 1st; A Stoudemire, 2:51 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 14,524. T: 2:16. 
Officials: Joe Forte, Leon Wood, Tommy Nunez.

Extended Box

 

PHOENIX (101) AT MEMPHIS (99)

PHOENIX

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
S MARION          F    44    7-14     4-4      3  15  18    5   5   1   2   21
A STOUDEMIRE      F    41    9-19     4-7      4   5   9    1   3   3   3   22
S WILLIAMS        C    16    0-4      0-0      2   5   7    0   3   0   1    0
S MARBURY         G    35    7-13     8-9      0   4   4    8   1   2   1   23
P HARDAWAY        G    42    9-16     0-0      4   5   9    5   3   1   2   18
J VOSKUHL              13    1-2      0-0      1   2   3    0   2   0   0    2
J JOHNSON              26    4-11     0-0      0   0   0    3   0   1   1    8
B OUTLAW                4    1-1      1-2      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    3
D LANGHI               13    1-5      0-0      0   2   2    0   2   0   0    2
C JACOBSEN              6    1-2      0-0      1   0   1    1   1   0   2    2
T GUGLIOTTA           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
J TSAKALIDIS          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   40-87    17-22    15  38  53   23  20   8  12  101
                            (.460)  (.773)  TEAM REBS:  4 TOTAL TO: 12 (10 PTS)    

MEMPHIS

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
M MILLER          F    28    5-9      2-2      0   5   5    2   2   0   1   14
P GASOL           F    40    6-13     8-10     3   8  11    6   4   0   2   20
L WRIGHT          C    32    1-5      1-2      2  10  12    3   5   1   3    3
J WILLIAMS        G    40    7-20     2-2      0   3   3    7   2   2   2   22
W PERSON          G    40    6-13     0-0      1   5   6    1   0   0   0   14
E WATSON               16    5-7      1-1      0   0   0    4   1   0   2   11
S BATTIER              30    5-12     3-3      2   1   3    1   3   0   1   15
M BATISTE              11    0-4      0-0      1   1   2    1   2   3   1    0
R HUMPHREY              3    0-0      0-0      0   1   1    0   0   0   0    0
B KNIGHT              DNP  - DID NOT DRESS                                            
S SWIFT               DNP  - THUMB INJURY                                             
R ARCHIBALD           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   35-83    17-20     9  34  43   25  19   6  12   99
                            (.422)  (.850)  TEAM REBS:  3 TOTAL TO: 14 (20 PTS)    
  
   PHOENIX            23   32   23   23   -   101
   MEMPHIS            31   23   23   22   -   99
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: PHOENIX - S MARION 2, A STOUDEMIRE 2.  MEMPHIS - P GASOL 7,
W PERSON 2, L WRIGHT 2, S BATTIER.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHOENIX 4-12 (.333), S MARION 3-6, S MARBURY 1-
2, P HARDAWAY 0-1, J JOHNSON 0-3. MEMPHIS 12-28 (.429), M MILLER 2-
4, J WILLIAMS 6-11, W PERSON 2-7, S BATTIER 2-6.
TECHNICAL FOULS: PHOENIX - COACH JOHNSON, A STOUDEMIRE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JOE FORTE, LEON WOOD, TOMMY NUNEZ.
A - 14,524. T - 2:16.

Game Story

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Stephon Marbury made his only 
shot of the fourth quarter count.

Marbury converted a three-point play with 1.2 seconds remaining,
lifting the Phoenix Suns to a crucial 101-99 victory over the
Memphis Grizzlies.

The Suns' leading scorer, Marbury deferred to his teammates over
the final 12 minutes after getting kneed in thigh by Memphis
center Lorenzen Wright early in he third quarter.

"I had so many of these injuries, so I know the feeling,"
Marbury said.  "By knowing how it feels, I was able to get back
into the game and start getting it loose.  I really didn't have
a burst.  And with me not having a burst, I just tried to fit
the playmaker role."

Trailing 99-98, the Suns went to Shawn Marion, who missed a shot
in the lane but grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Marbury
at the right elbow.  Marbury got off a shot while off-balance
and drew a foul from Jason Williams, giving the Suns the lead.
It was the 20th lead change of the contest.

"Shawn was pretty much covered in the paint," Marbury said. "He
made a great play as far as having everyone drawn in, though."

"He's a big-shot guy," Marbury's backcourt mate Penny Hardaway
said.  "He's the type of guy that if you get him the ball in the
last seconds, he just wills the ball in.  He's made a ton of
shots for us like that this year, and I'm glad he made another."

Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown praised Marbury's heroics.

"It was a spectacular shot by Stephon," Brown said. "The fact
that he made the shot and got hit was spectacular."

Marbury finished with 23 points and Marion 21 and 18 rebounds
for the Suns, who tied Houston for the Western Conference's
final playoff berth.

"Right now, this is our biggest win of the year," Suns coach
Frank Johnson said. "If we win the next one, then that'll be our
biggest win of the year."

Following a timeout, the Grizzlies could not get the ball
inbounds and were called for a five-second violation.

"In that play we only had five options, with one of them being
that the guy in the corner might be open," Brown said.  "We had
no timeouts left and were in a difficult situation.  We were
trying to read our options and I thought we played our options
well."

"We just made sure we denied everything from getting in," Marion
said.  "We did that and got the turnover."

Williams netted 22 points and Pau Gasol had 20 and 11 rebounds
for Memphis, which lost for the fourth time in its last six
games following a franchise-record six-game winning streak.

The Grizzlies relied heavily on the outside shot in their latest
loss, going 12-of-28 from 3-point range.

Marion's jumper with 10:04 remaining in the fourth quarter gave
the Suns their biggest lead at 93-89.  But Grizzlies scored the
next five points to take the lead.   There were seven lead
changes in the fourth quarter.

A jumper by Williams provided the Grizzlies with a 99-96
advantage with 57 seconds remaining before Suns made the big
plays down the stretch.

Marion made two foul shots 18 seconds later and, after Gasol
missed a turnaround jumper, Marbury provided the winning points
to help Phoenix stop a three-game road losing streak

"We just hung in there, even with them going up," Johnson said.
"We just kind of kept our composure and made some plays at the
end."

Marion carried the Suns in the fourth quarter, collecting 11
points and eight rebounds.  Gasol disappeared for the Grizzlies
as he went scoreless over the final 12 minutes.

Rookie Amare Stoudemire added 22 points and Hardaway 18 for
Phoenix, which shot 46 percent (40-of-87).  Hardaway also
grabbed nine rebounds, helping the Suns to a 53-43 edge on the
boards, including a 15-9 advantage on the offensive glass.

"Our offensive rebounding lost the game," Brown said. "The last
two games that they won were just like this one. They just kept
getting the shot."

Shane Battier finished with 15 points and Mike Miller and Wesley
Person each had 14 for the Grizzlies, who shot 42 percent
(35-of-83).

The Grizzlies held 31-23 advantage after one quarter and took
their biggest lead at 46-33 with 7:08 remaining in the first
half on a four-point play by Battier.

But the Suns reponded with a 17-3 surge that featured nine
points from Hardaway to take the lead.  They held a 55-54 edge
at the break.