Box Score

 

CLEVELAND (101)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
L James             40  6-19   3-4   1-3   6   2   15
D Gooden            35  3-10   5-6  6-19   1   2   11
Z Ilgauskas         34  9-17   4-5   2-2   2   4   22
J McInnis           39 10-16   0-0   0-2   2   4   26
I Newble            17   1-4   0-0   1-1   0   0    2
L Harris            15   3-6   0-0   0-1   1   1    7
E Snow              21   1-1   0-0   1-2   5   1    2
R Traylor           11   2-3   0-0   0-3   0   1    4
D Diop               5   0-1   0-0   1-3   0   1    0
D Wagner            13   2-7   0-0   0-0   2   2    5
L Jackson            5   2-4   0-0   0-0   0   1    5
A Varejao            5   0-0   2-2   0-1   1   0    2
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 39-88 14-17 12-37  20  19  101
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.443, FT-.824. 3-Point Goals:
9-20, .450 (L James 0-2, D Gooden 0-1, J 
McInnis 6-9, L Harris 1-3, D Wagner 1-4, L 
Jackson 1-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked 
Shots:5 (Z Ilgauskas 4, L James). 
Turnovers:13 (L James 6, Z Ilgauskas 3, E 
Snow, J McInnis, D Diop, I Newble). Steals: 7
(E Snow 2, L James 2, Z Ilgauskas, J McInnis,
D Wagner).


PHOENIX (120)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
Q Richardson        36  9-15   2-2   0-4   1   2   21
S Marion            34  4-11   2-2  5-12   3   0   10
A Stoudemire        30  9-16   3-4   2-9   0   4   21
S Nash              30  8-13   2-2   3-7   7   0   21
J Johnson           34  8-14   1-2   0-4   3   3   18
C Jacobsen          26   2-6   3-4   0-1   1   0    8
L Barbosa           18  6-11   1-1   1-2   1   1   15
J Voskuhl           19   1-2   4-4   1-5   1   2    6
B Outlaw             5   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
M Lampe              5   0-1   0-0   0-2   1   0    0
J Vroman             3   0-0   0-0   0-2   1   1    0
S Hunter           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 47-89 18-21 12-48  19  13  120
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.528, FT-.857. 3-Point Goals:
8-18, .444 (Q Richardson 1-3, S Marion 0-1, S
Nash 3-4, J Johnson 1-2, C Jacobsen 1-3, L 
Barbosa 2-5). Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked 
Shots:3 (A Stoudemire 2, L Barbosa). 
Turnovers:13 (S Marion 4, Q Richardson 2, A 
Stoudemire 2, S Nash, M Lampe, L Barbosa, J 
Johnson, J Voskuhl). Steals: 5 (S Nash, S 
Marion, Q Richardson, J Johnson, L Barbosa).

--------------------------------------------
CLEVELAND             29  17  27  28  -  101
PHOENIX               24  24  38  34  -  120
-------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 14,795. T: 2:00. 
Officials: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Kennedy, 
Tony Brown.

Extended Box

 

CLEVELAND (101) AT PHOENIX (120)

CLEVELAND

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
L JAMES           F    40    6-19     3-4      1   2   3    6   2   2   6   15
D GOODEN          F    35    3-10     5-6      6  13  19    1   2   0   0   11
Z ILGAUSKAS       C    34    9-17     4-5      2   0   2    2   4   1   3   22
J MCINNIS         G    39   10-16     0-0      0   2   2    2   4   1   1   26
I NEWBLE          G    17    1-4      0-0      1   0   1    0   0   0   1    2
L HARRIS               15    3-6      0-0      0   1   1    1   1   0   0    7
E SNOW                 21    1-1      0-0      1   1   2    5   1   2   1    2
R TRAYLOR              11    2-3      0-0      0   3   3    0   1   0   0    4
D DIOP                  5    0-1      0-0      1   2   3    0   1   0   1    0
D WAGNER               13    2-7      0-0      0   0   0    2   2   1   0    5
L JACKSON               5    2-4      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    5
A VAREJAO               5    0-0      2-2      0   1   1    1   0   0   0    2
  
TOTALS                240   39-88    14-17    12  25  37   20  19   7  13  101
                            (.443)  (.824)  TEAM REBS:  4 TOTAL TO: 13 (12 PTS)    

PHOENIX

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
Q RICHARDSON      F    36    9-15     2-2      0   4   4    1   2   1   2   21
S MARION          F    34    4-11     2-2      5   7  12    3   0   1   4   10
A STOUDEMIRE      C    30    9-16     3-4      2   7   9    0   4   0   2   21
S NASH            G    30    8-13     2-2      3   4   7    7   0   1   1   21
J JOHNSON         G    34    8-14     1-2      0   4   4    3   3   1   1   18
C JACOBSEN             26    2-6      3-4      0   1   1    1   0   0   0    8
L BARBOSA              18    6-11     1-1      1   1   2    1   1   1   1   15
J VOSKUHL              19    1-2      4-4      1   4   5    1   2   0   1    6
B OUTLAW                5    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
M LAMPE                 5    0-1      0-0      0   2   2    1   0   0   1    0
J VROMAN                3    0-0      0-0      0   2   2    1   1   0   0    0
S HUNTER              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   47-89    18-21    12  36  48   19  13   5  13  120
                            (.528)  (.857)  TEAM REBS:  8 TOTAL TO: 13 (14 PTS)    
  
   CLEVELAND          29   17   27   28   -   101
   PHOENIX            24   24   38   34   -   120
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: CLEVELAND - Z ILGAUSKAS 4, L JAMES.  PHOENIX - A STOUDEMIRE 2,
L BARBOSA.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CLEVELAND 9-20 (.450), L JAMES 0-2, D GOODEN 0-
1, J MCINNIS 6-9, L HARRIS 1-3, D WAGNER 1-4, L JACKSON 1-1. PHOENIX 8-
18 (.444), Q RICHARDSON 1-3, S MARION 0-1, S NASH 3-4, J JOHNSON 1-
2, C JACOBSEN 1-3, L BARBOSA 2-5.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, BILL KENNEDY, TONY BROWN.
A - 14,795. T - 2:00.

Game Story

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- In a matchup of the league's top players in 
November, Steve Nash got the better of LeBron James.

Nash scored 21 points and dished out seven assists as the
high-flying Phoenix Suns rolled to a 120-101 victory over the
Cleveland Cavaliers, avenging one of their two losses this
season.

The win was the Suns' ninth straight and pushed them to a
league-best 13-2, their best start since 1980.

"We got so many guys that can do so many incredible things,"
said Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire, who also scored 21
points. "We are playing like the best team in the league.  We
are playing strong all around."

Nash and James were named Western and Eastern Conference Players
of the Month earlier in the day and both shined in their
previous meeting this season.  James scored 21 of his 38 points
in the fourth quarter and overtime November 10 as the Cavaliers
won a dramatic affair, 114-109.

Nash, who scored 15 points and had 17 assists in that loss,
showed why he deserved the monthly honors by leading a complete
effort Wednesday.  He was 8-of-13 from the floor, including
3-of-4 from the arc, and matched a season high with seven
rebounds.

After Cleveland's Jeff McInnis hit a 3-pointer early in the
third quarter to tie the game, 49-49, Nash and Amare Stoudemire
keyed an 18-6 run.  Both players scored seven points during the
burst, with Nash providing a pair of assists.

"They made shots and got the crowd behind them and into the
game," said Cleveland guard Jeff McInnis, who scored a
season-high 26 points. "Stoudemire got a couple of dunks and
Nash got off on that third quarter.  We just couldn't control
their runs."

The matchup of Stoudemire and James pitted the league's last two
Rookie of the Year Award winners, both straight out of high
school, and two of the NBA's top players this season.

"Me and LeBron came into the league very focused," Stoudemire
said. "I think we are probably the best ever to do it coming out
of high school.  We came out ready and our skill level was
pretty high." The Suns shot 53 percent (47-of-89) from the floor
and scored a team season-high 72 points in the second half to
hold onto the best record in the league.

"We had a really good second half," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni
said. "In the first half we were a little bit dead mentally.  I
don't want the guys to get in a habit of doing this, but they
seem to turn it on when they want to."

Quentin Richardson matched Nash and Stoudemire with 21 points
and Shawn Marion notched his 11th double-double with 10 points
and 12 rebounds.

"Right now I am more upset that we lost in Cleveland,"
Richardson said. "If we didn't lose there, we would have only
one loss.  I feel that both of those losses we should have won.
I knew we would do better, but I didn't imagine 13-2."

James, who scored just two points in the fourth quarter of the
Cavaliers' 94-82 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday,
scored 15 points on just 6-of-19 shooting with six turnovers.

"There is nothing you can do when a team starts getting hot like
that," James said. "They got a lot of easy buckets and started
(making) that open J.  We feed on transition baskets and energy
but we didn't have it tonight."

Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 22 points and Drew Gooden -  who had a
career-high 21 rebounds in the win over Phoenix in November -
swept 19 boards.

Cleveland coach Paul Silas did not make a substitution in the
first quarter, when his team took a 29-24 lead.

"I wish we could have played those starting guys 48 minutes,"
Silas said. "I made some changes and we fell off and we couldn't
really capture it.  I just didn't think we were energized
enough.  We weren't lively, especially in the second half."

Phoenix, which is now 9-1 in back-to-back games, has won 10 of
the last 12 games in the series, including six straight at
America West Arena.