Suns  109    Hornets  100

Phoenix Suns (28-21) at New Orleans Hornets (26-21), 8 p.m.

Sports Network | February 1, 2010

(Sports Network) - The Phoenix Suns will resume their four-game road trip Monday night, when they make a stop in the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Hornets.

The Suns earned a 115-111 overtime victory in Houston on Sunday, as Amare Stoudemire poured in a season-high 36 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. He was also 12-for-12 from the free throw line before fouling out in the extra period. Grant Hill added 19 points and Steve Nash finished with 11 points, 16 assists and eight boards for the Suns, who are just 10-15 away from the desert this season.

"We did a great job of attacking the baskets and playing smart," Stoudemire said amid recent trade rumors. "Early in the game my jump shot wasn't falling and I was very aggressive defensively and on the boards. It's great to be away from home and get away from all the trade rumors. We did a great job as a team and our intensity was there all game. We had to scrap for this win. It was a game of runs and we pulled away at the end."

Phoenix won for just the fourth time in 11 tries and will also visit the Nuggets and Kings on the current road swing.

Hornets rookie point guard Darren Collison has filled in nicely for injured guard Chris Paul, who is reportedly expected to undergo surgery on his injured left knee and miss the next one to two months of action. Paul did not play in Saturday's 109-102 overtime win at Memphis, but Collison posted 17 points, 18 assists and six rebounds to help erase a 21-point deficit.

"I give credit to (Chris Paul). I get the chance to watch him everyday in the pick-and-roll," Collison said. "I was being a lot more aggressive in the pick- and-roll in finding my gaps. I am so small and quick that I can use it to my advantage. Whenever their big committed, I was able to drop it down to Emeka Okafor or (David) West."

Collison averaged 14.9 points and 6.4 assists during an eight-game stretch Paul missed earlier this season. West and Okafor finished with 22 and 21 points, respectively, for New Orleans, which was coming off a 108-106 overtime loss to Chicago on Friday. The Hornets, who have won five of their last seven games, will open a three-game homestand Monday versus Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia.

New Orleans is 16-5 at home this season.

The 2009-10 season series between the Suns and Hornets is tied at a game apiece, while New Orleans has won seven of the last nine matchups between the teams. Phoenix has dropped four of five trips to the bayou.