Phoenix Suns (46-26) at Minnesota Timberwolves (14-59), 7 p.m.
Sports Network | March 28, 2010
(Sports Network) - The streaking Phoenix Suns plan to improve their playoff position in the jumbled Western Conference tonight when they take on a Minnesota team hoping to avoid matching the franchise record with a 16th straight loss.
The Suns took their season-high sixth straight game on Friday against New York when Amare Stoudemire led a balanced attack with 18 points and nine rebounds as Phoenix sent the Knicks payback for a December blowout defeat with a 132-96 rout at US Airways Arena.
Leandro Barbosa also had 18 points and Jason Richardson scored 17 for the Suns, who got an incredible 66 points from its bench players. Phoenix lost to the Knicks, 126-99, on December 1 at Madison Square Garden.
"We grew a lot," Stoudemire said. "After that loss we lost a few games shortly after that and went into a little funk, but I think during that time we wanted to improve and had our goals in mind and managed to turn it around and get better. That's one thing about us...we love to improve, we love success and if improving causes success, we've got to continue to improve."
The Suns, who have won 20 of their past 25 games. sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, one game behind Utah and a 1 1/2 games in back of both Denver and Dallas for the No. 2 seed.
"We're not really worried about anyone giving us any help," Richardson said. "We know if we take care of business, things will fall our way. All these games are important and a loss could drop us a couple spots in the playoff race, so we definitely take every game as important no matter whom we're playing."
Robin Lopez added 14 points for the Suns, who sparkled in the second half at 62.5 percent from the field to send former Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni and the Knicks to their seventh straight loss in the Valley of the Sun.
The Wolves, meanwhile, dropped their 15th straight in Orlando on Friday when Dwight Howard poured in 24 points, and added 19 rebounds and four blocks, as Orlando beat Minnesota, 106-97.
Al Jefferson tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who are mired in their second 15-game skid this season. They also lost 15 straight, October 30 - November 27. Their franchise-record 16-game skid occurred twice, spanning from April 8 - November 12, 1994 and in a single season from February 29 - March 29, 1993.
Darko Milicic, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn and Kevin Love each had 14 points in defeat.
Phoenix has won four straight overall vs. the Wolves.
