NBA Sunday Roundup: Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers win - (Part 1)
Twenty franchises of the National Basketball Association (NBA) went head-to-head on 27 February, 2011. Bettor.com provides brief highlights of Sunday night’s matches.
Phoenix Suns 110 – Indiana Pacers 108
The Phoenix Suns posted their fourth straight win with a hard-fought 110-108 victory over the woeful Indiana Pacers at Conseco Field house on Sunday night.
Grant Hill played one of his best games of the 2010-11 season, as he registered a season-high 34 points for the Suns, who won their 21st road game of the season. Hill is the son of former National Football League (NFL) running back, Calvin Hill.
He talked to his father before the game who advised him to play aggressively.
Hill said after the game, "I actually talked to my dad last night. The thing is we are going to score enough points. I tried to get going and the shots were falling. I have not taken 20-something shots in a while."
Marcin Gortat had 17 points and 11 rebounds while Channing Frye finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the victors. Jared Dudley came off the bench with 15 points, while Steve Nash scored 10 points and grabbed 13 assists for Phoenix, who now have a
30-27 record for the current season.
Danny Granger did all he could as he scored 25 points, pulled down six assists and four rebounds for the Pacers, who lost their second consecutive game. Point guard A.J. Price scored 18 points while forward Tyler Hansbrough contributed 13 points for Indiana,
who lost their 14th home game of the season.
The Suns controlled the first quarter, leading by as many as seven points on the way to a 33-29 lead at the buzzer. Phoenix extended their lead through the second quarter and continued to play to the crowd, taking a 60-51 advantage into the locker room.
The Suns dictated the opposition with their red-hot offence in the third quarter and extended their lead to 82-72, heading into the final stanza. The Pacers came out strong in the fourth quarter as they got the offensive boost from A.J. Price, who had 13
points in the fourth. Indiana successfully converted the 10-point deficit into a 99-99 tie, dragging the contest into overtime.
Josh McRoberts' free throw and a layup shot once again tied the game at 108 with 23.9 seconds remaining. Frye then converted a tiebreaker long jumper as the buzzer sounded to seal the 30thvictory of the season for the Suns.
An excited Frye said after the game, "I was tired. I was like, 'God, if you can let me make this shot ... I have never asked for anything like that before and what do you know? He gives me a game-winner."
Los Angeles Lakers 90 – Oklahoma City Thunders 87
The Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to four games, topping the Oklahoma City Thunders 90-87 at Oklahoma City Arena on Sunday night.
Pau Gasol led the Lakers with a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kobe Bryant had 17 points, while Andrew Bynum added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, who won their 21st road game of the season.
Russell Westbrook played a stellar game for the Thunders as he scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed six assists and as many rebounds in the losing effort. Kevin Durant finished with 21 points, three assists and four rebounds for Oklahoma City, who lost
their third consecutive game.
James Harden had 14 points while guard Thabo Sefolosha posted 10 points for the Thunders, who lost their ninth home game of the season. Oklahoma City controlled the game from the beginning, leading 28-22 after one quarter and 56-51 at half time.
The Lakers came out strongly in the third quarter as they held Oklahoma City to just 5-for-22 shooting and 13 points; the Thunder's lowest point total in any quarter this season. Los Angeles managed to take a 72–69 advantage into the fourth.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson appreciated his team’s defensive comeback in the third quarter. He said, "The third quarter's a time when you have to come out and play well, especially on defence and when the defence is in front of your bench, that makes a difference."
Los Angeles and Oklahoma began the fourth quarter at a crisp pace, using 18 possessions apiece. Kevin and Harden had chances to tie the game in the dying seconds but both their three-point attempts bounced off the rim and Bryant had a turnaround fade away
shot to seal the victory at 90-87.
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