Phoenix Suns snap three-game skid on Steve Nash’s return
Phoenix Suns snapped their three-game losing skid when they hammered out a 123-116 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday 22 November at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Steve Nash, who missed the team’s last two games with sore groin, had an impressive comeback as he scored 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting and dished out nine assists, providing the leadership
that the Suns were looking for in their last two assignments.
“I had it in my mind that I wanted to play, so I was working every day to try to get ready,” said Nash on his injury. “I felt like I made strides. I went through the day, trying to play,
I got here, went through my routine and I was ready. The soreness is gone and It's a combination of moving properly again.”
Jason Richardson had a team-high 26 points; Grant Hill had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Channing Frye and Hedo Turkoglu added 15 points apiece, with the latter adding eight rebounds
for the Suns, who had six double-digit scorers in the game, thanks to Nash’s play-making prowess.
“Guys are used to playing with him,” said Richardson, who shot 7-for-11 from the field. “He makes the game easier for everybody. You see everybody was scoring, everybody got easier touches.”
With Nash starting the game, Phoenix played like a well-oiled machine as they converted 13 of their first 19 shots in the game, although the Rockets managed to stay within striking distance,
before the Suns pulled away in the second quarter, ending the half with a 59-45 lead.
The Rockets unleashed a huge rally in the third period as they pulled within two points, 74-72, but the Suns quickly countered with a 14-2 run to grab a 90-76 lead heading into the final
quarter, where they held on to their lead, overcoming several comeback attempts by Houston.
“It was a good win for us, a much-needed win,” said Suns head coach Alvin Gentry. “With Steve on the floor, we're going to flow better and everybody seemed to be a lot more confident. He
is everything. He's the engine that drives the car.”
Kevin Martin led the Rockets with his 19 points, while Luis Scola added 16 points and nine rebounds, but their efforts were not enough as the Rockets dropped their tenth of their first 13
games this season.
“We made a really big push in the third quarter,” said Scola, who shot 8-for-17 from the field. “We came back and tried. We were really, really close.”
Meanwhile, Nash’s 24-point performance made him the 16th active NBA player to score 15,000 career points. He reached the feat when he converted a 17-foot jumper in 6:05 mark of the final
period.
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