Steve Nash’s 24 points help Phoenix Suns destroy Atlanta Hawks 99 – 90: NBA Recap
Steve Nash is in the twilight of his career, however the 38 year old swingman has not lost his magic touch as he once again proved to be among the best in the league. Nash’s performance helped the visiting Suns defeat the Atlanta
Hawks 99-90, at Philips Arena on Monday night.
On the eve of his 38th birthday, the veteran point guard guided the Phoenix Suns to their 10th victory of the season by scoring an impressive 24 points and 11 assists in an effort that included 4-of-4 from
beyond the arc.
"He's still one of the better point guards in the league," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "He's very crafty. He gets the ball to the open man. He's still making shots. He's 38, but you'd never know it when you watch him play."
Channing Frye was also phenomenal as he barely missed a double-double with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Jared Dudley and reserve Michael Redd both amassed 10 points apiece while Sebastian Telfair netted 9 points in the 16:52 minutes
he spent on the field.
The Suns were accurate with their shooting and netted 51.9% from the floor and 85.7% from the charity stripe. They committed 15 turnovers in the game but that did not go on to hurt them.
Josh Smith paced the Hawks with 18 points on 5 for 6 from free throw line; Joe Johnson scored 17 whereas Willie Green had 14 coming off the bench.
The Suns outplayed the Hawks right from the jump ball. With the Hawks looking to protect the glass, Phoenix took 27-23 lead by the end of first quarter relying mostly upon jump shots. They shot 4 for 6 beyond the arc and 8-for-12
from outside the paint in that frame.
In the second period, Phoenix reeled of a 16-4 run that put them ahead 43-27 with 06:07 remaining on the clock. Although the Hawks shaved off the lead somewhat, the Suns proceeded comfortably into half time with a 55-48 lead.
The first half deficit never allowed Hawks to get ahead of the visitors, but early in the second, with back to back 3 pointers by Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, Atlanta clawed the lead down to just 2 points.
The Suns however launched a ferocious attack, with Nash leading from the front, and were up by a mammoth lead of 20 points 84-64 by the end of third frame.
The Hawks tried to redeem the deficit by making a 21-10 run in the decisive quarter that reduced the gap to 85-94 with 03:20 in hand. That didn't suffice though as Atlanta failed to make the final push.
The loss means that the Hawks suffered their third straight loss at home. The Suns who played most of the 4th quarter without their starters recorded their second straight victory on the other hand.
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