Suns eclipse Hawks for sixth straight win (Reuters) Updated: 2005-12-05 12:41
Johnson had a sensational first half, scoring 21 points. After missing his
first three field goal attempts, he hit eight in a row.
Portland Trail
Blazers center Ha Seung-jin of South Korea (L) battles for rebound
position with Utah Jazz forward Jarron Collins during the first quarter of
their NBA game in Portland, Oregon December 4, 2005.
[Reuters] | Still, his effort wasn't good enough,
as the Suns had a 57-36 lead at halftime, with the help of Marion's 16 points,
Jones' 13 and Diaw's 10.
The Suns virtually put the game away in the opening quarter, outscoring the
Hawks 25-10, Atlanta's fewest points in any period this season. During that
12-minute stretch, Atlanta was 4-of-20 from the field, including 0-for-7 by
Tyronn Lue. Atlanta also had seven turnovers, leading to 12 Phoenix points, and
by halftime, the Hawks had 12 turnovers, four by Johnson, helping the Suns score
18 points.
Phoenix held Johnson to two points in the third quarter and increased its
advantage to 37 points, 88-51, by the end of the period. The turnover parade
continued, with Atlanta committing nine more, leading to 11 Phoenix points.
The Suns, who had an 11-0 run spanning the first and second periods, had a
13-0 spree in the third quarter.
Suns eclipse Hawks for sixth straight win
PHOENIX - James Jones scored a season-high 20 points and Shawn Marion also
had 20 to lead the Phoenix Suns to their sixth consecutive victory, 112-94 over
the Atlanta Hawks and former teammate Joe Johnson on Sunday night.
The
Suns' winning streak is the longest in the NBA and lifted them within a half-
game of Pacific Division co-leaders Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State. It
also Phoenix's sixth straight home victory and the eighth game in a row the Suns
have held an opponent under 100 points.
Johnson, who went from Phoenix to Atlanta 3 1/2 months ago, scored 23 points
in his first game with the Hawks against his former team, but sat out the final
15 minutes when the outcome was no longer was in doubt.
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