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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- Phoenix Suns coach Scott Skiles has been
preaching the value of playing good defense, and his players are
becoming believers.
Suns reserve Rodney Rogers scored a game-high 17 points as the
Suns routed the Denver Nuggets 86-67 Tuesday night in their best
defensive effort in 25 years.
|  | | Suns guard Jason Kidd attempts to inbound the ball over the defense of Denver's Nick Van Exel. |
The 67 points were the fewest allowed by the Suns since an 88-65
victory over the Chicago Bulls on March 6, 1975. Phoenix also set a
franchise mark for fewest points allowed in a half, holding Denver
to 25 first-half points on 10-of-40 shooting.
"We just played defense," said Jason Kidd, who had 10 points
and six assists while playing just 27 minutes. "That's been the
hot topic and our biggest weakness. When you play hard and you play
defense, the offense will take care of itself."
The Suns' season-high seventh win and eighth straight home win
moved them into sole possession of fourth place in the Western
Conference, a half-game ahead of the Utah Jazz. The Suns had been
in eighth as recently as Jan. 31.
"We've been waiting for this kind of streak," said Tom
Gugliotta, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. "We're enjoying
it right now. We're starting to relax and play without thinking
about everything we do."
Clifford Robinson added 12 points for the Suns, who outscored
the Nuggets 43-16 in the final 20 minutes of the first half en
route to a 25-point halftime lead.
"We're playing good defense right now," said Skiles, who is
20-12 since taking over for Danny Ainge on Dec. 13. "We're playing
hard and want to keep it going. We don't want to feel like we've
accomplished anything because we haven't accomplished anything."
The Nuggets' nine second-quarter points also were a season low.
Denver was just 3-of-14 from the floor in the period and had only
one field goal over the final 6:56 of the first half.
"We had no chance at all from the beginning of the game," said
McDyess, who scored 10 of the Nuggets' first-half points and
finished with 12 despite shooting 4-of-13. "They jumped right on
us and before I knew it, we were down 25."
James Posey led the Nuggets with 14.
McDyess scored six of Denver's first nine points, including a
rim-rattling dunk that gave the Nuggets a 9-7 lead with 8:32 left
in the first quarter.
Gugliotta gave the Suns the lead for good two minutes later on a
15-foot jumper from the baseline.
Robinson, who scored 50 in the last meeting in Phoenix, hit a
pair of 3-pointers and Rogers and Jason Kidd also had 3-pointers as
the Suns closed the quarter with a 14-4 run for a 29-16 lead.
"Our shots weren't going in early and we got real frustrated
with that and we quit playing the rest of the game," Nuggets coach
Dan Issel said. "This was one of those nights when you're happy
they can only count it as one loss."
The Suns led 75-37 after three quarters and by as many as 40 in
the fourth.
"You don't see us making the same mistakes," Robinson said.
"If we make a mistake, we adjust from it. We're going in the right
direction."
Game notes
The Nuggets were coming off a 123-117 overtime victory over
Sacramento in which both McDyess and Nick Van Exel played more than
45 minutes. ... Suns center Luc Longley did not dress because of
flu-like symptoms. ... McDyess, traded to the Suns before the
1997-98 season before going back to Denver as a free agent, was
booed lustily during pregame introductions.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Denver Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Washington 126
Milwaukee 101
LA Lakers 97
New Jersey 89
Charlotte 102
Houston 97
Minnesota 112
Golden State 89
Vancouver 85
Chicago 81
Phoenix 86
Denver 67
Seattle 127
Orlando 91
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