|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- Shawn Marion scored so often and soared so high that teammate Jason Kidd's triple-double was almost an
afterthought.
|  | | Shawn Marion soared all over America West Arena, scoring an oft-spectacular 38 points. |
The second-year forward set a career high for the second night
in a row with 38 points and Kidd got his sixth triple-double of the
season as the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-96
Wednesday.
"A triple-double isn't anything," Kidd said. "What Shawn did
tonight was very impressive."
Marion, who had 28 points and 13 rebounds in Phoenix's victory at Golden State on Tuesday, scored 27 in the second half Wednesday, 11 in the last three minutes. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.
"Shawn's only 22 years old," Kidd said. "The talent that he has, the work ethic and where he wants to end up at the end of his career, he has it all. I'm just happy he's on my side."
Marion was 15-for-22 from the field and 8-for-8 at the foul
line.
"Man, it was just my teammates and the flow of the game," he said. "It was just going my way. My teammates were giving me the ball where I could put it in the hole, and I was just doing it."
Kidd had 19 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. His 10th rebound -- and 37th career triple-double -- came on Minnesota's final shot with one second to play.
LaPhonso Ellis had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Kevin Garnett
20 points and 12 boards for the Timberwolves, who have lost two in
a row after Portland snapped their 11-game winning streak Tuesday
night.
Terrell Brandon added 19 points and 13 assists for the
Timberwolves.
Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said it was an improvement over
his team's play in Portland.
"The one thing we couldn't do was stop Marion," Saunders said.
"You don't want a guy to have a monster game against you and 38
points is a monster game."
The Timberwolves' Wally Szczerbiak said the team lost its
momentum when the All-Star break came.
"Coming off the break we're just not mentally in tune with playing Timberwolves basketball," he said. "We've just got to get that back. It came with playing well and playing with a confidence level and a swagger."
Neither team led by more than eight points until the Suns pulled
away at the finish.
Brandon's 11-foot jumper capped a 7-0 run and gave the
Timberwolves an 87-86 lead with 4:10 to play.
Cliff Robinson, who scored nine of his 19 in the fourth quarter, put Phoenix up for good, 88-87, with two free throws with 3:51 to go. He then scored on a drive to make it 90-87 with 3:21 remaining.
Marion scored the next 11 points for Phoenix, seven of them unanswered.
The most spectacular came when he leaped all the way from the
free throw line for a one-handed slam on a rebound of his own miss
to put Phoenix ahead 95-87 with 2:16 to go.
Could he jump any farther?
"A little bit, maybe," he said with a smile.
Marion's two free throws with 1:51 to play made it 97-87.
When Marion has a slam-dunk, he never mugs for the camera or
showboats.
"He's been up that high plenty of times," Kidd said. "If it was rare for him to jump up there, he might do a little bit more showboating. He's not out to embarrass anybody. He's out there to play hard."
It was one of the best-played games of the season at America
West Arena.
"Everyone was involved tonight," Phoenix coach Scott Skiles
said. "But Shawn and J made some great plays down the stretch."
Minnesota scored the last seven points of the first half to take
a 50-45 lead at the break.
The Suns had led by as many as eight in the first half behind
Kidd's 11 points -- all in the first quarter -- six rebounds and
three assists.
LaPhonso Ellis had 10 points and four rebounds in the second quarter for Minnesota. Garnett, who had 11 and 14 points in his two previous games against Phoenix, scored 11 in the first half.
Marion scored 12 in the third quarter, six in the last 1:40, as the Suns took a 71-67 lead into the fourth.
Game notes
The Suns were without Tom Gugliotta, whose mother, Helen,
died of emphysema on Wednesday. Gugliotta flew to New York and the
funeral will be held Monday. ... The Suns don't play again until
Sunday, when they begin a four-game road trip in Philadelphia. ...
Minnesota is 2-1 against Phoenix to already clinch the season
series. ... Marion has double-doubles in seven of his last eight
games. ... Kidd is five behind Fat Lever for fifth place on the
career triple-double list.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Milwaukee 102
Atlanta 98
Detroit 105
New Jersey 86
Orlando 114
LA Clippers 101
Philadelphia 112
LA Lakers 97
Phoenix 104
Minnesota 96
Utah 106
New York 90
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kevin Garnett Official Site
|
