FOXNews.com - Scorching Suns Win 15th in a Row

Scorching Suns Win 15th in a Row

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer

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PHOENIX — Make it 15 in a row and counting for the Phoenix Suns. Amare Stoudemire dominated Toronto with 28 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes, and the Suns set a franchise record with their 15th consecutive victory Tuesday night in a 115-98 victory over the Raptors.

The Suns try to extend the NBA's longest winning streak in seven seasons at Denver on Wednesday night.

Stoudemire was 11-for-14 from the field and sat out the final 15 minutes in arguably his most impressive outing since he returned after missing all but three games of last season following microfracture knee surgery.

Steve Nash had 10 points and 15 assists in three quarters for Phoenix, which hasn't lost since an overtime setback at Utah on Nov. 18. Six Suns reached double figures on Tuesday night. Shawn Marion scored 17, Leandro Barbosa 14, Raja Bell 13 and Boris Diaw 12.

The Suns broke the franchise record of 14 straight set Dec. 1-30, 1992. The 15-game streak is the longest in the NBA since the Los Angeles Lakers won 19 in a row from Feb. 4 to March 13, 2000.

T.J. Ford scored 19 for Toronto before leaving in the fourth quarter with a bruised lower back. Top draft pick Andrea Bargnani 18 for the Raptors.

Phoenix led by 27 in the third quarter, when coach Mike D'Antoni began to rest his regulars. Bell scored the first seven points, then Nash and Marion sank 3-pointers in a 17-0 outburst that gave Phoenix a 75-50 with 5:54 to play in the third quarter.

Stoudemire scored 22 points in the first half on 10-of-13 shooting, many of them emphatic dunks on passes from Nash. The Suns' MVP point guard was 0-for-5 shooting in the first half but had 13 assists as Phoenix took a 53-42 lead at the break.

Stoudemire, who made 10 of his first 11 shots, had two spectacular stuffs to ignite a 12-3 run that put Phoenix ahead 49-36 on Bell's 18-footer with 3:12 to play, the only basket for the Suns' starting backcourt in the first half.

Ford had 11 points in the first half for Toronto, playing the opener of a four-game road trip.

Notes:@ According to his agent, Allen Iverson probably won't play for the Nuggets on Wednesday. ... The NBA record for consecutive victories is 33 set by the Lakers from Nov. 5, 1971, to Jan. 7, 1972. ... The Raptors' Jorge Garbajosa left the game in the first half with a right calf strain. ...Toronto's Chris Bosh has missed the last six games with a bruised left knee. ... Nash had nine assists in the first quarter. ... It was the Raptors' first trip to Phoenix since Bryan Colangelo resigned as Suns president for a similar post in Toronto.