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Sports

Gortat, Morris each score 22 as Suns top Cavs

Associated Press
Published | Updated

CLEVELAND – Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris scored 22 points apiece and the Phoenix Suns never trailed in a 108-83 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Steve Nash added 13 assists for the Suns, who have won six of eight to get back into the Western Conference playoff race. Phoenix improved to 11-4 since the All-Star break.

Rookie Kyrie Irving scored 16 points for Cleveland, which has lost six of seven.

Gortat scored the game's first 10 points, including two dunks and three layups, to push Phoenix out to a 12-0 lead. Cleveland finally scored when Irving hit a 3-pointer 8:21 into the game.

Nash, who didn't play in the fourth quarter, finished with four points and made his only two shots from the field in 29 minutes. He didn't attempt a shot until hitting a layup with 31 seconds left in the second quarter.

Nash had eight assists in the first half, matching Cleveland's team total for the first two quarters. The 16-year veteran recorded his 31st double-figure assist game of the season and leads the league in that category. Nash matched his season high with 17 assists Friday against Milwaukee.

Cleveland cut the lead to 33-31 early in the second quarter, but Phoenix scored the next nine points to regain control. The half ended on Shannon Brown's breakaway dunk that gave the Suns a 59-38 lead.

Gortat was 10 of 16 from the field and had eight rebounds. Morris, who had a career high in points, shot 9 of 12. Brown added 16 points for the Suns, whose biggest lead was 106-78 in the game's closing minutes. The Suns shot 51.2 percent for the game.

Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison, who sustained a bruised left leg and ankle in the first quarter, finished with a season-low two points. He was injured while battling Gortat for a rebound. The players fell to the floor, with Gortat landing on Jamison's leg. Jamison was on the floor for several minutes clutching his leg, but walked to the locker room on his own.

Jamison, Cleveland's second-leading scorer with an 18.4 average, returned in the second quarter. Jamison had his lowest point total since being held scoreless on Jan. 13, 2006 against Indiana while playing for Washington.

Omri Casspi scored 14 points for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers climbed back into the Eastern playoff race earlier this month with a three-game winning streak, including back-to-back road victories against Denver and Oklahoma City. Cleveland has struggled since then, with four of its six losses coming by double figures.

NOTES: Nash has had 17 assists four times this season. ... Phoenix finished 2-2 on its four-game road trip and is 10-14 away from home. ... The Suns host San Antonio on Tuesday. ... Cavaliers G Daniel Gibson missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... F Luke Walton scored his first points with Cleveland since being acquired from the Lakers on March 15 with a basket in the second quarter. He finished with seven points.