Phoenix, AZ – Luis Scola scored 21 points and dished out nine assists, helping the Phoenix Suns hold off the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-89, on Wednesday.
Goran Dragic added 20 points and six assists for the Suns, who snapped a six- game losing streak. Marcin Gortat donated a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
"If you look at tonight I think you just have to say it was a total team effort," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry remarked.
Jrue Holiday recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 10 boards and 10 assists for the Sixers, who fell to 2-4 on an eight-game road trip. Thaddeus Young and Dorell Wright donated 14 points apiece. Young also pulled down 10 rebounds.
"We were playing uphill, played a very fatigued game, which is disappointing, and hung around and still had a chance to win the game," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "The inconsistency just comes back to haunt us every night."
Trailing by seven, 87-80, with over three minutes to play, Holiday made a 3- pointer to pull the Sixers within three.
Shannon Brown missed a shot from beyond the arc on Phoenix's ensuing possession. After P.J. Tucker pulled down a big offensive rebound, Brown turned the ball over.
Wright followed with an alley-oop layup off a pass from Holiday, cutting the deficit to 87-85 with 2:19 to go.
Dragic made two free throws and Tucker made a jumper around a Holiday turnover to make it a 91-85 contest.
Philadelphia never got closer than four the rest of the way.
With the score tied at 20 late in the first quarter, Phoenix scored six straight points. The Suns took a 31-24 lead into the second stanza.
The Sixers took a 41-37 lead on consecutive 3-pointers from Wright and Nick Young with 5:22 remaining until half. Philadelphia held a 49-48 margin at the break.
The Suns used a big third period to take the lead back. Ahead by one, 60-59, Phoenix closed out the frame on a 15-7 run. Scola and Brown tallied eight and six points, respectively, during the burst to give the Suns a 75-66 margin heading to the fourth.
Game Notes
Philadelphia had won four straight against the Suns ... Brown had 12 points ... It was the second triple-double of Holiday's career ... The Sixers turned the ball over 17 times, leading to 14 Phoenix points.