Wizards can't solve Suns' curse

Phoenix, AZ – Steve Nash had 12 points, 11 assists and seven 88 victory at US Airways Center.

Marcin Gortat added 20 points, while Channing Frye finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, who haven't lost to the Wizards since dropping a 144-139 overtime decision on December 22, 2006.

Jordan Crawford netted 20 points off the bench to pace Washington, which has dropped three straight. JaVale McGee, John Wall and Roger Mason Jr. each scored 10 points in a losing effort.

Washington trailed, 53-48, at the half, but opened the third quarter with a 7-1 run to take its first lead of the contest, 55-54, on Trevor Booker's three-point play.

But that lead would be shortlived, as the Suns ripped off 16 straight points to jump out to a 70-55 lead and never looked back. Nash had four points and two assists in the game-changing run, which he capped with a mid-range jumper with just under four minutes left in the third.

The Wizards never threatened again. Phoenix's lead stretched to as much as 25 in the third before Crawford made 1-of-2 free throws with 22 seconds left in the third to make it an 85-61 game after three.

Washington trailed by at least 16 and by as much as 26 in the final frame as the Suns cruised to their second straight win on the heels of a four-game losing streak.

The Suns opened the game with a 7-2 run to jump out to the early lead, but Washington responded with an 8-3 spurt to knot the game at 10 with just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Phoenix, though, recorded the game's next nine points to retake control.

Crawford stopped the swing with a jumper and followed that with a three- pointer to close the gap to two, 19-17, but the Suns scored 12 of the quarter's last 20 points and held a 31-25 advantage at the end of the first.

McGee recorded six points as the Wizards started the second quarter with a 9-5 spurt to knot the game at 36.

However, the Suns responded with a 9-2 run and kept the Wizards at arm's length for the remainder of the half en route to a 53-48 advantage at the break.

Game Notes

Washington ended a five-game road trip with a 2-3 record. The Wizards haven't finished a road trip of four or more games with a .500 record or better since taking 3-of-4 from December 17-22, 2006...Phoenix improved to 7-8 at home, while Washington fell to 3-13 on the road this season...The Suns recorded 19 points off 17 Washington turnovers...Phoenix turned the ball over 14 times, leading to 18 Washington points.