Phoenix (44-13) at Philadelphia (19-38)
Preview Feb 28, 5:00 PM
Wachovia Center
620/92.3
My45
By MIKE VOTTA, STATS Senior Writer
The Phoenix Suns haven't had much trouble on the road this season - especially against the Eastern Conference.
The Suns will try to become the first team in NBA history to win all of their road games against the opposite conference Wednesday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers.
Phoenix (44-13) beat Indiana 103-92 on Tuesday, improving to 14-0 on the road against Eastern Conference teams. The Suns, who won in Atlanta on Sunday, are 23-3 overall on the road since dropping their first four away from home.
Of the 14 wins versus Eastern Conference opponents, six were by double-digit margins and five were decided by five points or fewer. The closest Phoenix came to losing was Jan. 2 at Chicago, where Boris Diaw made a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds to play in a 97-96 victory.
Reigning two-time MVP Steve Nash also rallied Phoenix to a 100-98 win at Toronto on Jan. 3, and had a career-high 42 points - including a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to tie the game - in helping the Suns outlast the New Jersey Nets 161-157 in double overtime on Dec. 7.
If recent history is any indication, the Suns have a good chance at completing the unprecedented road sweep. They have won five straight and eight of nine overall against the 76ers, including three of their last four in Philadelphia.
The Sixers (19-38) own the third-worst record in the league and have lost five of their last seven games. They have won their last two home games but are just 11-15 at the Wachovia Center.
Only one team in NBA has gone through a season with only one road loss against the opposite conference - the 1982-83 76ers, who went on to win the championship.
The Suns, who have reeled off four road wins in their current five-game overall winning streak, lead the NBA with 110.9 points per game. However, they won with defense on Tuesday, holding the Pacers to just 13 points over the final 15 minutes.
"Really, we just finally woke up," said Nash, who had team highs of 25 points and 11 assists. "We were sleepwalking and couldn't make any shots for a long stretch. We finally picked up our defense and made some shots."
Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and 18 rebounds, and Shawn Marion added 22 points for Phoenix, which rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit. Stoudemire, who was named the Western Conference player of the week on Monday, was coming off a 43-point effort in Sunday's victory.
"I've never seen a team that is able to play their style of game at their level," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "Nash is certainly the key guy, but they've got the right players around him."
The 76ers are coming off Monday's 89-82 win over the Sacramento Kings. Samuel Dalembert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, and Andre Iguodala - who leads the team with 17.6 points per game - had 22 points.
The win was encouraging for the Sixers, who are hoping they can rebuild their struggling team around Dalembert, Iguodala and Andre Miller, who had 18 points.
"I love the things that we're doing with the development of our young guys," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "I love coaching them. They go out on the floor and do the things that we ask them to do."
Monday's game opened a six-game homestand for the Sixers, who opened February with a 3-4 homestand.
Preview Feb 28, 5:00 PM
Wachovia Center
620/92.3
My45
By MIKE VOTTA, STATS Senior Writer
The Phoenix Suns haven't had much trouble on the road this season - especially against the Eastern Conference.
The Suns will try to become the first team in NBA history to win all of their road games against the opposite conference Wednesday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers.
Phoenix (44-13) beat Indiana 103-92 on Tuesday, improving to 14-0 on the road against Eastern Conference teams. The Suns, who won in Atlanta on Sunday, are 23-3 overall on the road since dropping their first four away from home.
Of the 14 wins versus Eastern Conference opponents, six were by double-digit margins and five were decided by five points or fewer. The closest Phoenix came to losing was Jan. 2 at Chicago, where Boris Diaw made a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds to play in a 97-96 victory.
Reigning two-time MVP Steve Nash also rallied Phoenix to a 100-98 win at Toronto on Jan. 3, and had a career-high 42 points - including a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to tie the game - in helping the Suns outlast the New Jersey Nets 161-157 in double overtime on Dec. 7.
If recent history is any indication, the Suns have a good chance at completing the unprecedented road sweep. They have won five straight and eight of nine overall against the 76ers, including three of their last four in Philadelphia.
The Sixers (19-38) own the third-worst record in the league and have lost five of their last seven games. They have won their last two home games but are just 11-15 at the Wachovia Center.
Only one team in NBA has gone through a season with only one road loss against the opposite conference - the 1982-83 76ers, who went on to win the championship.
The Suns, who have reeled off four road wins in their current five-game overall winning streak, lead the NBA with 110.9 points per game. However, they won with defense on Tuesday, holding the Pacers to just 13 points over the final 15 minutes.
"Really, we just finally woke up," said Nash, who had team highs of 25 points and 11 assists. "We were sleepwalking and couldn't make any shots for a long stretch. We finally picked up our defense and made some shots."
Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and 18 rebounds, and Shawn Marion added 22 points for Phoenix, which rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit. Stoudemire, who was named the Western Conference player of the week on Monday, was coming off a 43-point effort in Sunday's victory.
"I've never seen a team that is able to play their style of game at their level," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "Nash is certainly the key guy, but they've got the right players around him."
The 76ers are coming off Monday's 89-82 win over the Sacramento Kings. Samuel Dalembert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, and Andre Iguodala - who leads the team with 17.6 points per game - had 22 points.
The win was encouraging for the Sixers, who are hoping they can rebuild their struggling team around Dalembert, Iguodala and Andre Miller, who had 18 points.
"I love the things that we're doing with the development of our young guys," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "I love coaching them. They go out on the floor and do the things that we ask them to do."
Monday's game opened a six-game homestand for the Sixers, who opened February with a 3-4 homestand.
