Suns share the ball, beat Wizards again 102-90

By JOSEPH WHITE

WASHINGTON — Jason Richardson scored 22 points, Steve Nash had 17 assists, and the Phoenix Suns maintained their dominance of the Washington Wizards with a 102-90 victory Sunday.

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Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, top, pulls Washington Wizards center Andray Blatche's jersey during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Washington.

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The Suns never trailed in the second half as they beat the Wizards for the sixth straight time, including five in a row at the Verizon Center. Washington last defeated Phoenix nearly three years ago - on Dec. 22. 2006.

Phoenix improved to 6-1, matching the best seven-game start in franchise history. The Wizards have lost four straight.

Phoenix let the Wizards stay close by committing 21 turnovers, but ultimately the Suns controlled the game because they were able to share the ball better, finishing with 30 assists to Washington's 15.

Channing Frye had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Amare Stoudemire added 17 and 12, and Hill 13 and 13 for the Suns, who had all five starters in double figures and have scored 100 points in every game this season. Phoenix wraps up a five-game trip Monday at Philadelphia

Andray Blatche and Gilbert Arenas scored 20 points apiece for the Wizards, but Arenas was only 7 for 22 from the field and had four turnovers. Caron Butler had 19 points, and Randy Foye 16 for Washington.

Frye's 3-pointer gave the Suns an 89-75 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards responded with an 8-0 run that included a pair of layups by Blatche. Brendan Haywood had a chance to cut the lead to four with about 6 minutes to play, but he missed two free throws, swinging the momentum back to Phoenix.

The Suns scored the next seven points to go ahead 96-83, highlighted by Nash's pass that bounced between Blatche's legs and found Stoudemire for a driving dunk. The Wizards didn't get back within double digits until the final minute.

While the Suns could be expected to start slow during an East Coast afternoon game, it was the Wizards who took a little while to wake up. Phoenix grabbed an early six-point lead before Washington came to life with a run late in the first quarter, capped by a top-of-the-key 3-pointer from Arenas just before the buzzer for a 29-26 lead.

The Wizards had a dynamic second quarter spurt that included a steal-and-dunk from Butler, and a drive down the middle by Foye and twisting-on-the-rim dunk by DeShawn Stevenson after a backcourt turnover by the Suns. Washington led by as many as six, but the Suns ended the half with a 17-6 run to lead 56-51 at the break.

NOTES: Phoenix G Leandro Barbosa returned after missing three games with a sore right wrist. ... Stevenson scored his 5,000th point in the first quarter. ... Hill had his fourth double-double of the season; he had five all last season. ... Suns coach Alvin Gentry needed 20 tickets for family members who live in the area. "We got more cousins than the Hatfields," he said.