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Dickau's free throws help Suns beat 76ers

Oct 17, 2009 - 5:07 AM PHOENIX(AP) -- Dan Dickau hit six free throws in the final minute and the Phoenix Suns, after squandering an 18-point fourth-quarter lead, held off Philadelphia 115-113 on Friday night, the 76ers' first loss in five exhibition games.

Phoenix (3-2) led 98-80 with 8:18 remaining, but the 76ers, behind Marreese Speights and Lou Williams, rallied to take a 106-104 lead with 1:58 remaining on a dunk by Speights, who finished with 32 points.

Carlos Powell's three-point play gave the Suns a one-point lead, before the 76ers regained the lead for the last time on a three-point play by Willie Green.

With a minute left, Dickau converted one of two foul shots, then 22 seconds later, he made three free throws, giving the Suns a 111-109 lead. With 18.1 seconds to go, Dickau was fouled again, and connected on two free throws.

Williams, who had 27 points, followed with a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to 113-112. Goran Dragic completed Phoenix's scoring with two more free throws, before Williams made one foul shot, then missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Channing Frye led Phoenix with 17 points, while Leandro Barbosa, Amare Stoudemire and Jason Richardson all scored 16. Stoudemire had 12 rebounds and Steve Nash had 10 assists.

Speights had 12 rebounds.

Frye, an offseason acquisition signed as a free agent, showed his versatility in the first half when he scored all his points on a variety of shots, hitting 7 of 8. He scored on three 3s, a hook, a drive, a follow and a jumper.

With their first team on the court, the Suns blitzed the 76ers early, at one stretch producing an 11-0 run and opening a 29-14 lead with a minute remaining in the first quarter. While their offense was clicking, so was their defense.

During the period, they held three of Philadelphia's starters - Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert - without a field goal in 10 attempts. By halftime, none of the three had made a basket in 12 tries. None started the second half.

After the Suns' early burst, the 76ers brought in their second team, and, led by Speights and Smith, they sparked a comeback that whittled Phoenix's lead to 41-40 with 7:15 left in the second quarter.

Frye followed with two baskets, including a 3, and Richardson hit two free throws, restoring Phoenix's lead to 48-40. The Suns led 60-52 at halftime.

The 76ers' Thaddeus Young was helped off the court with 4:56 to go in the first period when he was accidentally poked in the right eye by Grant Hill. Young sustained a laceration, but returned to the game with 6:42 remaining in the second quarter, sporting a bandage near the eye.

The Suns opened an 84-65 lead on a vicious slam by Stoudemire, off a behind-the-back pass by Jared Dudley.

The 76ers kept Iguodala and Dalembert on the bench during the third quarter, although Brand returned and finally connected on a field goal, his first in seven shots.

NOTES: Suns coach Alvin Gentry estimates that Stoudemire is only about 60 percent healthy as the power forward recovers from eye surgery last February that caused him to miss the season's final 29 games. ... The Suns' Robin Lopez (broken left foot) and the 76ers' Rodney Carney (left hamstring strain) missed the game. ... The teams meet again Sunday at Monterrey, Mexico.