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Hill scores 30, Suns edge Thunder

Dec 20, 2010 - 7:59 AM Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Grant Hill scored a game-high 30 points with 11 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns edged the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-110 at Oklahoma City Arena.

Steve Nash also notched a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists and Robin Lopez contributed 19 points for the Suns, who have won two of three on the heels of a three-game skid.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 28 points and Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison each scored 19 for Oklahoma City, which had a five-game winning streak snapped. Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden both scored 11 in the loss.

"It wasn't the way we wanted to finish our homestand," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "We didn't play the defense we needed to win an NBA basketball game ... We couldn't stop them when we needed to."

A Josh Childress reverse layup with 3:18 left gave Phoenix a 104-100 lead, and after a Durant offensive foul, Channing Frye's thundering slam put Phoenix up six.

Westbrook made 1-of-2 from the line and Durant hit a short jumper at the two- minute mark to cut Phoenix's lead to 106-103. The teams then traded baskets and trips to the line in the final minute.

With the Suns still up by three, the Thunder called a timeout with 9.6 seconds left in order to advance the ball to midcourt. But the referees ruled that Durant dribbled before the timeout was called, so Oklahoma City did not move up.

After the inbound, Westbrook was just beyond the three-point line on the left side when he was fouled by Goran Dragic. While it appeared to be the continuation of a shot, Westbrook was awarded two shots and made both to make it a one point game, 110-109.

However, Nash sank two from the stripe and the Suns fouled Eric Maynor with 3.3 ticks left. After Maynor made the first he intentionally missed the second, but the ball bounced to Frye, who was fouled. He made one from the line with 2.4 on the clock and missed the second, but Green's long three-point try missed.

Phoenix held a 25-23 advantage after a back-and-forth first quarter, and took a 54-45 lead into the half behind a 65-percent shooting effort in the second quarter.

The Suns lead remained around 10 in the opening minutes of the third, but a Collison layup with 3:07 left began an 11-0 run that gave Oklahoma City its first lead of the game, 83-80. The Thunder took an 85-82 lead into the final stanza.

"They were going to make a run," said Suns head coach Alvin Gentry. "I didn't quite want it to be a 40-point quarter. But you knew that they were going to make some shots."

Game Notes

Oklahoma City converted 20 Phoenix turnovers into 21 points...Both teams scored 44 points in the paint...The Suns will conclude a three-game road trip in San Antonio on Monday...Phoenix dressed only nine players as they await the arrival of Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus, who were acquired from Orlando on Saturday...Childress finished with 10 points in a reserve role for Phoenix.