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Suns burn bright in third quarter, down Bucks

Mar 5, 2011 - 7:18 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Channing Frye totaled 20 points and nine rebounds and Mickael Pietrus supplied 20 points and eight boards as Phoenix used a huge third quarter to engineer a 102-88 comeback victory over Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

Grant Hill provided 14 points and seven boards, and Marcin Gortat chipped in 13 points and six rebounds for the Suns, who have won five of their last six games. Steve Nash added eight points and 13 assists in the win.

"They are a good team especially if you let them get on the glass and control the pace of the game," said Frye. "In the second half, we played a lot more unselfish and got the shots we wanted."

Phoenix played without guard Vince Carter, who missed the game because of dizziness suffered in a collision with Frye in Wednesday's loss to Boston.

Corey Maggette contributed 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench, and Brandon Jennings tallied 16 points for the Bucks, who have dropped three of their last four contests.

"We had a bunch of breakdowns on both ends," said Milwaukee head coach Scott Skiles. "We kind of go into dribble-mania and then we don't shoot the ball too much and let them have their way."

Trailing 53-45 early in the second half, Phoenix embarked on a 25-4 run to forge a 70-57 advantage and take the lead for good.

Frye's three-point play ignited the surge, which also featured two triples from Hill and one each from Frye, Pietrus and Nash.

Phoenix led by as many as 17 before the Bucks tallied the last four points of the third quarter, trimming their deficit to 76-63.

Two Maggette foul shots got the hosts within 82-73 with just under eight minutes remaining. However, Jared Dudley answered with a layup, and the Bucks didn't get within single digits the rest of the way, falling to the Suns for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings.

The teams were not separated by more than four points in a first quarter that ended with the Bucks on top, 26-22. Jennings scored 11 in the period, including the final two points at the line with 5.1 ticks to go.

Milwaukee's lead fluctuated between two and six points during the entire second stanza and the hosts took a 48-45 advantage into the intermission.

Game Notes

Frye made 7-of-12 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc...Pietrus sank 8-of-14 and made 3-of-7 from long distance as Phoenix hit on 11-of-24 from long range...Maggette made 8-of-12 from the floor...Earl Boykins provided 14 points and three assists as a reserve while Larry Sanders chipped in 10 points and five boards in defeat...Milwaukee made just 3-of-15 from beyond the arc and had only 13 assists on 35 made buckets.