• Recap
• Bleachers

Barnes lifts Suns over Bobcats in double overtime

Oct 21, 2008 - 5:59 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Matt Barnes helped keep the Charlotte Bobcats winless this preseason. The well-traveled swingman scored two baskets over the last 31 seconds to lift the Phoenix Suns to a 111-108, double-overtime victory over the Bobcats on Monday.

Barnes, who signed a one-year contract with the Suns this offseason, continued his impressive preseason, collecting 18 points and seven rebounds. But none of his eight field goals were bigger than his last two. With the Suns trailing, 108-107, Barnes buried a turnaround jumper off the glass to give his new club a one-point lead.

After D.J. Augustin's go-ahead attempt from beyond the arc misfired, the Suns avoided the inevitable intentional foul and Barnes tipped in Louis Amundson's miss with two seconds remaining to make it 111-108, capping a 6-0 run and effectively sealing the win.

Over the last 2:44 of game time, the Bobcats (0-6) went 0-for-3 from the field and committed four turnovers - including an 8-second violation and Raymond Felton's misstep out of bounds on their final possession. In dropping their sixth straight game, the Bobcats blew chances in regulation and both overtime periods.

The Suns (3-2) scored the last three points of regulation to send the game into overtime and, after falling behind by six with 2:31 remaining in the first extra period, staged an 8-2 run capped by Amundson's game-tying dunk with 32 seconds on the clock.

But for a messy offensive showing for both clubs, the Bobcats' mistakes outweighed their counterparts. Augustin, the team's rookie point guard selected ninth overall out of Texas, scored 19 points but shot just 4-of-20 from the field.

The two clubs combined for 47 turnovers, including 25 by the Suns.

Shaquille O'Neal posted 18 points and nine boards for Phoenix, while Emeka Okafor collected 12 and 10 boards for Charlotte.

The Suns were without All-Star point guard Steve Nash, who is nursing a sprained right ankle.