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Nash, Suns host Jazz, look to beat another Western power

Feb 3, 2007 - 6:29 PM Utah (30-17) at Phoenix (37-9) 9:00 pm EST

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Suns want to prove they can handle all comers in the Western Conference when they host the Midwest Division-leading Utah Jazz on Saturday.

After its 17-game winning streak was snapped at Minnesota on Monday, Phoenix responded on Thursday, beating San Antonio, 103-87.

Reserve Leandro Barbosa scored 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and Amare Stoudemire had 24 points and a career-high 23 rebounds for the Suns, who have won 10 straight home games and 19 of 20.

Steve Nash had 13 points and handed out 11 assists and Shawn Marion added 12 and 12 boards for Phoenix, which has had its problems with Utah, losing three straight.

Two of those losses to the Jazz came in November during the Suns' 3-6 start.

Utah posted a 97-93 home victory over San Antonio on Wednesday. Mehmet Okur scored 31 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who have also won three of their last four on the road.

The contest with the Spurs marked the first the Jazz played without All-Star forward Carlos Boozer, who will miss the next four to five weeks with a broken left leg. The 25-year-old was averaging career highs of 22.1 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the floor.

Helping fill in for Boozer, rookie Paul Millsap had 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Deron Williams added 14 points and seven assists for the Jazz, who have won four of the last seven games vs. the Suns in Phoenix.