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Suns-Nets Preview

Mar 31, 2010 - 5:35 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Phoenix (48-26) at New Jersey (10-64), 7:30 p.m. EDT

After five months, the New Jersey Nets finally earned their 10th win - a mark that will prevent the team from earning the distinction of the worst in NBA history.

By comparison, the Phoenix Suns nearly have the same number of victories in their last 10 games alone.

Fresh off clinching a playoff berth, the surging Suns look to win their ninth in a row Wednesday night when they visit the Nets.

By earning its eighth straight victory and 16th in 19 games - 111-105 on Tuesday at Chicago - Phoenix (48-26) secured its fifth playoff berth in six years. Despite playing with a sore back and a case of the sniffles, Steve Nash scored seven of his 22 points in the final two minutes and finished with 10 assists.

"If I'm honest, I was taking so many meds for my back and cold that I actually felt a little loopy for most of the game," Nash said.

Jason Richardson scored 27 points Tuesday and Amare Stoudemire added 21 for the Suns, who haven't won nine in a row since a franchise-record 17-game run Dec. 29, 2006-Jan. 28, 2007. The current streak has vaulted them from seventh in the Western Conference to fourth, one-half game ahead of fifth-place Utah.

Phoenix is averaging 120.3 points per game during its eight consecutive victories.

While the Suns are trying to secure home court for a first-round playoff series, the Nets' postseason aspirations ended long ago.

New Jersey (10-64) notched its 10th victory - a mark Phoenix reached in its 12th game - with Monday's 90-84 win over short-handed San Antonio.

While 10 wins are hardly reason to celebrate, Monday's victory means the Nets can no longer tie the worst record in NBA history. New Jersey appeared poised to set the record after opening the season with an NBA-record 18-game losing streak, and reaching the season's midpoint with three wins. However, after Monday's victory - the Nets' third in four games - the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers and their 9-73 mark are assured of remaining in the record books alone.

"We don't want to be a part of the worst team in history, so it's exciting to get 10 wins, but it is 10 wins, you know what I mean?" point guard Devin Harris said. "It's fun. We haven't won that many games, so we are excited to win. We are continuing to move forward."

Brook Lopez, who led New Jersey on Monday with 22 points and 12 rebounds, has been a good indicator of his team's fortunes recently. Lopez is averaging 28.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in the Nets' last three wins, compared to 15.6 points and 6.7 boards in their last nine losses.

Although the Nets have three wins in the last week, they haven't exactly beaten the best teams, defeating Sacramento, Detroit and a Spurs teams without Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

New Jersey is showing some signs of improvement on the defensive end, allowing an average of 94.8 points on 42.7 percent shooting in the last four games after yielding an average of 104.8 points on 50.8 percent shooting in their previous eight - all losses.

In the other meeting between these teams this season, Stoudemire had 27 points and Richardson added 26 in the Suns' 118-94 win Jan. 20 in Phoenix.