• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Nash helps Suns down Cavs

Jan 10, 2011 - 4:33 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Steve Nash notched his 19th double-double of the season with 20 points and 17 assists, as the Phoenix Suns topped the Cleveland Cavaliers, 108-100, at US Airways Center.

Jared Dudley finished with 21 points and Vince Carter added 19 points for Phoenix, which played most of the game without guard Grant Hill.

Hill was running down the court in the opening minutes of the first quarter looking for an outlet pass. He fell to the ground after making contact with Cleveland's Manny Harris, immediately grabbing his right knee. After being helped to the locker room, the team announced Hill suffered a mild right knee sprain and did not return.

Harris led Cleveland with a game-high 27 points. Both J.J. Hickson and Antawn Jamison finished with 23 points for the Cavs, who are 0-2 on a five-game road swing and have dropped their last 10 overall.

"I am extremely happy with the effort," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "I thought our guys played their butts off and played extremely hard."

Hickson grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds and Mo Williams dished out 12 assists for the shorthanded Cavs.

Cleveland is still without guards Daniel Gibson (left ankle) and Anthony Parker (back). The team also announced that center Anderson Varejao will miss the remainder of the season with a torn peroneus longus tendon in his right ankle.

The Suns led 95-94 inside the final five minutes. Dudley made the first of two from the line with 3:38 left to start an 11-2 run, capped by a Hakim Warrick bank-shot inside the final minute, and the Suns never looked back.

Hickson and Jamison both connected on layups inside the final half minute to trim their deficit to six, 106-100, but Nash iced two from the line with 7.7 ticks remaining to account for the final margin.

"We just needed to find a way to win a game," Nash said. "It was hard for us. I don't know if we played our best, we played hard and we found a way to scrap and win and sometimes that's what you got to do."

The game was tied at 26 after the opening 12 minutes, and Cleveland took a 52-51 lead into the half after a back-and-forth second quarter.

Phoenix was up 79-71 inside the final three minutes of the third, but an Alonzo Gee layup at 2:24 started a 10-2 Cleveland run to end the quarter. Gee capped the run with a three-pointer and free throw to send the game into the fourth tied at 81.

Game Notes

Cleveland will visit the Lakers, Jazz and Nuggets to complete the road swing...Harris' 27 points were a career-high...The Cavs scored 23 points on the fastbreak...The Suns snapped a three-game skid...Channing Frye finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Robin Lopez added 15 points and three blocks for the victors...Nash's 19th double-double leads all NBA guards this season...Phoenix notched a season-high 10 blocks as a team.