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Suns kick off lengthy road trip in Toronto

Feb 25, 2011 - 4:17 PM (Sports Network) - The Phoenix Suns will depart the desert for six games, starting with tonight's showdown against the Toronto Raptors from Air Canada Centre.

The Suns will also visit Indiana, New Jersey, Boston, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City, and are 11-14 as the guest this season. They are just two games off the eighth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference and have won eight of their last 11 contests, including Wednesday's 105-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at US Airways Center.

Channing Frye scored 20 points, Jared Dudley posted 17 and Marcin Gortat added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix, which got 13 points and 10 assists from Steve Nash for his 34th double-double.

"I thought we played well," said Suns head coach Alvin Gentry, who collected his 100th career win. "I thought that we just went through that little stretch there where we didn't execute. I think that's the thing I've talked about all year long about consistency. You know, we play well and play well and then we hit the rut where we don't make the best of decisions and things like that -- we get ourselves in trouble. But I think we bailed ourselves out."

Phoenix acquired guard Aaron Brooks from Houston before the NBA's trade deadline and sent guard Goran Dragic to the Space City in return. Brooks could be in the lineup this evening. Nash, meanwhile, will play his 661st career game as a Sun and pass Shawn Marion for fifth on the team's all-time games played list. Nash is also only four assists shy of 9,000.

Gortat's nine double-doubles -- all off the bench -- are the most by a Suns reserve since A.C. Green had 10 during the 1993-94 campaign.

Toronto will continue a four-game homestand tonight and began the residency with a 118-113 victory over the Central Division-leading Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani each scored 24 points, while Amir Johnson notched 17 points and Jose Calderon chipped in six points and 17 assists for the Raptors, who won for the third time in the past eight tries and improved to 11-18 up north this season.

"We needed to win the fourth quarter and that's what we did," said DeRozan.

The Raptors will also host the Mavericks and Hornets on the residency. They are 6-15 against teams from the west this season, including a 5-6 record when playing at Air Canada Centre. Bargnani is averaging 25.6 points this month, while Johnson is posting 11.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over his previous eight games.

Phoenix has won 12 in a row against Toronto and is unbeaten in the past six contests as the guest in this series.