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Suns close out road trip in OKC

Mar 6, 2011 - 3:54 PM (Sports Network) - The Phoenix Suns take their playoff push to Oklahoma City for the finale of a six-game road trip against Kevin Durant and the Thunder.

The Suns improved to an impressive 4-1 on the trek Friday in Milwaukee when Channing Frye totaled 20 points and nine rebounds and Mickael Pietrus supplied 20 points and eight boards as Phoenix used a huge third quarter to engineer a 102-88 comeback victory over Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

Grant Hill provided 14 points and seven boards, and Marcin Gortat chipped in 13 points and six rebounds for the Suns, who have won five of their last six games overall. Steve Nash added eight points and 13 assists in the win.

"They are a good team especially if you let them get on the glass and control the pace of the game," said Frye. "In the second half, we played a lot more unselfish and got the shots we wanted."

Phoenix played without guard Vince Carter, who missed the game because of dizziness suffered in a collision with Frye in Wednesday's loss to Boston. He remains questionable for tonight's contest.

The Suns, who were in 11th place in the Western Conference playoff standings back in late January, have gone 12-4 since and are now ninth, just one-half game behind Memphis for the final postseason berth.

The Northwest Division-leading Thunder, meanwhile, won their second straight on Friday when Durant, despite dealing with a sprained left ankle suffered in Wednesday's game against Indiana, scored 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out five assists to lead Oklahoma City to a 111-104 win over Atlanta at Philips Arena.

Russell Westbrook supplied 28 points and nine assists while James Harden chipped in with 17 off the bench for the Thunder, who have won the two in a row following a season-high three-game slide.

"I just tried not to think about it," Durant said about the injury. "I just tried to have mind over matter. This game is mental, so, if you think about being injured, you're going to go out there and play like you're injured. My adrenaline was pumping a little bit. My teammates got me going and I was able to make some shots."

These two teams have split a pair of meetings so far this season with each winning on the other's home floor. The Suns, however, have won 11 of their past 14 with the OKC franchise.