Pistons 101 - 109 Suns
Final
  for this game

Suns beat Pistons to reach .500

Mar 17, 2012 - 5:59 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Jared Dudley scored 23 points, Channing Frye had 15 and 13 rebounds and the Suns downed the Pistons, 109-101, for their third win in as many nights.

Marcin Gortat added 16 points, Grant Hill and Robin Lopez had 14 apiece and Steve Nash handed out 17 assists for the Suns. They are 8-2 since the All-Star break and improved to 22-22 on the season, marking the first time they have been .500 since Jan. 8.

"We are .500 and we are ecstatic about that but we still got a lot of work to do," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry.

Rodney Stuckey had 23 points and eight assists to pace the Pistons. They had won four of five coming in.

Detroit led by seven, 71-64, in the third when Phoenix used a 9-2 run, capped by Dudley's three, to tie the game and set up a tight finish.

The Pistons were up, 80-79, entering the fourth and 91-89 late in the final frame when the Suns utilized another burst to establish a permanent lead.

Frye made a pair of threes during the decisive 13-4 push, which saw Lopez sink a pair from the charity stripe for a 102-95 advantage with under three minutes to play.

Detroit made it 102-99 courtesy of a tough inside basket from Ben Wallace and two free throws from Stuckey, but Hill intercepted a Stuckey pass after Lopez was off on a 17-footer, forcing the Pistons to foul with 36 seconds left.

Phoenix made 7-of-8 free throws the rest of the way seal the final result.

"I mean coming down the stretch they made plays," said Wallace. "They made enough plays to win the game and we didn't. We were in the game and had a chance to win it, but that's all you can ask is for us to fight and give ourselves a chance."

Game Notes

The Suns led 31-27 at the end of the first quarter before the Pistons took a 59-54 lead into the break behind 10 second-quarter points from Stuckey...Michael Redd scored 11 points for Phoenix...Nash tied a season-high in assists...Detroit has lost six of its last seven meetings with Phoenix.






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