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Suns hope to halt slide vs. Mavericks

Mar 10, 2009 - 1:37 PM Dallas (38-25) at Phoenix (34-29) 10:00 p.m. EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Suns' recent slide has them struggling for relevance in the Western Conference playoff race.

They will look to make up some ground when they face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

The Suns are one of nine teams in the west with a winning record, though they still sit four games behind the Mavericks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. A recent four-game losing streak has not helped matters, as Phoenix saw its road record drop to 15-18.

Steve Nash collected 23 points and 11 assists against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, but it was not enough to avoid a 103-98 loss.

Dallas has alternated wins and losses this month but is coming off an impressive 119-103 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Dirk Nowitzki lead the way with 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Jason Terry chipped in 33 points off the bench.