Suns Beat Hawks...Heat Win Without Wade

UNDATED (AP) The Phoenix Suns have reeled off four straight wins since Steve Nash returned from a shoulder injury after the All-Star break.<br/><br/>Nash finished with 14 points and 13 assists Sunday,

Sunday, February 25th 2007, 10:08 pm

By: News On 6

UNDATED (AP) The Phoenix Suns have reeled off four straight wins since Steve Nash returned from a shoulder injury after the All-Star break.

Nash finished with 14 points and 13 assists Sunday, but he took a backseat to Amare Stoudemire's performance in the Suns' 115-106 triumph in Atlanta. Stoudemire finished with 43 points, 16 rebounds, 3-blocks and 3-assists as Phoenix stayed unbeaten on the road against Eastern Conference opponents.

Should Phoenix win at Indiana and Philadelphia this week, they will become the first team in NBA history to sweep its interconference road games.

The Miami Heat improved to 1-2 since Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder last week, earning an 86-81 triumph over Cleveland. Shaquille O'Neal scored 19 points and grabbed 11-rebounds while Jason Kapono added 17 points and 11-boards.

Meanwhile, Wade will get a second opinion on his injured shoulder before deciding whether he will undergo season-ending surgery. Even without surgery, Wade wouldn't be expected back in the lineup for about six weeks.

Maurice Evans scored a career-high 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers used a 33-7 run in the 1st half to roll past Golden State 102-85. Kobe Bryant also had 26 points as the Lakers earned their second straight victory since a season-worst six-game losing streak.

Tracy McGrady dropped in 34 points and Rafer Alston added 20 as Houston beat Orlando 97-93. McGrady drained a 20-footer after the Magic got within 2-points in the final minute.

Chris Webber tied his season high with 21 points, including a
putback with 2.2 seconds left that gave Detroit a 95-93 win over Chicago. Richard Hamilton's 22 paced the Pistons, who have won four in a row and eleven of their last 12.

Kevin Garnett's 26 points and 17 rebounds helped Minnesota beat Washington 98-94. The Timberwolves held Gilbert Arenas to 20 points on 4-22 shooting and sent the Wizards to their second straight loss since a three-game winning streak.

And New Jersey used Vince Carter's 40 points to beat New York 101-92. Bosjtan Nachbar added 15 points and 10-rebounds for the Nets, who trailed by 11 in the 1st half before moving into a tie with the Magic for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

Kevin Martin scored 35 points and Mike Bibby added 28 in Sacramento's 110-93 rout of Indiana. The Kings had dropped five of six before handing the Pacers their worst home loss of the season.

The Kings played without former Pacers forward Ron Artest, who was disliked by Indiana fans following his role in a brawl with Pistons fans and for his public trade request last season. A team spokesman says Artest skipped the game for personal reasons.