Nov

16

Amare Celebrates Birthday As Suns Stop Pistons From Firing Win 104-86

Posted by Jeff Sack under NBA Game Recap 

Most people don’t like working on their birthday, but I have the feeling that Phoenix suns forward Amare Stoudemire didn’t mind one bit on Sunday. Stoudemire celebrated his twenty sixth birthday with thousands of his closest friends at the US Airways Center as the Suns just beat up the Detroit Pistons 104-86. The Suns shot 56.9% (41-72) from the floor for the game, and 50% (6-12) from outside the arc. Amare commemorated the day of his birth as he recorded a double-double and was the game’s leading scorer.

For all intent and purposes this game was over at the end of the first quarter. Phoenix jumped to a 31-23 lead at the end of the first period, and things just kept getting gradually worse as the game went on for Detroit.  The only thing of note that happened in the second quarter was the ejection of Shaquille O’Neal who was charged with a flagrant foul two. Shaq basically threw guard Rodney Stuckey to the floor like a rag doll, as the guard hit the hardwood chest first. O’Neal was thrown out of the game with 5:19 left in the quarter.

 At the half the Suns were ahead 61-46, as the Pistons never came close to threatening. By the end of the third quarter, the lead was 81-67. The Pistons high point of the second half was when they got the deficit down to single digits, as the score was 81-72 after a Will Bynum layup, with 10:26 remaining. Their prosperity was not meant to last long as Steve Nash 15 seconds later hit an outside jumper to put Phoenix back on top 83-72. Detroit would never get that close the rest of the game.  

Stoudemire had a double-double, 29 points, 11 boards, 2 steals, 1 assist, 1 block in the Phoenix victory.  Steve Nash added 17 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, Boris Diaw came off the bench with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. Shaq put in 12 points, 2 rebounds, in his limited time on the court, Grant Hill scored 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block.

Detroit was led by Richard Hamilton with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists. Rodney Stuckey came off the bench with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 1 block, Rasheed Wallace dropped 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists. Tayshaun Prince scored 10 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, Kwame Brown had his second nice game in a row for the Pistons, as he contributed 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block. Phoenix with the victory now has a record of 8-3, Detroit is now 7-3.

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