Amare Stoudemire had 24 points in 28 minutes as five Suns reached double figures. Grant Hill, out for the previous three games with a strained right groin, had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Nash shot 5-of-6, including 3-of-3 on 3-pointers and passed Muggsy Bogues for 15th on the NBA career assist list. Nash, who began the season ranked 29th, has 6,732 to Bogues' 6,726.
Raja Bell added 15 points and Leandro Barbosa 11 for the Suns.
Al Jefferson scored 20 on 11-of-26 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who fell to an NBA-worst 5-32 on the road.
The Suns, extending their home winning streak to a season-best seven games, shot out to a 23-point lead in the first quarter, and the Timberwolves never got closer than 13 after that.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2007/Dec/22/images/ads/current/dick-logan-bch091007.png)
Phoenix shot 57 percent overall, 9-for-17 from 3-point range.
Shaquille O'Neal played just 22 minutes but had 11 rebounds. The Suns, dominated by Minnesota on the boards in their first three meetings, outrebounded the Timberwolves 52-39.
With six games to play, Phoenix trails the first-place Los Angeles Lakers by a game in the Pacific Division, and the Lakers have the tiebreaker. The Suns and Houston Rockets, at 51-25, are tied for the fourth-best record in the West.
Any combination of two Suns wins or Golden State losses will give Phoenix its 18th playoff berth in the last 20 seasons.
The Suns used a 14-0 run to take a run to go up 33-12 on Stoudemire's two free throws with 2:10 left in the first. The outburst reached 17-1 on two more free throws by Stoudemire to make it 36-13. Phoenix led 36-15 after one, its biggest cushion after the first quarter all season.