Suns hand depleted Celtics 3rd straight loss

[December 31, 2009]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye scored 26 points each, and the Phoenix Suns handed what was left of the Boston Celtics their third straight loss, 116-98 on Wednesday night.

The Celtics were without injured Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in the final stop of what turned out to be an awful four-game road trip.

Without Garnett to guard him, Stoudemire scored 18 on 9-of-10 shooting in the first quarter and finished 11 of 14 from the field.

Frye had a season best in scoring, sinking 6-of-9 3-pointers and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Suns swept the two-game season series.

Eddie House led the Celtics with 19 points, going 5 of 7 on 3s. Ray Allen managed 15 points of 4-of-13 shooting.

The Suns, who improved to 13-2 at home, never trailed after a 16-0 first-quarter run.

Leandro Barbosa added 17 points for Phoenix, coming off a 118-103 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Rajon Rondo played 33 minutes despite a sore hamstring for Boston and scored 13.

The Celtics lost all three of their games in the West during a trip that started with a win at Orlando. It is Boston's longest losing streak since dropping four straight last Jan. 4-9.

Boston was without Pierce for the fourth straight game with a knee infection. Garnett joined him on the sidelines Wednesday with a hyperextended right knee.

Coach Doc Rivers said Garnett was hurt in the loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and didn't look right in the loss at Golden State on Monday.

The 16-0 run put Phoenix up 24-12 on Stoudemire's 7-foot bank shot on a pass from Steve Nash.

The Suns stretched it to 38-23 after Barbosa's 21-footer with 8:47 left in the half. Barbosa sank a 31-footer as the shot clock expired to put Phoenix up 44-30 6:21 from the break.

Stoudemire scored four, Frye sank a 3-pointer and Jason Richardson scored six in a 13-2 run in the third. Richardson capped the spurt with a 22-footer that put Phoenix ahead 77-57 with 4:43 left in the quarter.

House's 3-pointer cut it to 85-73 with 1:13 to play in the third, but Frye sank a pair of long ones, the first with his foot on the 3-point line and the second with both feet behind it, and Phoenix led 90-73 after three.

NOTES: The Celtics were 13-1 on the road before their trip West. ... Boston had lost by no more than 11 in its seven losses going into the game. ... Frye matched his season high in 3-pointers. ... Frye went to the University of Arizona, House to Arizona State. ... Besides House, the rest of the Celtics made 1 of 14 3-pointers.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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