Suns beat 76ers to end 6-game skid

[January 03, 2013]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Luis Scola scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half and the Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 95-89 Wednesday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

Goran Dragic added 20, Shannon Brown scored 12, and Marcin Gortat had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Suns.

Jrue Holliday had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double for the 76ers, who are 2-7 in the second half of back-to-back games. Dorell Wright and Thaddeus Young had 14 points apiece for Philadelphia.

Holliday found Wright breaking down the left baseline from halfcourt for an alley-oop layup that pulled the 76ers within 87-85 with 2:16 to go.

But Dragic made a pair of free throws, P.J. Tucker hit a 16-footer and the 76ers turned the ball over twice over the next minute as the Suns opened a 91-85 lead.

The Suns played the second half without backup point guard Sebastian Telfair, who was shut down after halftime with soreness in his left knee.

Phoenix led by seven after the first but quickly fell into its normal second-quarter lull. Nick Young had a pair of 3-pointers and Wright added five points as the 76ers outscored the Suns 17-6 to start the period and open a 41-37 lead.

But it was Philadelphia that came out cold in the second half. Scola had consecutive baskets and Jared Dudley added a 21-foot jumper to key an 8-2 run that put the Suns ahead 56-51 with 9:38 left in the third quarter.

Lavoy Allen cut the lead to 60-59 on a 19-footer with 6:34 left in the period but the 76ers could pull no closer.

NOTES: Scola has scored 20 or more in three straight games. ... Phoenix has won five of its past seven at home. ... The Sixers are six games into a season-high, eight-game holiday road trip. . Phoenix beat Philadelphia for the first time since February 24, 2010. ... Dragic had a career-high three blocks, as many as the 76ers as a team. . More than 1,200 Kansas State fans, in town for Thursday's Fiesta Bowl against Oregon, were in the arena and were chanting for former Wildcat Michael Beasley to enter the game. They also booed Suns forward Markieff Morris, who played at Kansas.

[Associated Press; By JONATHAN DALTON]

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