Hot-shooting Suns eke past Cavaliers

Shawn Marion hit the
game-winner with 1.1
second left for Phoenix.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shawn Marion made just one shot, the only one Phoenix absolutely had to have.

Marion dropped in a baseline floater with 1.1 seconds left for his lone field goal and the Suns burned Cleveland with a season-high 17 3-pointers in a 110-108 over the Cavaliers Friday night.

Marion, averaging 15.9 points, was 0-for-3 from the floor before he took a pass in the corner from Boris Diaw, faked his way past center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and as LeBron James rushed toward him, arched in his shot on the run.

After calling a timeout, Cleveland had trouble getting the ball inbounds before Damon Jones fired up a 3-pointer that was way off at the horn. The Cavaliers lost for just the third time in 14 games.

“A great, great win,” Phoenix guard Steve Nash said. “We didn’t get many calls or have many bounces go our way — until the end.”

Raja Bell scored 27 points, Nash had 26 — 21 on 3-pointers — and Amare Stoudemire 22 as the Suns improved to 17-2 against Eastern Conference teams. Phoenix went 17-of-33 on 3-pointers, but it was the Suns’ defense, not exactly their forte, in the second half that was the difference.

Cleveland scored 69 points in the opening half, but only 39 after halftime on 15-of-42 shooting.

“We really picked it up defensively and that helped us get out in our offense,” said Nash, who went 7-of-9 on 3s and added nine assists. “We were able to run a little more and play like we want to.”

James scored 36 points to lead the Cavaliers, but the NBA’s leading scorer missed a 3-pointer and a pair of inside shots in the waning minutes. After leaving the floor, James, who was just 6-of-16 in the second half, kicked a trash can in disgust on his way to Cleveland’s locker room.

“Some of those shots seemed like they were down in the net and something pulled the ball out,” James said, shaking his head.

The Suns have won 15 of their past 18 against the Cavaliers.

Larry Hughes had 25 points and Ilgauskas 21 for Cleveland.

With score tied at 106, James caught a pass directly under the basket but missed a layup — the ball was almost halfway down before popping out. A few moments earlier, he had another point-blank shot rim out.

“I thought they were in,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “I’m sure everyone else thought they were in, and somehow, someway they just kind of bounced out. That’s definitely unusual.”

Stoudemire was then fouled and knocked down two free throws to put the Suns up two with 29.9 seconds left.

James powered down the right side to tie it at 108 with 22.5 seconds remaining, and the Suns held it for one shot with Marion coming through on a night when he wasn’t doing much on offense.