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PY · 01-14-2007, 04:45 AM

Quote:

PHOENIX (AP) -- Boris Diaw did not get the one rebound he needed for a triple-double, and he couldn't have cared less. That's the way these Phoenix Suns are.

"All I was chasing was a `W," he said.

The Frenchman had 19 points and 11 assists to help the Suns win their ninth in a row, 107-101 over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

"He just keeps driving, dishing and playing," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "This was one of his better games offensive and defensively. He was just really good."

Steve Nash scored 17 of his 23 points in the first half and had eight assists to help the Suns improve to 17-1 against Eastern Conference foes.

Jameer Nelson scored 26 points, 16 in the third quarter, and Hedo Turkoglu added 18 for the Magic, who had six players in double figures.

Phoenix also put six in double digits. Shawn Marion had 16 points and a season-high five steals. Raja Bell scored 15 points and Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa added 12 apiece.

Dwight Howard again struggled against the Suns with 10 points and five rebounds. He had season lows of four points and three rebounds in Orlando's home loss to Phoenix on Dec. 11.

Diaw was 9-of-12 from the field.

"They shut other things down," he said. "I made a jumper earlier, so they were jumping out on me so I could drive around them more."

Phoenix led by as many as 18 in the third quarter, but the Magic cut it to 104-101 on Nelson's 3-pointer with 2:13 to play.

Orlando, playing its second game in two nights, had several chances to get closer or tie it after that but couldn't. Marion blocked Grant Hill's inside shot with 26 seconds to play, then Nash made two free throws with 21 seconds to go to boost the lead to 106-101.

Turkoglu was called for an offensive foul with 3:46 to play and the Magic trailing 102-98.

"I don't know that you make that offensive call in the guts of the game like that," Orlando coach Brian Hill said. "He might have dropped his shoulder a little bit to create space, but guys are doing that all night, so making that call in the guts of the game like that is a tough call."

Phoenix finished the first half with a 12-2 run, capped by Marion's basket on an inbounds pass from Nash at the buzzer, to lead 60-49 at the break.

"To be honest with you, they shut us down in the first half with their defense," Nelson said. "They did things that took us out of our game and things that we had to adjust to."

The Suns kept rolling in the third quarter, taking a 73-58 lead on a 9-0 surge that ended with Marion's layup on a slick pass from Diaw.

Nelson scored nine consecutive points, the last one a 3-pointer, to cut the Suns' lead to 85-77, then Keith Bogans' layup after a Phoenix turnover sliced it to 90-83 entering the fourth.

Turkoglu said the night provided a good learning experience.

"A few bad calls, a few mistakes," he said, "and we lost the game."

Game notes
Diaw has five career triple doubles -- four last season and one this season. ... Magic forward Trevor Ariza is out six to eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee. He was injured Wednesday at Golden State. ... The Suns have had multiple winning streaks of at least nine games each of their last three seasons. They won a franchise-record 15 earlier this season. ... Phoenix has had a nine-game winning streak 16 times in franchise history. ... Orlando has lost two in a row after winning five straight.

Diaw imo can be a All Star real soon.. Kids got talent.. Sad the Hawks got rid of him