More: Post game analysis of Suns win over the Hawks
The Phoenix Suns used a pair of hot starts on Monday night to move past the Atlanta Hawks 99-90. With a few quick buckets to kick off both the first and third quarters, the Suns sent the Hawks to their third straight loss while securing their first two-game winning streak since Jan. 20th.
Steve Nash was brilliant on the floor, and he led all scores with 24 points and 11 assists. He hit on four-of-four of his three-point attempts and notched another double-double on the eve of his 38th birthday. Channing Frye (19 points), Jared Dudley (10 points) and Michael Redd (10 points) also scored in double digits as Phoenix barely missed out on a 100-plus point game. Josh Smith and Joe Johnson led the way for Atlanta with 19 and 18 points, respectively.
While the Suns surged in the first and third quarters, the Hawks owned the second and fourth. Atlanta threatened Phoenix's double-digit lead in the second quarter and cut the lead to four points before Nash hit a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give Phoenix some breathing room.
The Hawks gave Phoenix another run near the end of the game when Atlanta closed to within 94-83. WIth the threat of a letdown looming, Frye stepped up and scored five straight points (which would turn out to be Phoenix's final points of the night) to halt Atlanta's momentum for good and give Phoenix a road victory.
The Suns now travel to Milwaukee for Tuesday's game against the Bucks with eyes on their first three-game win streak of the season. The game will also mark Michael Redd's return to his former team and Nash's 38th birthday.