Nash helps Suns wrap up perfect four-game road trip with 114-102 victory over Kings

Suns cap perfect trip with 114-102 win over Kings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Steve Nash had 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to help the Phoenix Suns complete a perfect four-game road trip with a 114-102 victory over the struggling Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Amare Stoudemire added 30 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, who last swept a road trip of at least four games in December 2006. Phoenix has a season-long five-game winning streak after losing seven of its previous nine games.

After winning tough games in Houston, New Orleans and Denver to open the road trip, the Suns had it easy against the Kings. Sacramento never cut the deficit below 10 points after late in the first quarter.

After a promising start to the season, the Kings have lost 16 of 18 games. This one wasn’t even competitive, as they never threatened the Suns.

Donte Green scored a career-high 31 points to lead Sacramento. Omri Casspi added 17 and Tyreke Evans had 13. Kevin Martin was held to five points on 2 for 9 shooting. Martin is shooting just 35.6 percent since returning from a left injury last month and Sacramento has lost 11 of 12 games since his return to the lineup.

Jason Richardson added 16 points for the Suns, who have topped 100 points in 11 straight games and 23 of 24.

The Kings showed signs of life early in the third quarter, cutting what had been a 21-point lead down to 10 on a three-point play by Casspi.

But Nash took the game over from there. He hit a 3-pointer, threw an alley-oop to Stoudemire and then fed Stoudemire for an emphatic dunk that quickly built the lead back to 17. The Suns didn’t stop there, going on a 22-3 run to go up 92-63 late in the third. The Kings fans booed the team off the court during a timeout after a breakaway layup by Goran Dragic made it a 29-point game.

It was garbage time the rest of the way. Nash played only sparingly over the final 15 minutes, missing a chance for his fourth career triple-double and first since April 19, 2006.

The Suns started off quickly, going on an 11-0 run behind a pair of 3-pointers from Nash and one from Grant Hill. After Evans went to the bench with his third foul just 7:20 into the game, the Suns really opened the game up, taking a 39-23 lead in the final minute of the quarter following a 3-pointer from Jared Dudley and a technical foul on Kings coach Paul Westphal that Nash converted.

The Kings were called for another technical foul in the second quarter, when Andres Nocioni got called while jockeying for position on a jump ball. Nash made that one and Richardson followed with a 3-pointer after Phoenix won the tip to make it 50-31 midway through the second.

NOTES: Hill left the game in the first quarter after crashing hard to the ground on a layup attempt. He returned in the second quarter. … Evans went to the locker room in the second quarter after being hit in the mouth, causing bleeding. He returned a few minutes later. … Kings starting forward Jason Thompson missed his second straight game because of a family funeral.