The Suns have lost five games to teams with losing records this season. If they had beaten the likes of Minnesota, Chicago, Charlotte, Indiana and the New York Knicks, they would be fighting for home court in the first round instead of pushing to make the playoffs at all.
And in the midst of a stretch where they play eight winning teams over the next nine, the Suns couldn't afford a slip-up against a Toronto team they have owned for five years. But after coughing up a 12-point lead in the first half, the Suns needed a super-human, 45-point explosion from Shaquille O'Neal to overcome Steve Nash's absence. So O'Neal can't play back-to-back games? A night after looking like an old Clark Kent against the Lakers in Los Angeles, he converted 20-of-25 field goals and notched his 49th 40-point effort of his career.
"It was cool. Guys were really looking for me," said O'Neal, who also added 11 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the year. "I've been saying all year if I can get those touches like that I can do it every night. I've been doing it on a consistent basis for 17 years and they were looking for me tonight."
They were looking for him because Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh were guarding him. Thursday, as they will on Sunday, the Lakers sagged and surrounded Shaq, limiting his touches and impact. But O'Neal can't let that happen this time, and he can't let matchups coming up with Orlando's Dwight Howard and Houston's Yao Ming become a negative for his team. Even when Nash returns, the "Seven Seconds or Shaq" offense will rely on O'Neal as a safety valve and he has to come through.
SUNS 133, RAPTORS 113: A night after being clobbered by the Lakers, the patchwork Suns regrouped behind a 45-point explosion from Shaquille O'Neal and 20 points and 10 rebounds from journeyman Louis Amundson to keep pace in the wild Western Conference playoff race.
Grant Hill added 14 point and 12 assists, his most in a decade, for the Suns, who won a game with both Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash out for the first time since they became teammates five years ago. Ex-Sun Shawn Marion led the Raptors with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but Toronto lost to Phoenix for the 10th straight time.
