The Suns and the Spurs are the only two NBA teams that have won at least 30 home games in each of the last four seasons. But at this rate, the Suns aren't going to get there this year.
After back-to-back home losses to Eastern Conference teams they have dominated with regularity (Miami and New Jersey), the Suns are an unsightly 4-5 on their home floor -- a complete reversal from their 7-2 mark on the road. "I think on the road we've played with more energy and focus," Suns coach Terry Porter said. "I don't know why that is. Granted, we've played some tougher teams at home. But from an energy standpoint, we have more of a 'me against the world' mentality on the road.
"We haven't come out well and let the crowd get into games, although tonight was an exception. But when we make mistakes, it leads to easy baskets and things really start rolling in the wrong direction."
The 22 turnovers Sunday night -- and the inability to stop Devin Harris and Vince Carter (75 combined points) -- completely obliterated the positive things Phoenix accomplished.
"When you look at the numbers, you try to figure, 'How did we lose?'" Porter said. "We shot 54 percent (from the field), 52 percent from 3-point range. We scored 62 points in the first half. We had more rebounds and assists. It's all about the turnovers. Of all the stats, that's what kills you."
NETS 117, SUNS 109: Phoenix continued to careen out of control Sunday, committing 22 more ugly turnovers -- which led to 33 New Jersey points -- and blowing a 10-point lead in the final nine minutes to a New Jersey team that wins in Arizona about as often as the Suns appear in the NBA Finals.
Two nights after Dwyane Wade shredded the Suns for 43 points, Devin Harris put up a career-high 47, and 21 came in the fourth quarter when the Suns were outscored 43-24, lost Amare Stoudemire to an ejection and collapsed in front of a US Airways Center crowd that seemed too stunned or disgusted to even boo the locals off the floor.
It's the first time in franchise history the Suns have allowed back-to-back 40-point scorers -- and it seemed as if it had been that long since the Nets had won a game here (March 13, 1993).
"Fourteen years! Fourteen years!" Nets coach Lawrence Frank exclaimed, correctly reciting history. "That's it. This conversation is over."
But the talking had just begun in the other dressing room, where the Suns scored a season-high 35 points in the first quarter, shot 55 percent from the field, hit 11 of 21 3-pointers, took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and still lost -- at home -- going away.
