--In beating the Lakers for the first time since Jan. 17 of last year (four straight losses since), the Suns avoided a season sweep at the hands of Los Angeles for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. It was the first time the Suns had beaten the Lakers since Los Angeles acquired Pau Gasol.
--The Suns won their second straight game without Steve Nash in the lineup, for just the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix for the 2004-05 season, and the first time since Feb. 23 and 26 of 2005. The Suns are now 4-4 (.500) without Nash this year, matching their total from the previous four seasons dating back to 2004-05. They were 4-13 over that span. --At 34-25, the Suns are a season-high tying nine games above .500, The only other time they were at that level was Jan. 13 (22-13). The Suns are now 6-2 under Alvin Gentry (losing to the Celtics and the Lakers) and have won seven of their last eight home games (5-1 under Gentry).
--Kobe Bryant had 49 points Sunday, the second-most points scored against the Suns this season (Brandon Roy had 52 for the Blazers in Portland on Dec. 18) and the most scored by an opponent in Phoenix. Bryant scored 17 points in the third quarter, but after making seven of his first eight shots of the second half, he missed 10 of his final 13.
--Phoenix is just the third team to shoot over 55 percent from the field (43-of-77, .558) against the Lakers this season, joining San Antonio (Jan. 14) and Utah (Feb. 11). The Lakers lost all three games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Obviously it was a great win for us, against what I think is still the best team in the league; I really do. They're deep even without Bynum, and I think they're really good. There were three things we had to be much better at than we played out there (Thursday in L.A). Or turnovers, our transition defense and our second-chance points, and we did a much better job in each area." -- Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry.
