--G Steve Nash came out shooting -- scoring 11 of Phoenix's first 12 points and took a team-high 17 shots, which is usually a bad sign for the Suns because he's not getting teammates involved. Nash finished with a team- high 28 points and seven of the Suns' 20 assists.

But Phoenix needed two more points and his missed layup that would have tied the score with seven seconds left came up short. Nash argued on the court for a foul but didn't carry the argument into the dressing room.

"I don't know," Nash said when asked if a foul should have been whistled. "It's tough to say."

--F Amare Stoudemire was huge Friday night with 28 points and 10 rebounds against Orlando, but was less than ordinary a night later in Denver. He took only 10 shots, missing six, and finished with almost as many turnovers (seven) as rebounds (eight). The Suns were outscored by 20 points during the 35 minutes he was on the floor.

--F Louis Amundson hasn't gotten much playing time lately, but the Denver native had a big night Saturday with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes against the Nuggets.

Amundson played a big part in the 12-0 Suns run in the second period that gave Phoenix a comfortable halftime lead. He was everywhere at times, contributing four blocks and two steals to the cause as well.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--G Leandro Barbosa is still about two weeks away from returning after spraining his right ankle in Toronto on Nov. 29.