Johnson and Hornacek Put Run, Fun in Suns

The floor of Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a familiar track to the Phoenix Suns, and they had their running shoes on against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Suns, whose fast-break offense never got into gear during two narrow losses in Portland, raced to a 124-117 victory Saturday in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Game 4 is Monday in Phoenix.

“We were trying to be aggressive and take it to them from the start,” said Jeff Hornacek, who scored 30 points for the Suns. “It was a combination of a lot of things. Most of all, we ran the ball. We pushed it downcourt and we completed the play.”

Kevin Johnson, who runs the Phoenix offense, had 16 points and 16 assists.

“We ran up and down the court, and I found (Tim) Perry open, and pretty soon it just opened up for everybody,” Johnson said.

It didn’t hurt that the Suns got some calls at home.

Portland outscored Phoenix, 38-19, from the free-throw line in Game 1 and also had more foul shots in the second contest. But at home, Phoenix went to the line 51 times and connected on 42, compared to Portland’s 27-for-38 effort.

Dan Majerle and Hornacek made three-pointers during a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sparked the Suns to a 108-94 lead with 6:02 left in the game.

Reserve Steve Burtt, inserted into a three-guard lineup to ensure good ballhandling, made three free throws and Perry added one in the final 30 seconds to preserve the victory despite 37 points by the Trail Blazers’ Clyde Drexler.

“The guys that struggled up in Portland stepped up and did the job,” Sun Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. “When you have young players, sometimes they are inconsistent. But I didn’t lose confidence in them.”

The Suns have been virtually unbeatable at home this season, going 39-5, counting Saturday and two victories over San Antonio in a 3-0 sweep in the first round.

Phoenix managed to win even though centers Andrew Lang and Mark West failed to get a rebound. Portland had a 46-34 rebounding edge.

Perry finished with 27 points and Majerle 25.

“I don’t think we stopped Kevin (Johnson) because he was able to get the ball to Perry and those other guys. I believe he might as well have scored Perry’s 27 points,” Drexler said.