Suns’ Marion Impresses Even More With 38 Points

Shawn Marion scored so often and soared so high that teammate Jason Kidd’s triple-double was almost an afterthought.

The second-year forward set a career high for the second night in a row with 38 points and Kidd got his sixth triple-double of the season Wednesday night as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 104-96, at Phoenix.

“A triple-double isn’t anything,” Kidd said. “What Shawn did tonight was very impressive.”

Marion, who had 28 points and 13 rebounds in Phoenix’s victory at Golden State on Tuesday, scored 27 in the second half Wednesday, 11 in the last three minutes. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.

“Shawn’s only 22 years old,” Kidd said. “The talent that he has, the work ethic and where he wants to end up at the end of his career, he has it all. I’m just happy he’s on my side.”

Marion made 15 of 22 shots and all eight of his free throws.

“Man, it was just my teammates and the flow of the game,” he said. “It was just going my way. My teammates were giving me the ball where I could put it in the hole, and I was just doing it.”

Kidd had 19 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Milwaukee 102, Atlanta 98--Sam Cassell scored 23 points, Ray Allen had 19 and the Bucks went on a 16-0 tear in the final five minutes at Atlanta.

The Hawks, who lost their seventh in a row, led, 94-85, after Jason Terry made a jump shot with 5:13 to play.

But Milwaukee rallied, and Scott Williams’ dunk with 1:08 left made it 96-94, giving the Bucks their first lead since the second quarter.

“I have no idea how we won the game,” Milwaukee Coach George Karl said. “Sometimes life just isn’t fair. They played better than we did in a lot of ways.”

“We’re happy to just be able to get on an airplane and go home. I think we stole one.”

Utah 106, New York 90--Karl Malone scored 33 points and John Starks had 16 against his former team to lead the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

For all the talk this season about the Knicks having the league’s best defense, they’ve wilted in both games coming out of the All-Star break. Utah’s 106 points was a season high by an opponent, one night after the Nuggets pounded New York, 96-77, at Denver.

The Knicks also lost to the Jazz for the seventh consecutive time.

Detroit 105, New Jersey 86--Jerry Stackhouse scored 30 points for the Pistons at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Stephon Marbury, who scored 50 points in Tuesday night’s overtime loss to the Lakers, had only 12 for the Nets.

“I’m not going to use last night as an excuse--we just didn’t come to play tonight,” Marbury said. “I just didn’t have it. I don’t know why.”

Around the League

Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings will sit out tonight’s game at Portland because of a sprained ankle but it’s not clear how long he will be sidelined. X-rays on his left ankle did not show any broken bones, a King spokesman said. Webber’s status will be evaluated daily. He was injured in Tuesday’s victory over Utah. . . . Washington Wizard center Calvin Booth will have elbow surgery Friday and is expected to be sidelined at least a month. . . . Vancouver Grizzly President Dick Versace was fined $10,000 by the NBA for remarks about the Toronto Raptors in a radio interview. In the Tuesday interview, Versace said the state of basketball in Canada is no better in Toronto than it is in Vancouver, where the Grizzlies have been given permission by Commissioner David Stern to look at relocating.