Marbury Delivers Again for the Suns

Stephon Marbury played a great game for Phoenix. Rasheed Wallace played a great half-game for Portland.

Advantage Suns -- again.

Marbury scored 33 points, his second 30-plus effort in as many nights, and Phoenix improved to 3-0 against the Trail Blazers this season with a 98-92 victory Wednesday night at Phoenix.

“Any time you have a player of Marbury’s caliber, he can take over a game,” Trail Blazer Coach Maurice Cheeks said.

Marbury, coming off a 35-point, 48-minute performance in the Suns’ 104-97 victory at San Antonio, topped 30 points for the ninth time in 14 games.

He was 12 of 22 from the field and six of six from the free-throw line in 46 minutes as the Suns ended the Trail Blazers’ four-game winning streak.

The pair of victories against two of the Western Conference’s strongest teams bolstered the Suns’ fight to make the playoffs.

“We needed them, man,” Marbury said. “These are very important games. There’s no time for fatigue.”

Shawn Marion put Phoenix ahead for good with the Suns’ first four-point play in five years. Marion had 22 points -- 12 in the final 4 1/2 minutes -- and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Wallace scored all 22 of his points in the second half for Portland.

Utah 94, Seattle 83 -- Karl Malone scored 23 points at Salt Lake City to lead the Jazz in scoring for the ninth straight game in a victory over the SuperSonics, who had their five-game winning streak ended.

Andrei Kirilenko scored 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter and pulled down 11 rebounds in his second straight start for Matt Harpring (sprained ankle).

Boston 97, New York 95 -- Antoine Walker scored 34 points and Tony Battie blocked the potential game-tying shot in the final seconds at Boston to lead the Celtics to their eighth consecutive victory over the Knicks.

The Celtics took a two-point lead when Battie made one of two free throws with 12.8 seconds left. Howard Eisley drove the lane and passed out to Latrell Sprewell, who fired up an airball on a three-point shot. Clarence Weatherspoon grabbed the rebound over Battie, but when he put up the potential game-tying shot, Battie swatted it away with his left hand.

Orlando 111, Milwaukee 99 -- Tracy McGrady scored 48 points at Orlando, Fla., and the Magic won for the seventh time in eight games.

McGrady made 17 of 34 shots for his eighth 40-point game of the season. He also had 10 rebounds for his 15th double-double.

Drew Gooden had 26 points, a career high, and 16 rebounds for his sixth double-double in seven games since coming from Memphis in a Feb. 19 trade.

Houston 97, Toronto 95 -- Yao Ming scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter at Toronto to help the Rockets end a four-game losing streak. Yao also grabbed nine rebounds.

Memphis 96, Denver 86 -- Stromile Swift scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies at Memphis, Tenn. The Nuggets suffered their 14th consecutive loss. The Nuggets are in the midst of the franchise’s longest losing streak since a 16-game skid in 1998.

Atlanta 111, Cleveland 105 -- Jason Terry scored 24 points with a career-high 14 assists and Dion Glover made a key steal in the final two minutes to clinch the victory for the Hawks at Cleveland.