O’Neal ejected; Suns beat Pistons anyway

Amare Stoudemire had 29 points and 11 rebounds on his 26th birthday and the Phoenix Suns overcame Shaquille O’Neal’s second-quarter ejection to beat the Detroit Pistons, 104-86, on Sunday night.

Steve Nash, back from a one-game suspension for his part in a skirmish with several Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, had 17 points and seven assists for the Suns, who already were without two players before O’Neal was tossed for a flagrant foul with 5 minutes 19 seconds left in the first half.

Richard Hamilton scored 19 points for the Pistons, who finished 3-1 on a four-game western swing that began Tuesday. They handed the Lakers their first loss of the season Friday night.

Detroit’s Allen Iverson scored nine points on four-for-17 shooting.