Suns’ Hill has successful appendectomy surgery

Grant Hill fought through some minor injuries during the first 34 games, in hopes of playing every regular season game and putting his “injury-prone” label behind him. But when Hill woke up Wednesday morning with sharp pains in his stomach that quickly settled to the area of his appendix, those hopes came to a quick end.

Bell, Barbosa rally Suns to OT win without Nash

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By 5 p.m., Hill was on an operating table at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix and is expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks recovering from an appendectomy.

“It hurt us because of the kind of player he’s been and the kind of presence he’s had for us this season,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We do have the kind of depth where we’ll be OK, but losing Grant has an effect.”

Boris Diaw started in place of Hill Wednesday and after a terrible first half, rebounded a bit to produce eight points, six rebounds and seven assists in 41 minutes. Marcus Banks (20 minutes, three points) and Brian Skinner (seven points, five rebounds in 19 minutes) also saw extended time to cover not only for Hill, but three other Suns who were battling the flu Wednesday.

Hill, whose run of 34 straight starts was his longest run of health since he was a Detroit Piston during the 1999-2000 season, was averaging 15.9 points on 51 percent shooting from the field along with 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He hit eight of 11 shots and had 20 points in 22 minutes in Monday’s 137-115 win over Denver and took part in practice on Tuesday without any problems.

PASS IT ON

Raja Bell spent the weekend recuperating from the flu and the bug is still very much alive in the Phoenix dressing room.

Leandro Barbosa raced off the Phoenix bench early in the first quarter to visit the restroom, while Steve Nash was able to produce nine points in the first quarter before his stomach turned upside down in the second quarter. He tried to continue but left the floor ashen-faced with six minutes left in the third quarter and didn’t return.

Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said Shawn Marion also fought through sickness all during the first half, but he produced 23 points, 12 rebounds and played strong defense on Indiana’s Jamaal Tinsley (4-for-10) in the overtime period.

“It was frustrating because I knew the guys were hurting,” D’Antoni said. “But that’s the good thing about these guys, you count them out and they still find a way to win. They put us in a hole but we dug out of it. We just kept digging and digging and made some big shots at the end. Our guys played well offensively and defensively at the end.”

GO DEVILS

The Pacers will be in town for three days, but the timing wasn’t exactly perfect for ex-Sun Devil Ike Diogu. While he didn’t play Wednesday night (coach’s decision) he also missed ASU’s overtime win over Arizona in Tempe.

“I wish I could have been over there rooting for them, but I like the way the guys are playing and I think they can win it,” said Diogu, who missed 20 games with a torn left calf muscle and hasn’t played consistent minutes since returning in mid-December. “I didn’t beat Arizona when I was there (0-6), but any win over them I will enjoy.”

BONUS SHOTS

The Suns are 6-0 against Indiana since Reggie Miller retired at the end of the 2004-05 season, and swept the season series for the third straight year.

The Suns are 13-2 against the Eastern Conference this season and 44-8 at home against the East since the start of the 2004-05 season.

The Suns are 8-0 in the first of back-to-back game this season. They visit Utah tonight.

The Suns have won four straight overtime games, dating back to a 144-139 loss to Washington on Dec. 22, 2006.