Suns notebook: Suns pay for venting anger at officials

Even though Phoenix was called for two fewer fouls than Golden State in the first half (13-11) Thursday night, the Suns took issue with almost every whistle and paid the price for their anger management with three technical fouls.

Stoudemire's 36 points helps Suns beat Warriors
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Coach Mike D'Antoni got one for arguing an offensive foul on Boris Diaw in the first quarter. Normally mild-mannered Grant Hill got his second technical in just more than a week (March 4 in Portland) after feeling he was undercut by Monta Ellis. Hill landed on his right wrist on the play and suffered a slight sprain, although he continued to play.

Steve Nash was also rung up late in the second quarter for protesting a block/charge call. Shaquille O'Neal somehow avoided an early 'T' after pleading on two of his three first-half fouls, both offensive fouls that appeared to be questionable. But after getting his fifth foul in the third quarter, O'Neal joined the technical parade as well.

ANY WAY YOU WANT IT

With O'Neal on the bench, the Suns leaned on Amare Stoudemire and their outside shooting to carry the day.

"I think it's great that we can play two ways," Nash said. "I think we can play the way we're accustomed to playing - getting up and down, moving the ball and moving bodies and creating shots for one another. And then we have Shaq to go the other way."

Stoudemire added: "We can adjust. That's the name of the game and that's how it's going to be in the playoffs. We can play big ball or small ball and outrun them; it's the best of both worlds."

IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?

The Warriors came to Phoenix having won 20 of the past 27 games and are 40-17 since starting 0-6 this season. But even with their best 63-game record in 16 years (1991-92) and 12 games ahead of last year's pace, Golden State is clinging to the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

If they were in the East, the Warriors would be the No. 4 seed with home-court advantage in the first round.

"It's tough to be in that position where a three-game losing streak can put you out (of the playoffs)," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "We've been living there for a while. We just hope we can get a ticket to the dance and see what happens from there."

A NEW ANGLE

When talking about the changes to the Suns since O'Neal joined the team, Nelson mentioned the Suns now run their own version of the triangle offense with back-screens and cuts. When asked if Nelson was correct, one Sun smiled and said, "He's a very observant man."

But D'Antoni waved off the assertion. "We have one play that kind of resembles it. But any time anyone has three guys on a side of the court, someone can call it a triangle."

BONUS SHOTS

The Suns have held their last three opponents (San Antonio, Memphis, Golden State) to a combined .394 shooting percentage, winning all three games. ...

Golden State is on the way to being the first team to lead the league in scoring without Nash as its point guard since the 2000-01 Kings. Dallas led the league in scoring from 2001-04 and the Suns have led the league the last three seasons, all with Nash running the offense. ... The Suns went into the game with a 20-18 record against the Western Conference (.526), the 10th-best record among the 15 teams. ... It's hard to remember with the three recent losses in Oakland, but the Warriors haven't won at US Airways Center since March 18, 2005 (110-100). ...

The Suns returned Alando Tucker to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League. Tucker has played 11 games there this season, averaging 26.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 39.6 minutes. Tucker has appeared in only five games with the Suns this season.