Technicals starting to pile up on testy Suns

DENVER - Gordan Giricek said all he was doing was trying to stop a 3-point play. Amaré Stoudemire waved his hands in disgust at a call. Raja Bell swears he was just laughing.

Phoenix runs out of gas in Denver

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But it all added up to four more technical fouls for the Suns in Tuesday’s 126-120 loss to the Denver Nuggets, pushing their total to 11 in just the last three games. “It’s been a pretty expensive week,” center Brian Skinner joked.

Make that an expensive six weeks. In the 23 games since Shaquille O’Neal joined the team, Phoenix has been “teed up” 26 times. To a man, they claim this isn’t due to a lack of poise or intelligence, but because NBA officials fail to grasp the depth of the intensity of this wild playoff race.

“We’re fighting as hard as we can,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Some people have reactions and they call technicals — so be it.

“I wish we wouldn’t get them, but we’re trying to fight and win the Western Conference and sometimes you get heated and it’s emotional. This is not a regular-season game. For (Denver) it’s do or die. For us it’s do or die. And everyone involved has to understand it’s do or die, and sometimes it does get heated.”

Until Tuesday, the techs haven’t hurt the Suns too badly. But losing Bell to ejection with Grant Hill already sidelined by injury left the Suns short-handed at the wings, where the Nuggets are the most lethal.

Stoudemire got his eighth technical foul of the season — six of them coming in that 23-game span. He feels the whistles are coming too quickly.

“It’s like they don’t want you to show any emotion,” he said. “If you show a little emotion or say anything you get a technical, and T’s are a grand ($1,000) apiece. It’s not a cheap foul and we can’t afford to have them.

“I waved my arms and got a tech for it … I don’t know.”

Steve Nash avoided the whistle Tuesday, but he has gotten his share as well.

“Not getting any calls concerns me, not the technicals,” Nash said. “It just feels like the same thing every night, but we keep fighting. (The referees) can’t expect us not to get emotional. It’s an emotional competitive game at this time of year and we don’t feel like we get a break ever, so guys are going to get excited. Guys are out here playing with our heart and soul. This is important to us.”

BACK IN ‘GIRA’

After struggling over the last three games, Gordan Giricek watch Brian Skinner move ahead of him in the rotation Tuesday. But when he got his chance, Giricek upped his production with 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting the first half including three 3-pointers.

He finished with 16 points.

“My biggest problem is sometimes I think too much — that’s my biggest trouble,” he said. “The last three games I have been thinking about mistakes. I have to realize this system is that if I’m open, I have to take the shot. Tonight the shots were going in.”

The Suns also got a lift from Skinner, who hit four of his six shots and contributed nine points and three rebounds in 16 minutes. “My job is to stay ready and I think I work hard to make sure I am ready,” he said. “I was glad to get in there tonight and I’ll be glad the next time.”

D’Antoni indicated Skinner, who had played a total of five minutes in the last five games, wouldn’t have to wait long. “Skinny did a good job and hopefully we can keep using that a little bit,” he said.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

Dan D’Antoni was surprised to get his first NBA technical foul Monday. His brother was only surprised that it took two years for it to happen.

Complaining about a string of no-calls on Leandro Barbosa drives to the basket with referee Monty McCutchen near the end of the third, Dan D’Antoni tried to continue the conversation with official Zach Zarba when the third quarter ended — only to be hit with a technical foul by McCutchen from about 60 feet away.

“(McCutchen) didn’t know what I was talking about. He guessed,” Dan D’Antoni said. “Now I have to figure out a way to tell my wife about the ($1,000) fine.”

RUNNING ON FUMES

After hitting a career-high eight 3-pointers and producing 36 points against Denver on Monday, Nash said he felt the effects of the altitude and the quick turnaround Tuesday

He took only five shots in the first three quarters, missing four, but dished out 17 assists to pass Suns Ring of Honor member Kevin Johnson (6,711) and take over 16th place on the all-time assists list. Nash now has 6,720.

But in the fourth quarter Nash exploded for 14 of Phoenix’s 25 points, including a pair of three’s that pushed Phoenix into the lead. He missed a chance to put them ahead with another off-balance try in the final 30 seconds.

“Early on I just didn’t feel good and tried to fake my way through it,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot in the tank, but in the fourth the competitiveness takes over.”

Suns spots

Did you see that? The Suns collected four more technical fouls Tuesday – Raja Bell was ejected with two and Gordan Giricek and Amaré Stoudemire picked up one each. The Suns are now averaging more than a technical a game (26 in 23 games) since Shaquille O’Neal joined the team and have been whistled for 11 in just the last three games alone.
Player of the game: Allen Iverson had 27 points in the first three quarters and finished with 31 points. He hit all 11 of his free throws on a night when both teams had troubles at the line.
Unsung hero: For the second straight night, J.R. Smith was a thorn in Phoenix’s side off the Denver bench with 17 points, three 3-pointers and five rebounds.
Thumbs up: Without Grant Hill and without Raja Bell for most of the second half, the Suns kept fighting back and took a lead with three minutes left before the shots stopped falling and they ran out of time.
Thumbs down: The Suns might have survived being short-handed all night if it were not for 17 turnovers and 12 missed free throws that kept them fighting from behind all night.