Suns hot, cold in exhibition win over Kings

As the new edition of Sports Illustrated, which touts Phoenix as this year’s pick to win the NBA title, hit the newsstands, the Suns gave both those who agree and disagree with the prognostication some firepower during Thursday’s 111-94 preseason win over Sacramento.

Those who say the Suns are still a pretender will point to the 10-point second quarter, when Phoenix missed 16 of 19 shots and looked like a team that was six minutes into training camp instead of six games. But those who think Phoenix has the depth and talent to back up SI’s predictionboast will argue that the Suns scored 111 points anyway, including a 43-point third quarter that washed away all the grumbling before halftime.

“This game shows us two things,” said guard Steve Nash, who had 17 points and 13 assists in 27 minutes.

“Number one, we can score. Number two, if we don’t play hard and efficient, we’re not that good.

“People can pick us to win a championship, but I think for our team just to be a winning team we have to play hard and be energetic.

“We’re not loaded with power and we’re a guaranteed 55-win team. We’re capable of 60 wins, but if we take things for granted we won’t be very good.”

There wasn’t much else to glean from a game that featured 59 fouls, 40 turnovers and four defensive three-second calls — all against the Suns. Shawn Marion overcame the kind of listless first half that defined the team with 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

WHAT NEXT?

Not only is Nash having trouble adjusting to the new composite material basketball (“They’ve changed our weapon”), but he’s struggling with the new zero-tolerance rule when it comes to arguing calls — or even using hand gestures to demonstrate you’re displeasure. “You can’t do anything,” Nash said after getting his second technical in as many games in the third quarter. “You can’t cuss which for professional athletes in the heat of the moment is like every other word, and you can’t make any hand gestures. So after 32 years of using my hands and cussing, I’m not allowed to do either — and they changed the ball. Next thing you know, chewing gum will be illegal.”

A reporter reminded Nash that after his trip abroad, he now knows how to swear in Italian. “Yeah, but if you do that, then you have to use the hand gestures,” he said.

BONUS SHOT

The Suns made the only expected roster move of the preseason, waiving guard Davin White after the game. White had two points in six minutes against the Clippers Tuesday, his only action in six games. The Suns roster is now 13, and coach Mike D’Antoni said the team will stay at that number.