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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- Sitting out a game did Jason Kidd a lot of good.
|  | | Phoenix Suns guard Jason Kidd leads the NBA with four triple-doubles this season, including one Saturday against Denver. |
Kidd returned Saturday night with his fourth triple-double of
the season as the Phoenix Suns snapped a three-game skid and ended
Denver's four-game winning streak, 102-93.
Tony Delk matched his career-high with 26 points for the Suns.
Kidd sat out Tuesday night's home loss to Detroit to rest his
sore left knee and back. He wanted to play, but coach Scott Skiles
ordered him to sit it out.
After getting 14 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his 35th
career triple-double, Kidd, who is second in the NBA in minutes
played per game, admitted the layoff was a good thing.
"My legs are fresh. Mentally and physically I'm fresh," Kidd
said. "Anytime you can get some time to regroup and try to find
yourself, that's what I used the time off to do."
Kidd left the game with 9:31 to go after being kicked in the
same knee that had been bothering him. After a late run by Denver,
Kidd returned for the final 40 seconds and sank two free throws
with 29.8 seconds remaining before grabbing his 10th rebound with
10 seconds to go.
"I wanted to be sure we won the game," Skiles said. "I wasn't
happy with the way things were going. ... I wanted my best player
out there just in case something went haywire right at the very
end."
Rodney Rogers added 22 points for the Suns, who blew a 15-point
lead in the third quarter, then surged ahead for good. Shawn Marion
struggled with his shot again but managed 13 points, 11 rebounds
and three blocked shots.
Delk, who scored 26 for Golden State at Portland on Feb. 17,
1998, scored 16 in the second half.
"I think it's just being relaxed, getting out there playing and
having fun," said Delk, who is starting because Mario Elie is out
with a broken left hand. "We probably have been pressing the issue
on the offensive end a little bit."
George McCloud scored a season-high 21 for Denver, going 5-of-5
on 3-pointers. Antonio McDyess had 19 points and 11 rebounds, but
was bothered by foul trouble.
McDyess was booed repeatedly by the fans, who remember that he
decided to leave Phoenix and return to Denver after the 1997-98
season. McDyess responded with a big grin throughout.
"It's three years old and they won't let it go," he said.
"That's why I was laughing."
Nick Van Exel scored 16 but was just 6-for-18 from the field.
The Suns hadn't played since Tuesday, while Denver was coming
off a tough victory at home against Portland on Friday night.
"Our second unit did a good job of getting us back in the game,
but we just didn't have as much energy as we have been playing with
the last 10 days," Denver coach Dan Issel said. "If we continue
to play the way we've played the last five games, we'll be fine. I
thought we got an effort from everybody, we just didn't play
well."
McCloud scored eight in a 14-0 run as Denver tied it at 74-74 on
McDyess' two free throws 46 seconds into the fourth quarter.
But the Suns responded with a 16-2 run to go up 90-76 on Delk's
3-pointer with 7:02 to play. Kidd was on the bench for all but the
first two points of the surge.
The Suns, who came from 15 points down in the final three
minutes to win at Denver in the third game of the season, had
visions of being the victim of the same kind of rally.
With Phoenix leading 100-85 with 2:32 to play, Denver coach Dan
Issel pulled most of his starters, and the reserves outscored the
Suns 8-0 to cut the lead to 100-93 with a minute to go.
The Nuggets put McCloud and Van Exel back in the game, then Kidd
returned to put the game away.
Delk's 22-footer gave Phoenix its biggest lead, 69-54, with six
minutes left in the third quarter.
Game notes
The Nuggets are 4-2 since the players boycotted a team
practice. ... The football teams of Oregon State and Iowa State
were in the crowd. Oregon State is preparing for the Fiesta Bowl
and Iowa State the Insight.com Bowl. ... Denver's starting
backcourt of Van Exel and Voshon Lenard were 10-for-28. ... Phoenix
had averaged 84.7 points per game in its three-game losing streak.
... The Nuggets had scored 100 in each game during their four-game
winning streak. .. Kidd had five assists in the first six minutes
of the third quarter. ... McCloud scored 11 points in a row in the
second quarter.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Denver Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Atlanta 91
Indiana 87
Charlotte 88
San Antonio 84
Detroit 106
Chicago 93
Miami 86
New Jersey 80
Orlando 111
Cleveland 92
Utah 98
Minnesota 92
Golden State 95
Houston 87
Milwaukee 104
Boston 99
Phoenix 102
Denver 93
Portland 87
Washington 70
LA Clippers 92
Vancouver 90
Sacramento 97
Seattle 92
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