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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PHOENIX – Shawn Marion's game thrives above the rim, a
region as dangerous as it is spectacular.
|  | | Both teams showed concern as Suns forward Shawn Marion drifted in and out of consciousness after a hard fall. |
The second-year forward, one of the NBA's rising stars and on a
big-time tear since the All-Star break, was carried off on a
stretcher after sustaining a concussion in a frightening fall in
the final minute of the Phoenix Suns' 90-80 victory over Utah on
Sunday.
Marion, who had 24 points and 14 rebounds, soared for a rebound
after John Stockton missed a 3-pointer, but he came down on the
back of Utah's John Starks and slammed shoulder- and head-first on
to the court with 52.2 seconds left.
Marion briefly lost consciousness as he lay on the court, then
he was loaded carefully onto a stretcher and taken to a hospital
for further tests.
Marion will remain at a local Phoenix hospital overnight for observation, and is expected to be released Monday. He underwent further testing at the hospital, and Suns team physician Dr. Thomas Carter says he suffered a grade 3 concussion, which is the most serious of the 3 grades of concussion. Marion also has a sprained right wrist. The team said Marion will be closely observed for the next 7-10 days.
"It looked really, really bad," Suns coach Scott Skiles said.
"When I got there, he was in and out of consciousness. Doc got him
to say a couple words and it looked like he was going to be OK."
Suns team doctor Thomas Carter said Marion had a concussion, but
no broken bones or other apparent serious injuries. Carter said
Marion could be out a week to 10 days.
The crowd loudly booed Starks as Marion was taken off, but the
Suns' Jason Kidd said the play was clean.
"It wasn't intentional. Accidents do happen," Kidd said.
"Unfortunately, an accident happened to one of our guys."
Marion, who made two big offensive plays in the final minutes,
had soared over Starks to get the rebound.
"I was backing up to block him out and caught up underneath his
leg," Starks said. "I tried to catch him, but he just came down
hard."
Utah coach Jerry Sloan was allowed to pick the replacement free
throw shooter for the injured Marion, and chose Chris Dudley, one
of the worst free-throw shooters in the league who hadn't played in
12 games. Dudley made both free throws to help end Utah's five-game
winning streak.
The Suns, just back from a four-game trip to the East, won their
fourth in a row and are 6-1 since the All-Star break.
During that stretch, Marion has averaged 24.3 points and 13.1
rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field.
His double-pump stuff after Kidd's steal with 2:41 to play and
offensive rebound basket with 1:08 to go helped seal the victory.
"He's done some amazing things this year, that's for sure,"
Skiles said of Marion. ""Sometimes he leaves even his head coach
standing there in awe. He did it again tonight, made a couple of
big plays when he just knifed in there to the basket. He's just so
quick."
Tony Delk added 16 points and Cliff Robinson 14 for the Suns,
who had lost five in a row to Utah. Kidd had nine points and 12
rebounds, while Jake Tsakilitis added nine points and 10 rebounds
for Phoenix.
Malone scored 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds but made just eight of
29 shots, 2-for-7 in the fourth quarter.
"We had the ball in my hands down the stretch and I missed
wide-open shots," Malone said. "This is one of those games where
I said, `I could have played better,' but it's just one of those
things and you move on."
Utah, one of the league's best shooting teams at 47 percent for
the season, shot 37 percent Sunday.
Donyell Marshall added 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Jazz,
who had won seven consecutive road games.
The Suns took the lead for good late in the first quarter but
Utah always was within striking distance.
Malone's 16-footer cut the lead to 80-76 with 3:54 to play, but
Rodney Rogers made a tough 9-foot bank shot, then Kidd's steal and
Marion's stuff boosted it to 84-76.
Starks' 22-footer cut it to 84-80 with 1:31 to go, but Marion's
rebound made it 86-80, and the Jazz never scored again.
The Suns led by as many as 14 in the first half and were up
49-37 at the break.
Phoenix ended the half on a three-point play when Malone was
called for a foul on Vinny Del Negro with 9.2 seconds remaining.
Malone protested, and referee Joe Crawford called a technical.
Marion made the technical free throw, and Del Negro made both of
his free throws to make it 49-37 at the break.
Game notes
Russell dislocated his left index finger with 1:29 left in
the second quarter but came back strong in the third quarter. ...
The Jazz had won 17 of their last 20 going into the contest. ...
Utah is 5-2 since the All-Star break. ... The Suns were home after
consecutive road victories over Orlando, Miami and New York. ...
Crawford also called a technical from the other end of the court
against Sloan in the second quarter. ... Utah wrapped up its road
trip 2-1 after wins at Portland and Seattle.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 88
Sacramento 86
Indiana 110
Minnesota 100
Phoenix 90
Utah 80
LA Lakers 106
Orlando 100
Milwaukee 122
Golden State 95
Cleveland 101
Detroit 94
New Jersey 101
Washington 91
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