Notebook: Warriors 104, Suns 102

Posted Thursday February 23, 2012 12:41AM

By Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Rain or shine, good season or bad, the Phoenix Suns could almost always count on one plus: They could beat the Golden State Warriors.

But not this season.

For the second time since Feb. 13, the Warriors pulled out a win over the Suns. On Wednesday night in Phoenix, Monta Ellis buried a 15-foot, turn-around jumper with Grant Hill draped all over him with one second left, lifting the Warriors to a thrilling 104-102 win.

"Coach [Mark Jackson] told me to go at five seconds and get a good shot," Ellis said. "It was a tough shot, but I was locked in and focused."

Channing Frye then got a good look on a potential game-winning 3-pointer from the left corner at the buzzer, but his shot banged harmlessly off the rim.

Thus the Warriors (13-17):

• Won the season series over the Suns (2-1) for the first time since 1994-95.
• Broke a 13-game losing streak in Phoenix.

For the Suns (14-20), Frye had 22 points and nine boards for the Suns. Marcin Gortat added 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Steve Nash, though, had just seven points, nine assists, five rebounds plus five turnovers.

For the Warriors, Ellis had a game-high 26 points.

The Warriors raced out to a 21-point lead (59-38) late in the first half. The Suns made a frenzied rally, even pulling ahead three times in the closing minutes.

The last time came when Jared Dudley's follow shot gave the Suns a 100-99 lead with 2:26 left. Then a David Lee free throw, a 20-footer by Ellis and a steal of a Hill pass by Nate Robinson -- which led to two Robinson free throws -- gave the Warriors a 104-100 lead.

A spectacular putback dunk by Frye and a short banker by Hill tied it up at 104 with 11.6 seconds left.

That set up Ellis.

"Great players make big-time plays," Jackson said.

QUOTABLE: "If I had to design a win, I would have designed it this way. It was much better for our future to grind out a win. It was a great victory, an absolutely great victory."
-- Warriors coach Mark Jackson.

THE STAT: The Warriors hit 9-for-20 on 3-pointers. The Suns were just 4-for-19.

TURNING POINT: Ellis' big shot.

QUOTABLE II: "The game was lost in the first 10 minutes...I am disgusted with the way we played and I'm disgusted with the fact that we got a chance to go into the break on something upbeat and positive. Instead, we walk through the first 10 minutes, and that cost us the game."
-- Suns coach Alvin Gentry.

HOT: The Warriors Dorell Wright hit 7-for-11, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers.

NOT: Suns rookie Markieff Morris shot 1-for-6.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: This was Gortat's fourth straight 20-point plus game, a career first for him.

ROOKIE WATCH: The Warriors Klay Thompson had four points and four rebounds in 11 minutes.

NOTABLE: The Warriors went 5-3 heading into the break.

UP NEXT: For the Warriors, Tuesday @ Indianapolis, Wednesday @ Atlanta and Friday, March 2 @ Philadelphia. For the Suns, Thursday, March 1 vs. Minnesota, Friday March 2 vs. L.A. Clippers and Sunday, March 4 vs. Sacramento.