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Thursday, Dec. 9 9:00pm ET
Suns' struggling forwards break out | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- Washington Wizards coach Gar Heard was not happy that his team couldn't stop Clifford Robinson and Tom Gugliotta. Robinson scored 31 points and Gugliotta added 27 as the Phoenix Suns handed the Wizards their sixth consecutive loss 99-85 Thursday night. "We let two guys get 58 points on us and they've been struggling all year," Heard said. "At some point in time, you have to lay a guy down and say this isn't going to happen." The Suns shot 52 percent from the field, 64 percent through the first three quarters, and Gugliotta and Robinson were even hotter. "They both shot the ball extremely well and really exploited them at the offensive end," Phoenix coach Danny Ainge said. Robinson was 11-for-17 from the field, 3-for-6 from 3-point range. "We did a really good job of just being aggressive and knocking down shot," Robinson said. "Tom beat his guy with the same move like five times." Gugliotta, 1-for-9 from the field in Phoenix's victory over Orlando two nights earlier, was 13-for-17 from the floor. "Anybody in this league can score if you let them catch the ball in the low post," Heard said. All of Gugliotta's points came in the first three quarters as Phoenix opened up a 83-66 lead. Nobody else scored more than 10 for the Suns. "The opportunities were there and I took advantage of them," Gugliotta said. "My teammates were doing a good job of moving the ball and finding all of our big guys open, and we were being aggressive." Juwan Howard scored 15 and Mitch Richmond 14 for the Wizards, who fell to 2-9 on the road. Heard said he's had it with his players talking big then failing to follow it up. "If they want to be a mediocre team and just say the season's over, then let me know," Heard said, "then I can play the kids on the bench. At least I'll get some effort and energy." The Suns, who have beaten Washington 11 straight times in Phoenix, never trailed and scored the final six points of the second quarter to go up 53-37 at the half. "We don't know the answer," Richmond said. "We came out flat and they did anything they wanted to do." The Suns went ahead 74-50 on Rex Chapman's 3-pointer from the corner with 5:24 left in the third quarter. Washington used a 10-2 run to cut the lead to 76-60 on Aaron Williams' dunk with 8:33 remaining, but the Wizards never got any closer until the final two minutes, when the outcome had long been decided. Gugliotta and Robinson had 20 points each in the first half, when they were a combined 17-for-22 from the field. The Suns shot 71 percent in the first quarter when they took a 28-18 lead. Gugliotta scored 14 in the first quarter and Robinson scored 12 in the second. Game notesWith the Suns' Luc Longley out with back spasms, Mark West got his first NBA start since Feb. 18, 1998. ... Phoenix's Penny Hardaway missed his third consecutive game with a sore right foot. ... Washington hasn't beaten the Suns in Phoenix since Feb. 27, 1988. ... Gugliotta scored 12 of the Suns' first 14 points. ... Washington concludes its four-game road trip Saturday in San Antonio. ... The Wizards were without rookie Richard Hamilton, who was out with a sore finger on his right hand. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Washington Clubhouse Phoenix Clubhouse RECAPS San Antonio 99 Vancouver 91
Phoenix 99
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