Suns 129, Knicks 121
Vince Carter had 29 points and 12 rebounds, and all five Phoenix starters finished in double figures as the Suns edged the New York Knicks 129-121 on Monday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
After giving up the lead early in the fourth quarter of their see-saw matchup, Phoenix (18-21) went on a late run and built a nine-point advantage with 2:28 to play. It was the largest lead of the second half and New York never got closer than four points the rest of the way.
The Suns, which have won three straight, made 12 straight free throws in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Grant Hill had 25 points for the Suns, who hit 11 3-pointers. Channing Frye added 18 points while Steve Nash contributed 15 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Amar’e Stoudemire had a season-high 41 points for New York. He has scored 20 or more points in 25 straight games.
Danilo Gallinari returned to the Knicks' lineup after missing six games with a knee injury. Gallinari played with a knee brace and scored 17 points.
New York (22-18) started slowly and trailed by nine after the first quarter but the Knick bench actually brought the team back in the second quarter and they took a 64-61 lead into the break.