The Phoenix Suns are lagging at 9-14, once again on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture looking in from 12th place. Steve Nash has nevertheless maintained that he’s not seeking a trade — but according to Ken Berger of CBS, the Suns would pursue a deal if Nash wanted it.

“It’s really on him in terms of what he wants to do or not do,” a source told Berger.

Nash said a month ago that he wasn’t interested in a trade, insisting “it’s not my style” when asked. But as the Suns head toward the draft lottery again and Nash inches toward the end of his two-year, $22 million contract in Phoenix, the trade rumors have begun swirling once again.

Nash turns 38 on Tuesday. He’s averaging 14.5 points and 9.9 assists per game for the Suns this season.

Suns coach Alvin Gentry has an ideal description for Jared Dudley’s play — parasitic.

Dudley is the NBA’s parasite. He using his hustle, savvy and opportunity to benefit at the expense of those who are less engaged. The latest example has been his play since returning to the starting lineup. He has feasted off being fouled, took advantage of point guard Steve Nash creating open 3-point shots and using angles and reads to get to balls against players who are bigger or quicker.

The Suns had to go without that Saturday night, when Dudley sat out the Suns’ home game against Charlotte because of a thigh bruise. Dudley has scored at least 15 points in each of the four starts he has made since a five-game bench stint. He went from averaging 5.8 points as a reserve to averaging 16.3 in those four starts.

“This is what I was supposed to do,” Dudley said. “I expected to do this just because I know I can shoot the ball, and I know I can play, especially with Steve and this offense. I think I’ve even added a dimension where I can get to the basket to drop off and make my teammates better.”

The Suns are 5-3 when Dudley scores 15, but that scoring was inconsistent on his first go-around as starter this season, when he opened it in a shooting slump. Dudley has made eight of his past 15 3s, bolstering his career-best season for scoring (10.8) and rebounding (4.1) averages.

Dudley shot 3 for 13 in the first two games, both losses, and did not score in the second game against Philadelphia — a remarkable no-no for a starting shooting guard .

“The chemistry in the first part of the season was tough,” Dudley said. “Guys were staying home close (to me on defense). I’ve had a lot more space and been able to put the ball down better. Once you hit a couple, it’s confidence. I told you in the beginning of the year that you go by percentages. At the end of the year, I’m going to be shooting a good percentage.”

Dudley had scored 23 of his 65 points over the previous four games at the free-throw line. It was the first time in his career that he shot at least four free throws in four consecutive games.

“It’s something I’ve worked on, and my free-throw percentage (81.4) has gotten better,” Dudley said. “That’s something I worked on, and that makes you even more aggressive. It’s hard for me to get all the way to the basket because I’m not the fastest guy. Usually someone’s on my hip and (I) try to do what the whole NBA does — flop and … pray for a call. I did theater in seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th grades, so I have to pay off for those classes.”

Guard Michael Redd started in Dudley’s place Saturday night, getting his first start with Phoenix in 10 appearances.

Free throws

- Suns center Marcin Gortat has a chance to become the seventh Suns player to average at least 15 points and 10 rebounds in a season. One of the others was current Charlotte coach Paul Silas. Charles Barkley (four times), Shawn Marion (three) and Neal Walk (two) did it multiple times, and Connie Hawkins and Maurice Lucas also each did it once.

- The Suns have played 23 games in this lockout-shortened season. The NBA’s previous lockout-shortened schedule, in 1999, tipped off on this date — Feb. 5.

- This season is the 20th for US Airways Center. The Suns have a losing record at home this season but have the fourth-best home record in the NBA since the arena opened with in 1992-93, when the Suns reached the NBA Finals. They have won more than 70 percent of their home games.

Updated Feb 3, 2012 11:05 PM ET

Marcin Gortat had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Shannon Brown scored 12 for the Suns, who’ve lost five of their last seven. Houston had a 49-39 rebounding edge and held Steve Nash to six points and nine assists.

The Rockets’ reserves scored 50 points and pulled down 23 rebounds. They also preserved Houston’s big lead in the second half to let the starters rest before Saturday night’s game in Minnesota.

Nash had four assists in the first six minutes, and the Suns took an early 14-13 lead. Nash and Grant Hill went out for a rest with 3:50 left in the first quarter, and Houston finished with a 15-6 spurt to take a 30-20 lead.

The Rockets’ reserves shot and rebounded well early in the second quarter to preserve the double-digit margin. Nash and Grant Hill returned, but Houston stayed in control, stretching the lead to 45-28 on Budinger’s 3-pointer from the corner.

Houston’s bench scored 21 points in the second quarter, and the Rockets led 59-39 at the break. Houston outrebounded Phoenix 29-18 in the first half, with Luis Scola, Lowry and Patterson grabbing six boards apiece.

The Suns’ offense continued to sputter in the third quarter, even with Nash on the floor. Phoenix started the second half 4 for 10 from the field, and the deficit hovered around 20.

Phoenix couldn’t slow Houston much, either. The Rockets shot 43 percent (9 for 21) in the quarter and led 80-61, despite five turnovers.

Most of the starters from both teams sat out the final quarter, getting valuable rest since both play again Saturday. The Suns fly home to meet Charlotte, then face a demanding two-day trip with games in Atlanta on Monday and Milwaukee on Tuesday.

The Rockets held Phoenix to 19 points in the fourth to win for the 21st consecutive time when holding their opponent below 90 points.

Notes: The Rockets’ first-half points total was a season high. … Houston sent first-round draft pick Marcus Morris to Rio Grande Valley, the team’s developmental league partner. The 6-foot-9 Morris was selected by Houston with the 14th overall pick, just after his twin brother Markieff was taken by Phoenix. Morris sprained his left ankle in a D-league game on Jan. 12, but general manager Daryl Morey says Morris is cleared to play. Morris has averaged 22 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in four starts for Rio Grande Valley this season. … The Suns are 1-13 when trailing at halftime. … Phoenix lost to the Rockets for only the seventh time in the past 22 meetings.

Suns (8-13) at Rockets (12-10)

C: Marcin Gortat … Samuel Dalembert

PF: Channing Frye … Luis Scola

SF: Grant Hill … Chandler Parsons

SG: Jared Dudley … Kevin Martin

PG: Steve Nash … Kyle Lowry

Key Rockets reserves: Goran Dragic, Jordan Hill, Courtney Lee, Patrick Patterson and Chase Budinger.

On to the Orange Slices:

* With Wednesday’s win and a home game Saturday night against Charlotte, tonight’s game is the key to putting together a three-game winning streak for the first time this season. The back end of a back-to-back is always tough (the Suns are 2-3 in them this season) but the Bobcats are only 3-20 and are missing top scorer Gerald Henderson, although Boris Diaw surely will save his best game for Phoenix on Saturday night.

The Suns had beaten tonight’s opponent, Houston, in seven consecutive meetings until their last game at Toyota Center, a 95-93 loss when Steve Nash was out and Jared Dudley missed a 3-pointer to win.

* Suns forward Grant Hill did not play the second half of Wednesday night’s win at New Orleans due to soreness in his right knee, the one that underwent surgery in September. He will return to action tonight and start. The knee had bothered him since Monday morning’s shootaround. Until Wednesday, Hill had averaged 12.3 points over a seven-game stretch.

Hill not only is playing but takes on the key assignment of defending Houston shooting guard Kevin Martin, the leading scorer on the NBA’s No. 5 scoring offense. Martin has averaged 29.2 points in his last six appearances, although the missed two late January games with a foot injury. He returned from the injury and scored 29 in each of the Rockets’ past two games, ones that Houston lost despite his 10-for-17 3-point shooting.

* Sebastian Telfair has posted his three highest scoring games of the season in the past four games but Wednesday night feature more of what Telfair needs to be offensively.

Telfair carried the offense with a stretch of nine straight Suns points at the end of the third quarter but he also was a distributor in the first quarter, running two clean pick-and-rolls with Marcin Gortat and throwing an alleyoop pass to Josh Childress. New Orleans took the lead during his first-half time but that had more to do with the big men on the floor getting beat by Emeka Okafor’s and Gustavo Ayon’s activity.

“I’ve got to pick my spots when I’m looking to be the scorer for the second unit,” Telfair said. “I definitely have to be aggressive. A lot of our plays are set up for everyone to be aggressive. When you don’t take open shots, it breaks down everything we’re doing. I definitely have to be the one to put some points on the board for us.”

Telfair has the quirky stat line of being a 31.3 percent shooter from the field overall but a 45.5 percent shooter on 3-pointers. That 3-point clip is second best on the team to Markieff Morris (although Steve Nash is not above 40 at 40.3) but Telfair has a small sample size — 10 for 22.

* One of the biggest contributors to Steve Nash’s 30-point, 10-assist game Wednesday was three days off.
His bruised left thigh needed it to free his mobility.

“I felt pretty good,” Nash said. “The leg was really sore and stiff but in really rare times and positions. It didn’t bother me much and the pad protected it well. I had some energy in my legs from a couple days off.”

* Houston rookie Marcus Morris was assigned to the D-League today and headed for Rio Grande Valley this morning. Morris had been excited on Thursday about the chance to watch his best friend and twin brother, Markieff, play tonight. He said he was going to wear his only suit, his draft-night one, for the occasion. The twins did get to share a Thursday night dinner, the first time they have spent together since the lockout ended. There will be a story more about their relationship that will be on the site on Sunday.

* The Suns canceled a scheduled Thursday practice after having to stay in New Orleans overnight after Wednesday’s game. Fog in Houston nixed the Suns’ usual itinerary of flying to the next city after a game.

* Since returning to the starting lineup, Dudley is averaging 16.7 points over those three games and has made six of 11 3-pointers and 20 of 23 free throws.

* Two nicknames have stuck to Goran Dragic in going from Phoenix to Houston – his nicknames.

Dragic gets more attention for them in Houston. More people call him “Gogi,” a Slovenian nickname that was more common in his homeland than Phoenix. And the nickname “Dragon” has taken on new life in Houston, where they flash a dragon on the video screen at high points for him.

“It is the Year of the Dragon,” Dragic points out for the Chinese New Year.

Indeed, it is.

Dragic faced Phoenix twice last season soon after the trade in two games that were six days apart. The teams split and Dragic went 0 for 5 in 20 minutes of play with six points, four assists and three turnovers.

“I know Steve’s game and he knows my game,” Dragic said of facing Nash tonight. “But he’s going to be tough with all those pick-and-rolls. I know I’m going to get hit by big guys but I’ll try to play my game. Marcin, we know what he’s going to do. Set the screen, roll hard, dunk. Hopefully, Channing and Jared don’t have a hot hand.”

* Phoenix Phactoid Pharaoh Vince Kozar matched Steve Nash’s doozy of a game with a doozy of a phactoid. Nash became of seven players in NBA history to make 13 or more field goals on 16 or fewer attempts in a double-digit assist game. The others were Deron Williams, Gary Payton, Ray Allen (yeah, he had 10 assists), Mark Price, Pooh Richardson and Magic Johnson.

The always optimistic Pharaoh also points out that the Suns are 1-0 in February.

Post your comments on the game below:

BOSTON – Mickael Pietrus is a swingman with athleticism, 3-point range and a good defensive reputation.

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It should have been a natural fit with the Suns, but the partnership disintegrated last season because of the team’s overload of wings, his fluctuating performance and a knee issue that caused him to sit out the final 12 games.

Pietrus became a locker-room deterrent to the point that Suns players said chemistry would be better if he did not return. The Suns tried to trade Pietrus when the lockout ended, but he failed a physical in Toronto because of his right knee, on which a French national-team surgeon performed an arthroscopic procedure in July.

Pietrus came to Phoenix for a MRI exam on his knee in December and then was bought out days later to save the Suns about $1million in salary. Once Pietrus cleared waivers, he signed with Boston but still needed rehabilitation.

“An unsuccessful situation to a better situation,” Pietrus said. “I was just trying to get my knee right.”

Suns coach Alvin Gentry diplomatically wished Pietrus well.

“I wasn’t a fit for the system,” Pietrus said. “The best move for me was that I play better on a championship team. So I made the right decision.”

Pietrus said playing with Steve Nash was his only good Suns memory.

“Obviously, he didn’t play well in Phoenix,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “I’m not sure why. … Our only reservation was his health.”

Memorable 1st start

Suns power forward Markieff Morris will not easily forget his first NBA start.

Though other rookies make it memorable with a sick dunk or by throwing up big numbers, Morris’ start included being sick and throwing up.

The Suns had settled on starting Morris on Wednesday night at New York before a stomach virus hit him. Morris vomited before the game but tried to play, lasting five minutes before he returned to the locker room for the night.

“I had cramps in my stomach,” Morris said. “It was all of a sudden. When I thought about it, the game against Chicago (on Tuesday night), my energy level was down and I couldn’t pick it up at all. It just came hard and all at once. I didn’t have any energy (Wednesday night), and I couldn’t really breathe.”

On Friday night, Morris started against a childhood idol, Boston’s Kevin Garnett.

“It’s a great feeling just to be playing against him and definitely an honor,” Morris said. “I heard he tries to bully guys, so I’ve got to hold my ground.”

Not over the Hill

Rivers said he is mad to see the defender that his former player in Orlando, Grant Hill, has become.

“He gets better defensively as he gets older,” Rivers said. “That is rare. Last year he led the league in charges taken. It’s an amazing story. In my opinion, he’s playing just because he loves basketball. He’s trying to figure out ways of staying on the floor to help his team.”

Free throw

Gentry said he is considering having his team do yoga, like his good coaching friend, Doug Collins, has done with Philadelphia. “For your body, it keeps it flexible and I just think it’s good for it,” Gentry said. “We’re going to consider that.”

Updated Jan 20, 2012 11:38 PM ET

Gortat finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Steve Nash had 11 points and nine assists to lead Phoenix to a 79-71 victory over Boston on Friday night. The Suns won their second straight road game, having snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Knicks on Wednesday.

”Steve put on a show, and people found me in the right spots,” Gortat said. ”We have to start winning. We tripped a couple of times at home. Now we need to make it up on the road.”

Gortat, who was one short of his career high in points, helped the Suns jump to a 16-8 lead with 10 of the game’s first 24 points, then he added a pair of layups at the end of the first.

The Celtics took a brief lead, 53-50, midway through the third quarter before Phoenix scored the next 12 points. After Mickael Pietrus hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 76-71, Gortat lumbered down the lane and drew a foul from Kevin Garnett before sinking two free throws to clinch it.

It was Gortat’s seventh consecutive double-double.

Ray Allen had 14 points and six rebounds for the Celtics, who lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 0-4 against the Western Conference. Playing without Rajon Rondo, their most consistent starter this year, the Celtics had their lowest-scoring game of the season.

”We should be better than that,” Rivers said. ”It’s on me. If one guy doesn’t play, you should be able to play through it.”

Paul Pierce scored 12 points with six assists and Garnett had 10 points and five rebounds. Avery Bradley scored 10 points with four rebounds and one assist while filling in for Rondo, who was injured Wednesday night when he took a hard foul from Toronto’s Linas Kleiza while going to the basket.

An MRI was negative. Rivers wouldn’t put a timetable on Rondo’s return, though the point guard was hoping to be back for Sunday’s game against the Washington Wizards.

Keyon Dooling missed his fifth straight game with a right knee injury.

The Celtics finished with 20 assists – same as the Suns – but just four from three different players at the point.

”We didn’t have our starting point guard. We didn’t have our backup point guard,” Rivers said, adding that he tried to run plays through Pierce, Garnett and Marquis Daniels. ”I mean, we were just searching.”

The Suns led by 11 at halftime. Boston went on a 14-2 run in the middle of the third quarter, taking a 53-50 lead on Pietrus’ 3-pointer. With Boston still up by 3, the Suns scored 12 straight points to take a 64-55 lead early in the fourth.

Notes: Former Boston College star Jared Dudley scored 12 points in 19 minutes as a reserve for Phoenix. … New England Patriots players Deion Branch and Patrick Chung took in the game from courtside. … Boston C Jermaine O’Neal played in his 900th NBA game. … With Rondo out, Garnett and Brandon Bass are the only Celtics to have played in every game this season. … Boston snapped a five-game slide on Wednesday night. … It was the Suns’ first time winning consecutive road games all season. … Allen had gone three straight games without scoring in double digits.

Marcin Gortat scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and Steve Nash had 11 points and nine assists on Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 79-71 victory over the Boston Celtics.
The Suns won their second straight after a five-game losing streak.
Playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, the team’s most consistent starter this year, the Celtics had their lowest-scoring game of the season. They lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 0-4 against the Western Conference.
Ray Allen led the Celtics with 14 points and six rebounds.
Former Boston College star Jared Dudley scored 12 points in 19 minutes as a reserve for Phoenix. Grant Hill had nine points and eight rebounds.
Paul Pierce scored 12 points with six assists and Kevin Garnett had 10 points and five rebounds. Avery Bradley scored 10 points with four rebounds and one assist in his first start of the season as a fill-in for Rondo, who missed his first game because of a sore right wrist.
Rondo was injured Wednesday night when he took a hard foul from Toronto’s Linas Kleiza while going to the basket. An MRI was negative.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers wouldn’t put a timetable on Rondo’s return, though the point guard was hoping to be back for Sunday’s game against the Washington Wizards.
It was the seventh consecutive double-double for Gortat. After Mickael Pietrus hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 76-71, Gortat lumbered down the lane and drew a foul from Garnett before sinking two free throws to clinch it.
The Suns led by 11 at halftime. Boston went on a 14-2 run in the middle of the third quarter, taking a 53-50 lead on Pietrus’ 3-pointer. With Boston still up by 3, the Suns scored 12 consecutive points to take a 64-55 lead early in the fourth.
Notes: Gortat had 14 points and four rebounds in the first quarter. … New England Patriots players Deion Branch and Patrick Chung took in the game from courtside. … Boston C Jermaine O’Neal played in his 900th NBA game. … With Rondo out, Garnett and Brandon Bass are the only Celtics to have played in every game this season. … Boston snapped a five-game slide on Wednesday night. … It was the Suns’ first time winning consecutive road games all season. … Allen had gone three straight games without scoring in double digits.

BOSTON – The Suns just needed to visit some NBA arenas where opponents are allowed to win or the tenants are playing bad basketball.

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The Suns’ five-game losing streak has been followed by a two-game road win streak after the Suns grinded out a win Friday night that would be considered ugly if it was not so rare.

The Suns downed Boston 79-71 at TD Garden, marking the first time they have won a game with fewer than 80 points since November 2002 (75-72 at Denver).

The Celtics (5-9) are struggling like New York, Wednesday’s victim, and were without point guard Rajon Rondo because of a wrist injury.

The Suns (6-9) started this daunting five-game trip with losses at San Antonio and Chicago, which entered Friday night undefeated at home, but held New York to 37.2 percent shooting Wednesday and allowed 40.5 percent shooting to Boston. The Suns needed every Celtics miss, as they committed a season-high 23 turnovers.

“Our defense, I know it almost makes you guys pass out when I say Phoenix Suns and defense, but we have gotten a lot better defensively, and the reason we can stay in games now is because of our defense,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

Boston’s “Big 3″ of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen made 14 of 35 shots, with Allen, the leading scorer, taking only eight shots against a defense that began with Ronnie Price guarding him.

The Suns jumped ahead early with NBA field-goal percentage leader Marcin Gortat scoring their final 14 points of the first quarter, a total that matched Allen’s team-high 14 for the game. Suns point guard Steve Nash spoon-fed center Gortat baskets when Boston’s attention was on Nash coming off screens. Still, Gortat also made tough shots, including two hooks and a spin move that would have made his summer tutor, Hakeem Olajuwon, proud.

“I was aggressive,” Gortat said. “Those points aren’t only because of me. My teammates had great position. They spread the floor for me. Steve hit me on the rolls. At the end of the game, maybe I had one or two putbacks. That’s the only thing I did by myself. They helped me to score. Next time, somebody else will score.”

Gortat finished with 24 points, one shy of his career high, on 10-of-18 shooting and added 12 rebounds.

Gortat has recorded seven consecutive double-doubles and posted three 20-point, 10-rebound games in the past five contests.

Jared Dudley (12 points) and Nash (11) were the only other Suns in double figures, and both hit clutch perimeter shots down the stretch. Nash added nine assists.

“He (Nash) is the motor that drives the car,” Gentry said. “He’s everything for us.”

The Suns’ second unit made 12 of 26 shots, helping the Suns stretch the lead to double figures in the second quarter.

The Suns lost their lead in the third quarter when they managed only four points for the first 8½ minutes. Boston had momentum, but the Suns showed resolve, going on a 12-0 run that bridged the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth.

The run included blocked shots from Gortat and Nash and steals by Grant Hill, Sebastian Telfair (twice) and Robin Lopez.

Report

Key player

Suns center Marcin Gortat had 24 points and 12 rebounds, his seventh consecutive double-double.

Key moment

After surrendering the lead in the third quarter, the Suns went on a 14-0 run over six minutes and included two blocks and four steals.

Key number

+14: The Suns’ rebound differential Friday night after entering the game with a league-worst minus-4.9 differential seventh consecutive double-double included average.

View from press row

This probably was why Alvin Gentry was hesitant to throw rookie Markieff Morris into the starting lineup. Morris has been the most impressive rookie big man in the NBA this season but had done it against a lot of second-stringers. His propensity for bad passes continued Friday night. He also did not make a shot, but he gets a pass after coming off a stomach virus and being a rookie. He has proven to be a smart player and will figure things out.

By Brian Mahoney, Associated Press

NEW YORK — Steve Nash provided the beautiful point guard play that once made Mike D’Antoni’s offense hum and now is sorely lacking.

Then, Shannon Brown crushed the Knicks with a 3-pointer that nearly bounced over the basket before bouncing in, a shot as ugly as this game.

“Probably about par for the course,” Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said.

Nash had 26 points and 11 assists, and the Suns snapped a five-game losing streak with a 91-88 victory over the Knicks on Wednesday night.

Brown and Grant Hill each scored 14 points for the Suns, who bounced back from an embarrassing 118-97 loss to a Chicago team without Derrick Rose a night earlier.

They got help with a lucky bounce on Brown’s 3-pointer from the corner that bounced off the rim, then the top of the center of the basket before falling in to give them a five-point lead with 35 seconds left. Nash made it stand up with six free throws in the last 16 seconds.

Gentry said Nash, who shot 9 of 12, is playing as well as he did in his MVP seasons under D’Antoni. Nash said playing his former coach and teammate Amare Stoudemire, in the city where he lives in the summer, was “a homecoming in some ways” but denied any extra significance in beating them.

“Right now, we could have beat anybody and it’d be sweet,” Nash said. “It’s been a tough year, we’ve had a tough stretch, so for us, any win is a huge relief and hopefully will give us some confidence and maybe get us going a little bit.”

Stoudemire scored 23 points for the Knicks, who have lost four straight and can’t find answers for their offensive struggles.

“I know we’re 6-8, I know we’re in a little bit of a crisis here,” D’Antoni said. “But we’re playing hard, playing good defense. There’s some good things we’re doing. We’ve just got to figure out the one part and that’s the part that should be easiest. It’s become a problem, and if we solve it, we’ll be pretty good. We just have to do it sooner rather than later.”

Iman Shumpert added 20 points and Landry Fields had 17, but Carmelo Anthony, perhaps still bothered by a sore left wrist, shot just 5 of 22 while finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Anthony did not speak to the media. A Knicks spokesman said he left because of a family issue.

Hill hit jumpers for the Suns’ last three baskets of the third quarter, giving them a 64-61 edge. The Knicks then managed just two field goals in the first six minutes of the fourth, and Phoenix finally got some room when a 10-4 run, ending with consecutive baskets by Brown, made it 78-71.

Shumpert’s 3-pointer cut it to 82-80 before Brown answered with his 3 from the corner that had to be reviewed.