TORONTO, 20 May 2005 — Steve Nash recorded his first playoff triple-double on Wednesday to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 114-108 win over the Dallas Mavericks and a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal.
Nash, named league MVP prior to Game One of the best-of-seven series, did it all for the Suns scoring 34 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and dishing out 12 assists to leave Phoenix one win away from the Western Conference final.
The series now shifts from Phoenix to Dallas for Game Six today.
“That’s all that counts, we got the win,” said Nash, who has three career triple-doubles. “Game Five is important, it would have been devastating to lose.
Amare Stoudemire contributed 33 points and 18 rebounds to the Suns total while Joe Jackson, stepping in for an injured Joe Johnson, added 21 points. Shawn Marion had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki had 34 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks while Jerry Stackhouse had 29 points and Josh Howard chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Trailing 77-76 after three quarters, the Suns seized control in the fourth, going on a 20-9 run to surge 98-86 in front with five minutes to play.
Nash had 22 of his 34 points in the second half, combining with Stoudemire for seven points to underpin the Suns’ fourth quarter surge. Jackson also saved his best for last, scoring 15 of his 21 points in the final quarter.
The Mavericks now face a must win situation on Friday. If they win, the deciding Game Seven will be played in Phoenix on Sunday.
NBA Union Agrees to Tougher
Dope Testing Plan
In Washington, the National Basketball Association’s players union agreed yesterday to adopt a tougher anti-doping policy, saying steroids are not a league problem but agreeing to “fix something that isn’t broken”.
One day after hedging on adopting tougher test standards, National Basketball Players Association’s executive director told a House Government Reform Committee hearing that his group would back tougher testing.
“Beginning next season, our players will agree to even more frequent testing and harsher penalties for steroid use,” Billy Hunter told US lawmakers.
US lawmakers do not see things the same way. Reform committee chairman Tom Davis pointed to the NBA drug-test policy that has veterans tested only once a year and that only during the limited window of October training camps.Contract talks between the league and the union broke down Wednesday after NBA Commissioner David Stern and Hunter sat side-by-side before a House Commerce Committee subcommittee hearing on imposing World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards on all US sports leagues.
