(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Allen Iverson scored 31 points, Carmelo Anthony added 30 along with 13 rebounds to lead the Nuggets past the Suns 126-113 last night in Denver.
J.R. Smith scored 20 points off the bench for Denver on 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point and played a key role in the second quarter run that eventually decided the game.

It was another tough loss against a Western Conference team but the key to last night performance were energy and athleticism. I am sure it had a lot to do with the Suns arriving in Denver late at night after playing the Blazers in Portland a day earlier.

"I don't think we had enough energy to stay with them” were the words of the coach after a game in which the Suns looked very tired.

The Suns were leading 40-33 in the second quarter when the Nuggets scored 16 straight point and distanced themselves for good. Phoenix went scoreless for almost 5 minutes – despite shooting 53% in the game and 10-of-21 from 3-point range – as Denver grabbed a commanding 60-46 lead.

Stoudemire led the Suns with 22 points (6 rebounds) and “Big Cactus” Shaq, while scoring 12 had a season-high 18 rebounds. Steve Nash dished 13 assists for a Suns lineup that included 8 players in double figures (Diaw 17, Barbosa 15, Hill 13 and so on).

Don’t be scared but if you take a look at the standings you could check yourself that the Suns are currently 6th in the Conference.

The Suns (40-21) will now host the Jazz on Friday night (7 PM) at the US Airways Center. It’s a key game already, since Utah is half a game in front of Phoenix in the standings.

Yours truly, Steve Fan