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MINNEAPOLIS – Boris Diaw had a career-high 31 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to lead the Phoenix Suns past the stumbling Minnesota Timberwolves 103-89 on Monday night.

Steve Nash, too quick for any of Minnesota’s point guards, had 24 points and 12 assists. Shawn Marion added 21 points and 16 rebounds for Phoenix, which had lost five of its previous seven.

Kevin Garnett (26 points and 19 rebounds) and Wally Szczerbiak (27 points) helped the Timberwolves pull within 80-77 early in the fourth quarter after a follow dunk by Garnett. Then the Suns called timeout and calmly ran away with the game.

James Jones sank a 3-pointer, and Eddie House hit a jumper followed by a pull-up 3-pointer. Jones made another one from behind the arc, and Diaw added an easy layup to cap the 13-0 spurt.

Minnesota wanted to keep the high-energy Suns from playing at their frantic pace, as most opponents do, but there was little sign of success.

Phoenix scored 12 of its first 14 points on layups or dunks, surging to a 16-6 lead, and had four fast-break baskets before halftime on the way to a 45-42 edge.

Defensive standout Trenton Hassell scored eight of his 14 points in a one-minute span late in the first quarter, and Szczerbiak occasionally used his 2-inch height advantage over Raja Bell to give Minnesota some scoring. But the Wolves, who have noticeably improved their defense under first-year coach Dwane Casey, couldn’t do enough to disrupt the Suns’ offensive flow.

Diaw, a 23-year-old Frenchman who came to Phoenix this summer with two future first-round draft picks from Atlanta in a trade for Joe Johnson, led his team on another 13-0 charge – this one to start the second half. Diaw contributed an assist, two free throws, a dunk, a layup and another foul shot during the spurt.

Bell was called for a charging foul in the first quarter for running over the Wolves’ Mark Madsen, who bruised his back and was later taken to the locker room for examination after playing six scoreless minutes. Madsen tried to loosen up during halftime warmups, but he was in too much pain to return.

Notes: Minnesota’s Michael Olowokandi missed the game, his first absence this season, after having an X-ray on his right elbow in the afternoon – which revealed no broken bones. Olowokandi has soreness and swelling in the joint, a condition called bursitis. Madsen started at center instead, the first starting lineup change Casey has had to make. … The Suns’ Amare Stoudemire, who hasn’t played this season following left knee surgery, has joined the team on this road trip and could be ready to start on-court drills in a couple of weeks, coach Mike D’Antoni said. Stoudemire is expected back around the All-Star break in February. … Former Minnesota Twins teammates Joe Mauer and Corey Koskie chatted on the edge of the court at halftime. Koskie, a native Canadian just like Nash, now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays but still has a home in the Twin Cities area.

AP-ES-12-26-05 2226EST

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