Penny, Suns Shine Over Nets

Stephon Marbury outplayed Jason Kidd in a matchup of top point guards, but Kidd's team won the game.

Penny Hardaway scored 25 points as the Phoenix Suns won their fourth straight game, 104-89 over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.

"At the end of the game, he said my game was garbage," Hardaway said. "He was doing all the talking. It's all frustration."

Kidd said winning the game was more important to him than winning the statistical battle with Marbury.

"As a point guard you have to get your teammates involved," Kidd said. "Sometimes you have to step up and shoot, but the bottom line is that this is a team game and it doesn't matter what you say or how many points you score. It's who ends up winning that's important."

Phoenix hasn't lost since dropping its season opener at Denver. The Nets fell to 1-4.

Tom Gugliotta scored 18 points for the Suns, while Johnny Newman had 26 for the Nets.

The Suns built a 33-16 lead after a first quarter in which they held the Nets to 31 percent shooting, outrebounded New Jersey 14-8, had four steals and blocked four shots.

It was never close after Phoenix used an 18-4 run to take a 27-12 lead. Hardaway led the charge with seven points, while Luc Longley and Shawn Marion each added four.

The Suns led by as many as 24 points in the second period before taking a 56-36 lead into the break. The Nets were booed by thir home fans after the Suns opened the second half with an 8-2 spurt.

New Jersey closed to 89-77 in the fourth quarter on a tip-in by Jim McIlvaine, but never posed a serious threat.

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