Most Valuable Player
Steve Nash had more assists (17) than the entire Wizards roster. He fed Channing Frye (18 points), Grant Hill (13 points) and Amar’e Stoudemire (17), expanding a five-point lead to nine right after half.
All-Star Performance
Caron Butler epitomized an improved defensive team effort, picking up four steals to go with 19 points. But the Wizards still desperately need him to find an offensive rhythm while they await the returns of Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller.
Overlooked
Brendan Haywood was a force defensively with five blocks. After making a huge fourth-quarter block on Jason Richardson, he went to the bench looking like he had injured his right hand. Nope. “I was just dead tired,” he said.
Oops!
Gilbert Arenas can’t buy a call right now when he goes strong to the basket. But he doesn’t have an argument every time. On both of his offensive fouls, it appears that the referees made the right decision.
From the Bench
Wizards coach Flip Saunders stuck with just eight players in his rotation after a failed experiment with Nick Young as a starter in Indianapolis on Friday.
Channing Frye may be 6-foot-11, but Suns head coach Alvin Gentry had him firmly planted on the three-point line, from where he launched eight of his 17 shots on the night.
