NBA: Suns continue to impress 

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Phoenix Suns improved to a perfect 8-0 at home with a down-to-the-wire 106-103 victory over the Orlando Magic yesterday.

Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points and dunked a crucial offensive rebound with 6.9 seconds left to help the Suns fend off the Magic.

Steve Nash added 20 points and 18 assists as Phoenix (16-7) remained the only team in the NBA without a loss at home.

"It's a win that we desperately needed obviously, with the schedule that we have coming up," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "It's very important for us to keep this thing going at home."

Rashard Lewis led Orlando with 24 points and Mickael Pietrus had 23 for the visitors who battled back from down 14 points in the third quarter.

It was the second loss in as many nights for the Magic (17-6), who fell to the Utah Jazz on Thursday.

Orlando led by one with 1:23 left before a jump shot by Grant Hill put the Suns on top 104-103 with 1:08 remaining.

The Magic had a missed shot and a turnover on their next two possessions before Stoudemire sealed the game with his big rebound putback.

"Turnovers have been a big problem," said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. "(Also) we didn't get rebounds in key situations. We went bigger, we just can't get rebounds when it counts."

Orlando has not won in Phoenix since 2001 and has now lost consecutive road games after winning their previous eight.

Dwight Howard had 10 points and 18 rebounds but just one field goal after being sent to the line for 17 free throws by the Suns.

Jared Dudley provided 19 points off the bench for Phoenix which got off to a fast start and led by as much as 19 early in the second quarter. The Suns have played a league-high 15 games on the road yet are still tied for the second best record in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, LeBron James had 33 points, seven assists and seven rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the injury-riddled Portland Trail Blazers 104-99 yesterday.

Anderson Varejao scored a season high 22 points for Cleveland who rebounded from a pair of losses to Houston and Memphis.

In those games, Cleveland committed a total of 41 turnovers. Cleveland had just 16 against Portland.

James also had a brilliant block on a shot by Brandon Roy in the closing seconds.

Varejao also had 10 rebounds and Shaquille O'Neal finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Cleveland's giant centre O'Neal got poked in the eye during the third quarter by Joel Przybilla as he was making a shot and had to leave the game.

The team said O'Neal had a bruised eye but did not give details of the injury. He was to a Cleveland medial clinic for tests but is expected to join his teammates for a trip to Oklahoma on Saturday.

Varejao and Mo Williams both played with stomach illness. Williams had 10 assists. Roy scored 23, LaMarcus Aldridge 22 and Andre Miller 20 for Portland, who had just nine players because of injuries.

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant played through the pain of a broken finger to score 20 points and lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 104-92 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday.

Bryant suffered a small break on the index finger of his right hand in the opening quarter when he was reaching for a pass. Doctors said the "avulsion fracture" is where bone fragments break away near a tendon or ligament.

Bryant still managed to score 20 points in 33 minutes of playing time with his finger heavily bandaged in the second half. "It is painful, but I played through it," Bryant said. "It is pretty numb, pretty sore."

Bryant said he tried to choose shots and plays where he didn't have to put too much stress on the broken digit.

"When things like this happen you have to be able to go to another weapon," he said.

Bryant played briefly in the second quarter before going to the locker room at halftime to get more treatment. He got back into the game after halftime hitting three baskets including a three pointer in the first few minutes of the third.

Bryant is the NBA's second-leading scorer with 28.8 points per game.