If Phoenix plays the Dallas Mavericks a few weeks from now in the Western Conference finals, confidence should be no problem for the Suns.
Not with the way they handled the Mavericks on Sunday in Phoenix.
With Leandro Barbosa leading a parade of big scorers with 29 points, the Suns beat the Mavericks for the second time in 18 days, 126-104.
Amare Stoudemire added 24 points and Steve Nash had 23 points and 11 assists as the Suns snapped Dallas' nine-game winning streak and finished the season series 2-2. After a scoreless first quarter, Shawn Marion had 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting. He also frustrated Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki most of the afternoon.
"That's about as good as we can play," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said.
The Suns shot 65 percent (46-of-71), the highest in the NBA this season and a record for any team at US Airways Center, formerly America West Arena.
Phoenix shot 86 percent in the fourth quarter (13-for-15), 4-of-4 on 3s.
"We were getting good looks," Marion said. "Everybody was rotating, making the extra pass. When everybody makes the extra pass, you get open looks and you're going to knock down some shots."
Stoudemire, who scored 41 in the Suns' come-from-behind 129-127 double-overtime victory at Dallas on March 14, made 10 of 13 shots Sunday. In the last two games against the Mavs, he was 26-of-32 from the field.
PISTONS 94, HEAT 88: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Richard Hamilton scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, helping Detroit beat Miami. Hamilton had missed Detroit's past four games with a concussion and the flu and had only two points in 12 first-half minutes. He played 20 minutes after the intermission, hitting five of seven shots and going 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
PACERS 100, SPURS 99: At Indianapolis, Jamaal Tinsley's layup over Tim Duncan with 1.1 seconds left ended the Spurs' six-game winning streak. The Pacers prepared for their final shot trailing 99-98 with 6.3 seconds left. Tinsley drove from right to left before lofting the shot over the 6-11 Duncan's outstretched arm, off the glass and into the basket.
WIZARDS 121, BUCKS 107: At Milwaukee, Gilbert Arenas scored 19 points and Caron Butler added 19 points before fracturing his right hand early in the second half of Washington's victory. Jarvis Hayes scored 17 points including two 3-pointers and a basket during a 10-1 run midway through the fourth that put Washington in control.
BULLS 105, HAWKS 97: At Atlanta, Luol Deng scored 30 points and Kirk Hinrich had 22 in Chicago's 11th straight victory over Atlanta. The Bulls haven't lost to Atlanta since April 9, 2004. Overall, they have won five of six and 12 of 16.
WARRIORS 122, GRIZZLIES 117: At Oakland, Calif., Jason Richardson scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Golden State overcame the early ejection of Baron Davis to beat Memphis. Richardson's fourth-quarter spurt helped the Warriors avoid a loss to the NBA's worst team that would have dealt a crushing blow to their playoff hopes.
RAPTORS 107, BOBCATS 94: At Toronto, Chris Bosh had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Toronto clinched its first playoff spot in five years by beating Charlotte. Juan Dixon added 15 points for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors, who haven't made the playoffs since 2002.
CELTICS 98, CAVALIERS 96: At Boston, with LeBron James and Paul Pierce sitting out, Delonte West made two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to lift Boston past Cleveland. Cleveland called a timeout after the foul shots, and Damon Jones got off an open 3-point attempt from the right side, but it bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
TIMBERWOLVES 105, MAGIC 104 (OT): At Orlando, Fla., Ricky Davis scored a season-high 36 points — including the winning 3-pointer — to lead Minnesota past Orlando. Kevin Garnett, who had 22 points and eight rebounds, sealed the win by blocking Jameer Nelson's driving layup with less than five seconds left.
NUGGETS 114, SUPERSONICS 103: At Seattle, Carmelo Anthony scored six straight points midway through the fourth quarter, Allen Iverson took over in the closing moments, and Denver snapped a three-game losing streak.
LAKERS 126, KINGS 103: At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant had 19 points and a season-high 13 assists. Bryant took just 14 shots and made six.