The Phoenix Suns signed guard Williams ?Smush? Parker to a second 10-day contract.

The 6-4, 180-pound guard has averaged 2.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in three games since signing his first 10-day contract with the Suns on Jan. 19. In his Suns debut vs. Memphis on Jan. 19, he posted Suns highs of six points and four assists in 16 minutes.

The Suns finished last season with 29 wins. Already, they have surpassed that total. Sure, Amare Stoudemire is a year older. Quentin Richardson has been a decent addition. But the real reason the Suns have made a shocking catapult from the league's basement to its penthouse is the presence of Steve Nash.

Steve Nash's arrival in Phoenix turned around the Suns. When Nash ditched the Mavericks for the Suns as a free agent last summer, the move was met with raised eyebrows and shrugs. Yeah, he was a decent pickup, but hadn't he shown signs of decline? Was he really better than former Suns point guards Stephon Marbury and Jason Kidd? Unlikely. But Nash has responded with the best all-around season of his nine-year career.

An MVP doesn't have to score 30 points a game. If that were the case, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant would win the award every season. An MVP knows what his team needs and delivers. The Suns needed a playmaker who could speed up the tempo. Done. The Suns lead the league in scoring, and Nash is averaging 11.4 assists in Suns wins ? 10.9 overall. He is on track to finish with the highest assists average since Mark Jackson in 1996-97.

According to an article by Shira Springer in the Boston Globe, the Walter McCarty bobblehead being given away at the FleetCenter Friday night before the Celtics take on the high scoring Phoenix Suns may quickly become a collectors item.

Prior to Boston's 100-86 win over Indiana last night, the reserve forward talked about asking Danny Ainge for a trade. The proposed deal making the rounds has McCarty going to Phoenix for a second-round pick.

"Me and Danny have been talking all year," said McCarty. "We've had a lot of discussions. He knows I'm not happy, that I'm frustrated. And it's been like that for awhile. I have to stand up for myself like I should. That's what I feel. I would hate to feel that way and keep it inside. So, I thought I'd talk to Danny about it. He's been working on something."

"I'm just looking out for what's best for Walter McCarty right now. I think too many times in my career, I haven't done that. Right now, it's time for me to look out for myself, not in a selfish way, but just what would be best for me. I don't think for me not really being in the rotation, sitting on the bench, not getting an opportunity is what's best for me at this point in my career."

McCarty said he told Ainge about his frustrations a few games into the season, stating that the team has evolved to the point where he no longer fits in. He sees "the changing of the guard" with a new coaching staff, a new system where young players receive substantial playing time. He understands what the Celtics are trying to do. He recognizes he no longer fits in their plans for the future.

"Walter's had a great road here," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I come in the door, we start playing young guys, his minutes go down, you expect him to be frustrated. But what he has to continue to be is a team player, and understand that. And I think he's done that for the most part. But I don't mind him being frustrated. Hell, if I was a player and Walter's age [31 next Tuesday], I would want to play, too. But I'm going to play the young guys and I've told the guys that."

The talk around town is that Boston and Phoenix are very close to completing a trade that would send veteran forward, Walter McCarty to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a future second round draft choice.

Supposedly, the trade was nearly completed last night. As of now, Boston is waiting for confirmation from Phoenix.

McCarty spoke about the potential deal saying, "I'm very excited if it does happen. The Suns are a team that's playing really well right now, and it would be a chance to win. I'm very excited. I think it's close and I just hope it follows through. I don't want to get too anxious and be disappointed if it doesn't happen."

Jamal Crawford's 40 points on 14 of 25 shooting wasn't enough to lead the Knicks to victory on Tuesday night, as New York's porous defense gave up 133 points to the Suns.

Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 29 points.  Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson had 25 and 24 points respectively.

The loss dropped the Knicks to 17 and 23.  The Suns improved to 32 and 10.

Not only has Paul Shirley returned to the Phoenix Suns for the second time this season, this time he's got a chance for a little job security.

The Suns re-signed the 6'10" forward today to a two-year contract. The club holds the option on the 2005-06 season. The Suns now have 12 players, including 11 on the active roster.

The 6-10, 230-pound forward will be in uniform for tonight's game at 6 p.m. vs. the New Jersey Nets at America West Arena and will wear jersey No. 17.

Shirley previously averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in seven preseason games with Phoenix, but was waived on November 3. The 27-year-old played for Unics Kazan in Russia for the past two months after his release from Phoenix.

It was no secret that New Jersey were trying to come up with a deal to acquire Jimmy Jackson from the New Orleans Hornets, but luckily for Rod Thorn and the Nets they failed.

According to Dave D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger, Jackson didn't rule out the possibility yesterday he might have alienated everyone in New Jersey just like he did in New Orleans by refusing to report after being traded.  Jackson, now with the Phoenix Suns, wanted to play for a contender after the Houston Rockets traded him on December 26.

Jackson didn't specifically say he wouldn't have reported to the Nets had they been able to trade for him. But the swingman did say that at the age of 34, he would have had to give a move to the Meadowlands some thought.

"Indications were that (the Nets) were really pushing strong," Jackson said last night before making his debut with the Suns. "And I guess if I really wanted to push the situation, I could have.

"But I still wanted to see my options. With the injuries that happened to New Jersey with Richard Jefferson, and with the trades, they are kind of rebuilding their situation. Almost similar to New Orleans -- not in that same respect, but trying to get back above .500. For me, it is a question of, 'At this point in my career, where would you be most satisfied and happy with?' I think I deserve that, and I took a hit, but I felt it was something I needed to do."

And no, Jackson added, he wasn't hesitant because Alonzo Mourning -- one of his best friends -- was in his ear for six days last week, when the two worked out in Miami.

"Not at all," he said. "Remember, I played in New Jersey. When I played there with Coach (John) Calipari, I had one of my best times there even though the team was struggling. That is Alonzo's opinion about what happened to him in New Jersey.

"It is not like I am saying I don't want to go to New Orleans, but I will go to another team that is struggling. The (goal) was to get to a team that was winning."

With Steve Nash back on the court the Phoenix Suns appear to be their high scoring selves once again, and on Sunday it was Nash's 30 points which helped the team to a 113-105 victory over the New Jersey Nets, snapping a six game losing skid.  The Suns had only lost four games for the entire season before losing Nash to injury.

"It didn't feel like a season high," said Nash, who was 5-for-6 from behind the arc. "I just picked my spots and had a really good rhythm."

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni called the Suns' performance "not bad . . . nothing grand. We were kind of cruising a little bit.

"We are going to have to turn it up.?

Jimmy Jackson may not be a fan of the New Orleans Hornets, but he appears to be loving his new home out in Arizona.

Jackson refused to report to the Hornets after being traded from Houston on December 26 because he wanted to play for a contender, and even though he forfeited $302,000 for the games he missed he believes he now resides on fits into that category.

"They have as good a chance as anybody," Jackson said before suiting up for the Suns' game against the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night. "The key is going to be consistency the second part of the season. A lot of teams start out great, but you want to be playing your best basketball in March and April."

Jackson said the forfeited money was worth it if he plays for a top-tier team.

"It's like anything you do in life. You make an investment and you take a chance and hope that it will pay off in the long term," he said. "I was thinking long-term as far as the rest of my career, being in the twilight of my career, being a part of something special."

Phoenix will be Jackson's 12th team in 13 NBA seasons.

Manu Ginobili had the game of his life last night, scoring 48 points and leading San Antonio back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit.

"What can I say? This was a game that I probably would never expect to have," Ginobili said. "I'm not the first option on this team. I came in really strong, making shots, so my confidence was built up already. Then I started making tough shots. I was feeling it and they were all falling."

With the win, the Spurs now have the NBA?s best record at 33-9 while the Suns dropped to 31-10.