Steve Nash played only 27 minutes, but had a career-high 13 rebounds to go with 12 points and 12 assists.

And to make the night even better for Nash, they defeated the Sixers by a final score of 116-87 to clinch the Pacific Division.

``Given the fact that we won 29 games last year and nobody picked us to be division champ or a playoff team necessarily, it's a great accomplishment,'' Nash said. ``I think we've raised the bar, and having said that, it's not enough."

``They're as good of an offensive basketball team as there is in the NBA,'' Sixers coach Jim O'Brien said. ``We did not have what it took to stay in front of them (or) keep them out of the middle. And, as a result, we let loose their 3-ball.''

The Suns again played without Amare Stoudemire but didn't miss a beat.

The Phoenix Suns, a team considered by many to lack any kind of depth, were forced to take on the NBA?s hottest team minus one Amare Stoudemire.  That is 26 points per game out with an ankle injury, nearly 25 percent of the Suns scoring sitting helpless in street clothes, forced to watch his Suns take on a Denver Nuggets team that is 21-5 under new coach George Karl.  

So how did it all end?  

The Suns held on to beat the Nuggets 123-114 behind the 30 points and 14 rebounds of super-athlete Shawn Marion.  The seldom used Steven Hunter stepped in for Stoudemire to score 14 points on 6-7 shooting, most of his buckets coming off of vintage Steve Nash dimes (Mr. Nash finished with 23 points and 12 assists).

Orlando Magic guard Steve Francis will return to the lineup tonight for an important game versus the Phoenix Suns.  A win tonight could bring the Magic out of their slump and help them get back in the playoff race.  Francis was suspended by the league for 3-days after kicking a photographer in Seattle.

"I'm an emotional player," he said Friday. "I wear my emotions on my sleeve. For the most part, it's helped me out.

"Ninety-five percent of the time, it's helped me more than it's hurt me. So I'll take 95-to-5 with anything."

He paused. Francis knows that what makes him a fierce competitor also works against him, turning his strength into his weakness. "Sometimes, it gets you in trouble," he said.

Arguably two of the most exciting teams in the NBA, the #1 team in the West, the Phoenix Suns and he #1 team in the East, the Miami Heat, are set to square off against each other tonight in a possible NBA championship preview.

"It'll be two different styles and we'll see who has the will to continue it for 48 minutes," said Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, whose team could sweep for a tiebreaker that would come into play if the teams tie for the best overall record and meet in the Finals. " . . . This is the game we've waited for."

"You can't adapt to their style," Wade said. "We can run with any team in the league, but we're not going to try to run with Phoenix. We'll run at times and use our big fella for what he's for. We're better equipped to handle it. Guys have to be more aggressive shooting when they put two guys on Shaq."

The game is set to start at 6 p.m. in Phoenix and will be aired on ESPN.

With a 105-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the Phoenix Suns became just the ninth team in NBA history to follow a 50 loss season with a 50 win season.

The win was very similar to the Suns' previous 49 this season, double-doubles from their big 3. Amare Stoudemire had 40 points and 13 rebounds, Steve Nash had 13 points and 10 assists and Shawn Marion had 21 points and 11 rebounds.

``We're right there offensively,'' Nash said. ``Defensively, we're starting to show signs that we can be good. It's just the defense. We've got to keep improving little by little going into the playoffs. If we're a solid defensive team like we were earlier in the year, we've got a great chance.''

The Hawks played the Suns surprisingly close, trailing by just two points heading into the 4th quarter.

Josh Smith had 14 points and 12 rebouns and Al Harrington had 16 points and 8 rebounds.

It came so quickly, nobody knew quite what to say.  Following a Memphis 8-0 run in which the Grizzlies put together 8 points in just 45 seconds, Phoenix quarterback Steve Nash screamed, kicked a bench chair, threw the chair and harshly addressed his fellow teammates during a subsequent timeout.

"That was for two months of not really playing defense," Nash said. "It's from being on a team before that won a ton of games, had lots of offensive talent and did not have the quickness and athleticism this team has and the ability to guard. I know where we're headed if we don't play 'D.' I've been there. I've been trying not to overdo it this year and say too much. We're a young team and they don't know where I am coming from if I say that over and over."

Just two days after an embarassing loss at home versus the Warriors, the Suns bounced back on the road at Memphis, beating the Grizzlies 97-91.

Joe Johnson scored 28 points, while MVP candidate Steve Nash had 13 assists.

Duke alum Shane Battier led the Grizzlies with 20 points.  Pau Gasol was 1-4 from the field in limited action.

The Suns improved their record to 49-16, gaining a game on the Spurs who were defeated by the Pistons.

Baron Davis scored 33 points, as the Warriors defeated the Phoenix Suns by double-figures on the road.  The Warriors improved their record to 8-6 since acquiring Davis from the Hornets.  Two of those losses were closely contested battles versus the Pistons.

Davis hit seven 3-pointers, while his Warriors held the Suns to just five 3-pointers.

``I started feeling it early and I tried to keep the momentum going,'' said Davis. ``We're just trying to have a strong finish.''

``He's a great boost for our team,'' Fisher said of Davis. ``He had a tough time in New Orleans. He didn't enjoy it there. He's enjoying it here.

``He's a guy who can score, who makes plays -- he can do everything we need out there. He's fun to play with. We're glad to have him.''

Carmelo Anthony spent the last 17:45 of the Nuggets 106-101 loss to the Suns Sunday on the bench, however both Coach George Karl and Anthony are downplaying the whole event.

"I watched the film just now and still couldn't pinpoint it," Anthony said Monday after a brief practice. "It's not a big deal. Just because this happened last night doesn't mean that something has been going on between me and coach Karl."

"For me, at the 5-minute mark of the third quarter, I didn't know how to win a game," Karl said. "Then, when I got a team out there that showed me they could win a game, I decided to stay with them.

"It was probably more their good play than Carmelo's average play that caused me to stay with the crew that was on the court."

The surprise Suns are full of players having career years, and Joe Johnson is no exception.  The 6-foot-7, 230-pounder is averaging 16.4 points and shooting 45.9 percent from 3-point range this season and will be a restricted free agent this summer.  There is no doubt that many teams will court this emerging shooting guard with the pure touch.  

"When the season is over with, I'm going to be open to see what's out there," Johnson said. "I would love to stay, but it's not set in stone. It's a business. I'm just trying to do what is best for me."

Johnson is only earning $2.4 million this year and will no doubt be looking for more.  He does have competition at the shooting guard free-agent spot as Ray Allen, Michael Redd and Larry Hughes will also be on the market.  All of them top notch players.

"He's a big part of our organization," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's a great guy. We're going to try to do everything we can so he won't go away. We can do everything (because of his restricted status). If we do everything, he isn't going anywhere."