Kevin Garnett almost single-handedly snapped the Phoenix Suns' 17-game winning streak, scoring 44 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Minnesota's 121-112 victory on Monday night.

The Chicago Bulls? Ben Gordon and the Phoenix Suns? Steve Nash today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 28.

Gordon averaged 26.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in helping Chicago to a 3-1 week. He scored 34 points and added seven assists and six rebounds in Chicago?s 100-97 win over Miami on Jan. 27, and topped the 30-point mark two other times last week ? Jan. 30 vs. Dallas and Jan. 22 at Indiana.

Nash, who also won the award last week and the week of Dec. 11, averaged 22.5 points, a league-best 14.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds in helping Phoenix extend its winning streak to a franchise-record 17 games with a 4-0 week on the road. He registered 18 points, 16 assists and a season-high six rebounds in the Suns? 98-90 win at Milwaukee on Jan. 26, and notched at least 14 assists in all four games last week.

Steve Nash scored 23 points and kept Phoenix's high-energy offense purring with 15 assists as the Suns extended their winning streak to 17 games -- the NBA's longest in seven years -- by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-100 on Sunday.

The Suns realize right now they might be too good for their own good.

Raja Bell scored 27 points, and the Suns set a franchise record with their 16th straight victory by beating the Bucks 98-90 on Friday night.

Shawn Marion grabbed 23 rebounds and Steve Nash had 16 assists for the seemingly unstoppable Suns, who have won 32 of 34 overall. They had a 15-game winning streak earlier this season, a run that ended with a overtime loss to Washington on Dec. 22.

Still, Nash was frustrated.

"There's no rings for streaks," he said. "We've had a tendency to really take people lightly and not be as focused as we need to be, and I think you saw that again from us tonight."

The Suns took nearly 40 years to win 15 straight games. They needed only a month to do it again.

Amare Stoudemire scored 26 of his 30 points in Phoenix's big second half, and the Suns beat the Knicks 112-107 Wednesday night for their second 15-game winning streak of the season.

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D?Antoni will coach the Western Conference All-Stars for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

D?Antoni and the Suns (34-8, .800) coaching staff earned the honor to coach the West as a result of their 112-107 win over the New York Knicks this evening at Madison Square Garden and the San Antonio Spurs 90-85 home loss to the Houston Rockets. The Suns have clinched the best winning percentage through games of Feb. 4 among eligible Western Conference teams for the All-Star coaching honors.

Knicks guard Stephon Marbury missed his first game of the season Wednesday night against Phoenix because of a sore left knee.

Marbury has been troubled by tendinitis for some time, and aggravated the injury in Saturday's victory at Indiana. He was forced to leave that game in the closing minutes, then played only 16 minutes Monday in a loss at Miami.

He hopes to return Friday when the Knicks host Miami.

After leading the Suns to a perfect 4-0 week and a 13-game win streak, guard Steve Nash was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for January 15-21, the NBA announced today.

This is his seventh career NBA Player of the Week honor, second this season and sixth as a Sun for Nash, who also won the weekly award on Dec. 11, 2006, Jan. 8, 2006, Nov. 28, 2005, Feb. 14, 2005, Dec. 27, 2004, and one as a member of the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 16, 2001.

Steve Nash enjoys the All-Star Game, but not all of the side events which eat into an opportunity for him to get a break during the regular season.

"We kind of get screwed," Nash said. "I told them the last two years that I would do it for them. Two years ago, I said, 'OK, I'll do it for you this time. It's the last time. I'm never going to do it again because I've done it almost every year of my career.' And then the next year, they said, 'you've got to do it because you have to defend,' so I begrudgingly did it. Now, they're saying it's the collective bargaining agreement so I have to do it.

"It's already difficult enough on my wife and kids that we're always on the road as it is. So then for our one break to be even more busy than we are during the regular season is difficult. Obviously, on the other hand, it's a huge honor. The game is outstanding and being around the best players and coaches is still an experience I'll never forget."

The Phoenix Suns center Kurt Thomas will be sidelined approximately four to six weeks due to a left elbow subluxation injury suffered in the first quarter of last night?s game at Memphis.

The 6-9, 235-pound center, who was examined today by Suns team physician Tom Carter, will wear a brace that will control motion of the elbow during healing.