DENVER-
Amare Stoudemire scored 36 points and the Phoenix Suns withstood Carmelo Anthony’s first career triple-double and the loss of Steve Nash to beat the ailing Denver Nuggets 113-108 Monday night.
Leandro Barbosa added 20 points for the Suns, who overcame a 10-point third-quarter deficit. His 3-pointer gave the Suns a 100-95 lead with 4 minutes remaining, and the Nuggets never recovered despite staying in the game until the final seconds.
Stoudemire, who grabbed 13 rebounds, added a three-point play for a 103-95 lead with 2:42 left, and he won a key jump ball with Anthony, tipping it to Shawn Marion in the closing minute with the Suns ahead by five.
Anthony, who had 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, pulled the Nuggets to 109-106 with a three-point play with 13 seconds left.
But Marion (19 points) and Raja Bell (18) each sank two free throws in the final 12 seconds to seal the win for Phoenix, which had lost two of three after winning 17 straight.
Bell played despite a swollen knee. Nash aggravated his right shoulder injury in the first half and sat out after halftime, finishing with nine points and seven assists in 17 minutes.
Nene scored 27 points for Denver and J.R. Smith added 18.
The Nuggets were without All-Star Allen Iverson (ankle) and Marcus Camby (groin), the league’s No. 2 rebounder and top shot blocker, prompting coach George Karl to suggest before the game that some of their teammates would have to play as though they were making their playoff debuts.
For a while, some did.
Anthony almost had his triple-double by halftime, tallying 18 points, eight boards and seven assists as the Nuggets took a 60-51 lead into the locker room.
But even without Nash, the Suns were too much for the injury-ravaged Nuggets.
Stoudemire scored seven points in the Suns’ 15-2 run that erased Denver’s double-digit lead and put Phoenix ahead 72-69 midway through the third quarter.
Anthony was playing with a sore left wrist and a swollen middle finger on his right hand. Reggie Evans played despite a sprained right ankle and Steve Blake had 12 stitches in his upper lip after catching an inadvertent elbow from Ron Artest on Saturday night.
Notes:@ This was a makeup of the Dec. 20 game that was wiped out by a blizzard. … Iverson said he hopes to return Wednesday night against the Hornets.
