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The Phoenix Suns signed Barbosa to a five-year, $32 million contract extension. The backup point guard from Brazil would have been a free agent after the upcoming 2006-07 season. |
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Barbosa, 23, averaged a career-high 13.1 points last season and raised his average to 14.2 points in the playoffs. |
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Piatkowski joined the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, signing a two-year, $2.3 million contract. Piatkowski played in a career-low 29 games last season for the Chicago Bulls, averaging two points a game. |
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In 12 seasons, Piatkowski has averaged 7.7 points in 762 games. |
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Piatkowski and Phoenix agreed on a two-year contract on Tuesday, the swingman's agent said. He can't officially sign the contract until July 12. Piatkowski played for the Los Angeles Clippers from 1994-2003 and spent last season with Chicago. He played in only 20 games, averaging 7.9 minutes, and also missed 20 games with a foot injury. |
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Piatkowski will provide the Suns with 3-point shooting off the bench. |
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Diaw scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Suns as they were eliminated from the playoffs in a 102-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. |
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Diaw averaged 24.2 points for the Suns in the Western Conference finals after finishing the season with a 13.3 points average, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 81 games. |
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Bell will not play for the Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, due to a tear of his left calf muscle. The shooting guard suffered the injury with 5:27 left in the Suns' 121-118 Game 1 victory over the Mavericks on Wednesday. |
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Bell is averaging 15.3 points with 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 14 playoff games for the Suns. He finished the regular season with a career-high 14.7 points, 3.2 boards and 2.6 assists. |
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Diaw scored a career-high 34 points to lead Phoenix to a 121-118 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday. The Suns' forward-center drained a turnaround jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining to seal the win. Diaw was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line and is averaging 17.5 points this postseason. |
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Diaw averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists during the regular season and won the NBA's most improved player award. |
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Bell strained his calf midway through the fourth quarter of a 121-118 loss to Phoenix in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday and didn't return. The Suns' shooting guard scored eight points before leaving and is averaging 15.3 points this postseason. |
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Nash had 27 points and 16 assists to lead Phoenix to a 121-118 victory over Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday. The Suns' point guard recorded the most assists by anyone this postseason, which was one shy of his career playoff high. Nash, the league's two-time MVP, is averaging 20.7 points and 10.6 assists in 15 postseason games. |
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Nash averaged a career-high 18.8 points and a league-leading 10.5 assists during 79 regular-season games. |
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Thomas may be available for the Suns in their Western Conference semifinal Game 7 matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. The center has not played since breaking his right foot in a 103-94 win over the Boston Celtics on Feb. 22. |
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Thomas finished the 2005-06 season with 8.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 53 games. |
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Marion had 34 points, nine rebounds and six steals in the Suns' 118-106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. It was the third time in the last four games the Suns forward has scored at least 30 points. |
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In his first 43 playoff games, Marion only scored 30 points one time. He is averaging 21.2 points per game in the playoffs this year. |
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Marion had 32 points and 19 rebounds -- a playoff career high -- in the Suns' 94-91 victory over the Clippers on Friday night, giving Phoenix a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. |
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Marion averaged 21.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in 81 regular-season games, but is averaging 19.2 points and 10.6 rebound in 10 playoff games. Friday's game was the first time Marion scored more than 21 points in the playoffs. |
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Nash was formally named the NBA's Most Valuable Player on Sunday, finishing well-ahead of second-place LeBron James. The Arizona Republic reported last week that the Phoenix point guard would earn his second straight MVP award, but he was given the trophy on Sunday. He averaged a career-high 18.8 points and a league-leading 10.5 assists. |
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Nash sprained his right ankle in Phoenix's 121-90 win over the Lakers in Game 7 on Saturday night, but he said with a day of rest, he will be fine when the Suns host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night in Game 1 of their conference semifinal series. |
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Bell was suspended for one game on Wednesday for throwing Lakers star Kobe Bryant to the floor in Tuesday's 114-97 quarterfinals victory over Los Angeles. The Suns' shooting guard will miss Game 6 on Thursday with his team trailing 3-2 in the series. Bell, who has been the main defender against Bryant, was punished for "excessive and unnecessary contact." Bell was ejected in the fourth quarter after the incident. |
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Bell has averaged 11.8 points during the series, a decline from his 14.7 regular-season mark. |
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Diaw won the NBA's most improved player award on Monday, beating out New Orleans' David West. The 6-foot-8 forward-center averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the Suns' fast-paced offense. Obtained in an offseason trade that sent Joe Johnson to Atlanta, Diaw averaged 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 66 games for the Hawks last season. |
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Diaw was a first-round pick in 2003 and needed to be in the right offense to succeed. Phoenix was just the place for him. He received 80 first-place votes and 489 points overall in the voting, compared with 22 and 283 for West. |
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Nash will be named the NBA's most valuable player for the second year in a row, The Arizona Republic reported on Wednesday. The newspaper cited a league source familiar with the voting, but said the official announcement may not come for two weeks. Nash had 29 points and nine assists in the Suns' 99-93 loss to the Lakers in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday. |
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Nash, 32, won his first MVP award last season, when he directed the Suns to an NBA-best 62 victories. This season, he had career highs in scoring (18.8 points), rebounding (4.2), field goal percentage (.512) and free throw percentage (a league-leading .921). He led the league in assists at 10.5 per game and finished sixth in 3-point percentage at 43.9. |
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Nash sat out Phoenix's 109-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday to rest up for the playoffs. It was the second straight game he has missed because of a right thigh contusion. Phoenix has already clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. |
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Nash should be fine for the playoffs. The extra rest will help him lead the Suns' fast-paced offense when the postseason rolls around. The point guard is averaging 19.0 points and 10.5 assists in 77 games this season. |
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Bell missed his second straight game on Sunday, sitting out Phoenix's 109-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bell has a left thigh strain and is getting some extra rest before the playoffs begin. The Suns have secured the No. 2 seed in the West, so the final regular-season games are meaningless in the standings. |
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Bell is averaging a career-high 14.8 points in 77 games in his first year with the Suns. He has made 191 3-pointers, first on the team. |
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Bell scored 25 points in the Suns' 123-110 victory over the Kings on Tuesday night. |
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Bell is averaging 14.7 points in 76 games this season, and has scored 48 points combined in his last two games. |
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Stoudemire had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday and won't play again this season. He missed the first 66 games of the season after surgery on his left knee, and returned to play three games from March 23-27 before getting injured again. |
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In the latest operation, debris caused by wear and tear of the kneecap was removed, the team said. Stoudemire will be on crutches for a week to 10 days and could resume basketball in six to eight weeks. Stoudemire averaged 26.0 points on 55.9 percent shooting and 8.9 rebounds in 80 games last season, and averaged just 8.7 points on 33.3 percent shooting and 5.3 rebounds in his three games this season. |
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Stoudemire's return to the court may have come a bit too soon, as Phoenix announced on Tuesday night that he could miss the rest of the season. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said the team won't play the 6-foot-10 forward-center until he is 100 percent, which may end his season. The team officially said there is no timetable for his return. |
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After scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 19 minutes against Portland on Thursday, Stoudemire had only six points in 31 minutes combined against Denver and New Jersey. |