Wed, May 11, 2005 page19

• Stoudemire runs the Mavericks ragged

  PLAYOFFS Phoenix routed Dallas 127-102 in their playoff quarterfinal series, largely owing to the efforts of Amare Stoudemire, who scored 25 points in the first half alone

  • AFP
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  Amare Stoudemire scored 25 of his 40 points in a superb first half as Phoenix ran Dallas ragged in a 127-102 rout in their NBA playoff quarterfinal series on Monday.

  The floor general of the high-flying Suns, Steve Nash became just the second point guard in 40 years to win the prestigious most-valuable-player (MVP) award on Sunday. The Canadian was honored before the game in front of his former teammates.

  "Everyone was really hungry and eager to get back out here," Nash said. "We needed a win. It feels great. It capped off a difficult weekend. It was nice winning the award but there is a lot of things that goes with it. There was a lot of emotion playing against my former team."

  

  Phoenix Suns' Amare Stoudemire, No. 32, drives to the basket to score past Dallas Mavericks' Alan Henderson during the first quarter of their Western Conference playoff game on Monday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Stoudemire, who finished 10th in MVP voting, was an unstoppable force from the outset, proving far too quick for both Erick Dampier and Dirk Nowitzki.

  In the first half, Stoudemire made 8-of-15 shots and went 9-of-11 at the free-throw line as the Suns built a 63-47 lead.

  Stoudemire finished 13-of-21 from the floor and 14-of-17 at the line while also collecting 16 rebounds in the best playoff game of his career.

  The star attempted five more free throws than the Mavericks.

  Nowitzki had 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who shot 45 percent (44-of-98) and went just 5-of-18 from the arc.

  Mavericks coach Avery Johnson was ejected with 3:20 remaining left in the third quarter after picking up a pair of technical fouls.

  Johnson suffered an embarrassing moment when he came rushing onto the court to protest a call and slipped, falling hard on his back.

  Johnson joked about his slip-up after the game.

  "I have had lot of embarrassing moments in my career," Johnson said. "I was going to be the sixth man. I was out there trying to play defense but you can't play defense in these shoes. You got to have on basketball shoes."

  The Suns were able to build the huge lead despite Nash picking up three first-half fouls.

  He had five points and five assists in the half, during which Phoenix shot 55 percent (23-of-42) and made 6-of-10 3-pointers.

  Shawn Marion and Nash also had double-doubles for Phoenix, which stretched its lead to 99-73 lead after three quarters. Marion had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Nash 11 points and 13 assists.

  Joe Johnson scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half for the top-seeded Suns, who have yet to be slowed down in the postseason. Phoenix has won all five of its playoff games, averaging 116.4 points, up from its 110.4 mark in the regular season.

  Phoenix, which never trailed, held a 24-9 advantage in fast-break points and made 12-of-22 attempts from the arc.

  Just two nights after a 116-76 destruction of Houston -- the most lopsided victory in a game seven in NBA history -- the fourth-seeded Mavericks never found their legs against the fresher Suns, who were playing for the first time in eight days.

  "They ran on us and they played like they played during first round and regular season," Avery Johnson said. "I am very disappointed with our approach to the game.

  "Now we know what we are up against. I guarantee you we will have a better effort in game two. It is my responsibility to get my team ready. So you can blame me for this one," he said.

  Eastern Conference

  Ben Wallace set the tone at both ends of the court as Detroit breezed to a 96-81 win on Monday over Indiana in the opening game of their NBA quarterfinal playoff series.

  The teams were meeting for the third time here since the Nov. 19 brawl that saw Indiana players fighting with Detroit fans.

  The ugly incident led to a season-long suspension for Indiana's Ron Artest and lengthy bans for his teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson. Both Jackson and O'Neal are playing in this series but Artest is still suspended.

  In March, the Pacers endured more trouble in their first visit back after a phoned threat of a bomb in their locker room. That delayed the start of the game by almost 90 minutes.

  With no incidents in this one, the Pacers had no answer for Wallace, who again was a surprise offensive force while also controlling the backboards.

  He had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the first half, helping the Pistons build a 52-38 lead.

  "My plan was just to attack the basket," Wallace said. "In the past when we played them, they haven't really guarded me, so I wanted to force them to guard me tonight."

  The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, Wallace finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and four steals.

  It marked the second big offensive game of the playoffs for Wallace, who averaged just 9.7 points in the regular season. He scored 29 points in game three against Philadelphia in the first round.

  Richard Hamilton scored 28 points to lead the second-seeded Pistons, who led by double digits the entire second half.

  Detroit also got things done with its signature defense, holding Indiana without a basket for more than six minutes during one stretch in the second half.
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