Neues » Pettitte made some more history in the fift

ATLANTA -- Phoenix blitzed the Atlanta Hawks early from the 3-point stripe. Then, the Suns finished it off from long range. Eric Bledsoe scored 20 points, four teammates reached double figures and Phoenix won its fourth in a row, beating the Atlanta Hawks 102-95 on Monday night to pull even with Dallas for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Suns knocked down 12 of 24 from 3-point range, including back-to-back treys that clinched it. Bledsoe made all three of his attempts, while Channing Frye was 4-of-9 outside the arc to account for the bulk of his 18 points. Goran Dragic had 19 points, Markieff Morris 17 and Gerald Green 13. Overall, Phoenix shot 51 per cent from the field, while holding the Hawks to just under 42 per cent. "On offence, everybody was engaged, everybody was focused," Dragic said. "If you defend like that, then we can run, we hit 3s, and its much easier to play like that." Atlanta, trying to hold the eighth spot in the East, lost its third in a row after a season-high five-game winning streak. Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll led the Hawks with 19 points apiece. Jeff Teague and Lou Williams each had 17. With the score tied at 59, Phoenix took control with a 14-4 run near the end of the third quarter. Bledsoe got it started with a drive to the basket, and Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer picked up a technical foul for griping about the officiating. Bledsoe made the free throw, turning it into a three-point play. Frye took over from there, swishing three straight jumpers -- including a 3-pointer -- sandwiched around Dragic swiping an Atlanta pass and driving for a layup. The Suns closed the half on a Dragics end-to-end drive, the Slovenian guard banking in the shot with 1.5 seconds left for a 77-68 lead heading to the fourth. "I think the best thing about this team is theres no selfishness," Frye said. The Hawks got as close as four in the closing period, but Phoenix sealed the victory on consecutive 3s by Markieff Morris and Bledsoe, stretching the lead to 98-86 with 2 1/2 minutes left. "They put a lot of pressure on you early in the shot clock. They put a lot of pressure on matchup," Budenholzer said. "To beat a good team like that, youve got to play with a lot of energy in transition defence." Dragic (six assists) and Bledsoe (four) were able to blow past the Hawks defenders off the dribble, setting up shots both inside and out. "Theyve got good penetrating guards surrounded by shooters," Millsap said. "Youve got to choose your poison with them." Locked in a tight battle for playoff positioning, the Suns are trying not to worry about whats going on around them. They improved to 42-29, tied for eighth with Dallas and just a half-game behind Memphis, which also won Monday. Phoenix is within three games of Portland and Golden State as well. "Its about us," Frye said. "We have to play like were already in it." The teams were coming off contrasting performances on the road the previous day. The Suns overcame a 22-point deficit at Minnesota to win 127-120, their biggest comeback of the season. Atlanta, on the other hand, squandered an 11-point lead going to the fourth quarter at Toronto, outscored by the Raptors 36-15 over the final 12 minutes. Atlanta faded again at home, squandering a 52-44 lead early in the third. The Suns jumped ahead 11-2 in the opening minutes, setting the tone with its 3-point shooting. Dragic, Frye and Bledsoe hit three straight from outside the stripe, while the Hawks missed their first six shots. But Atlanta tightened up defensively and began hitting some shots, tying the game at 23 by late in the period. The Hawks were up 45-42 at halftime. NOTES: The Hawks played their third straight game without G Kyle Korver, who is hampered by back spasms. Budenholzer said theres no timetable for Korvers return. ... Shelvin Mack started in place of Korver. ... P.J. Tucker led the Suns with 11 rebounds. Phoenix held a 39-32 edge on the boards. ... The Suns swept the season series, following up a 129-120 victory in Phoenix three weeks earlier. Air Jordan 4 Store Canada . Toronto announced the deal with the restricted free agent on Saturday. The terms were not disclosed. Wholesale Air Jordan 4 . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena. http://www.cheapairjordan4canada.com/. Heavily-criticized after allowing a dozen goals on 58 shots in two games in Boston, Luongo continued his dominance at home. Hes now allowed two goals in three home games in this series. Air Jordan 4 Canada Outlet .com) - Stanley Johnson had 18 points and No. Air Jordan 4 Canada . Hes even holding a bat on one of his 2014 baseball cards. So far, hes playing like his picture. MINNEAPOLIS -- Andy Pettitte has seen Robinson Canos sweet left-handed swing for so long that he can almost tell when a hot streak is coming. The way Cano was launching balls all over Target Field on Monday night, Pettitte thinks another tear is right around the corner, and not a moment too soon for the struggling New York Yankees offence. Cano homered twice and Pettitte broke Whitey Fords club record for career strikeouts to help New York snap a five-game skid with a 10-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. "Its impressive," Pettitte said, marveling at Canos 435-foot solo shot in the first inning and an opposite-field homer in the third. "Hopefully he can keep it going. But what a talent he is. Its fun to watch him hit." Zoilo Almonte had three hits and two RBIs as the slumbering Yankees offence woke up with seven runs in the last two innings to reach double digits for the first time since May 10. Struggling reliever Jared Burton (1-6) gave up three runs and three hits while getting only one out for the Twins, who coughed up another eighth-inning lead. Ryan Doumit had two hits and two RBIs. Cano also had a double, a walk and three RBIs for the Yankees, who totalled 13 runs during their losing streak. "Were not that team anymore that we used to have the guys that we could say, This guy might hit two home runs in the next inning," Cano said. "So weve just got to take advantage when we get men on base." Pettitte allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. Joba Chamberlain (1-0) pitched an inning of scoreless relief for the win. Scott Diamond gave up two earned runs and seven hits with five strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings for the Twins, who took a 4-3 lead into the eighth thanks to a solo homer by Chris Parmelee in the sixth. Cano, however, had more in store for Minnesota. "Tough out," Diamond said. "He kind of spoiled it for us tonight." Burton, an effective setup man since joining the Twins last season, was shaky again. He gave up a double to Cano to start the eighth, then couldnt get speedy Ichiro Suzuki on a bunt single. Burton tried to pick off Suzuki at first base, but his throw sailed past Justin Morneau and allowed Cano to score and tie the game. Almonte followed with his go-ahead single past a drawn-in infield, and New Yoork cruised from there.dddddddddddd The Yankees havent looked much like the Yankees of late, running out relatively no-name lineups filled with youngsters and journeymen while their stars mend on the disabled list. They had lost 13 of their previous 18 to fall into fourth place in the AL East, and Pettitte looked nothing like the consistent lefty hes been for most of 18 seasons in the early going Monday night. He needed 41 pitches to get through the first inning. He gave up a two-run single to Doumit and allowed another run to score when he slipped to the ground while trying to field a comebacker from Oswaldo Arcia. Pettitte threw the ball over first baseman Lyle Overbays head, allowing Doumit to score from second base for a 3-1 lead. Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who earned his 600th career win, had Preston Claiborne warming in the bullpen in the first, but Pettitte was able to settle down after that rocky inning, breezing through the next four to keep his team in the game. "You hope that the hard work that theyve been putting in starts to pay off," Girardi said. "Maybe this is the start of something." Canos second homer of the night, a two-run shot to left field, tied the score 3-all in the third, and Pettitte made some more history in the fifth. He began the night needing two strikeouts to pass Ford for the Yankees record. After fanning Clete Thomas in the third inning, Pettitte broke the record by getting Morneau swinging in the fifth for his 1,958th career strikeout. "I feel very fortunate to be around for as long as I have," Pettitte said. "To be able to be mentioned with Whiteys name is obviously always an honour." The Twins were missing Josh Willingham with a left knee injury, and Joe Mauer struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth. NOTES: It was Canos third multihomer game this season and the 13th of his career. ... Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey gave up two runs and two hits with six strikeouts in six innings during a rehab outing for Class-A Cedar Rapids. ... Twins GM Terry Ryan on Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who has tormented the Twins over the years and is retiring after this season: "God bless that man. Hes been a tremendous closer. But its not going to break my heart to see him go off into the sunset." ' ' '