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As Amare Stoudemire stood at the foul line with 1:42 remaining, chants of "MVP, MV-P'' reverberated from the sellout crowd at US Airways Center. Stoudemire made the foul shot, completing an MVP-caliber performance with 41 points and 14 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns' 132-117 comeback victory over the Denver Nuggets Monday night, "Only 41 ... I could have played a little better,'' Stoudemire said, jokingly. Steve Nash added 36 points as the Suns rallied from a 22-point second-quarter deficit to reach 50 wins for the fourth straight season. "At halftime, we came together and said, 'Let's fight for it,''' Stoudemire said. "We dug in in the second half.'' Phoenix tied the idle Los Angeles Lakers for first place in the Pacific Division and strengthened its position in the tight Western Conference playoff race. The comeback matched the third-best in Suns' history. They also rallied from a 22-point second-period deficit against the Boston Celtics in 1994. The franchise record is 29. Stoudemire had 16 points in the fourth quarter when the Suns outscored Denver 46-25. This was his franchise-record 11th 40-point game, his second this season. He now has scored 30 or more points in five of his last six games. Shaquille O'Neal had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Raja Bell had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix. JR Smith led the Nuggets with 23 points, Allen Iverson scored 21, Kenyon Martin 19, Carmelo Anthony finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Marcus Camby scored 16. "We had <b>...</b> |
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