Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash makes a pass during the first half of the game against Toronto on Sunday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)Canadians love Steve Nash, but he is also the Toronto Raptors' worst nightmare.
Nash, a two-time league MVP from Victoria, picked Toronto apart with his accurate passing skills Sunday afternoon, doling out a season-high 18 assists, and sank a crucial late basket to lead the Suns to a 117-113 win over the hometown Raptors.
With the Suns sitting on a one-point lead, Nash drove past Raptors forward Chris Bosh and scored on a layup with 12.9 seconds left in the game to seal the win.
"I tried to get the ball back on the pick and roll. I got it back and I had a [one-on-one chance] on Chris Bosh. I noticed he was trying to take away the three (point attempt), so I just took it to the hoop and I was able to finish it," Nash told CBC Sports after the game.
Toronto, with a 16-26 record and losers of five straight, has now lost nine games in a row against Phoenix (23-15).
The Raptors haven't beaten the Suns since a 101-94 road victory on Feb. 10, 2004, the last meeting between the teams before Nash re-signed with Phoenix following a six-season stint with Dallas.
Nash, who finished the game with seven points and six rebounds, said Sunday's outing was one of the most enjoyable games he's played this season.
'It's a privilege to come home and play': Nash
"It's always fun when I get to come here. To get introduced and to have 20,000 people cheering for you on the road is something I'll never forget," Nash admitted. "They always make me feel special and it's a privilege to come home and play in this environment."
Prior to the tip-off, the Suns star hugged with Raptors coach Jay Triano, who coached Nash on the Canadian national team in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Raptors centre Jermaine O'Neal missed the game with a right knee contusion, while forward Jason Kapono sat out with flu-like symptoms. Toronto was also minus starting point guard Jose Calderon (right hamstring).
"They played well. They were short-handed … so it's tough, especially because we had every available for us. They scored a lot of points on us, we weren't mentally very good today, but I felt bad for them because they played well," Nash said.
Forward Amar'e Stoudemire also had a big game for the Suns, scoring a game-high 31 points.
Anthony Parker had a team-high 26 points for the Raptors, while Joey Graham added a career-high 22 and Bosh had 20.
Paced by Nash (with 11 assists) and Matt Barnes (14 points), the Suns sat on a 71-63 lead after two quarters, falling four points short of their season-high mark for most points in the first half.
'Fast-break chances … seemed to work': Suns forward
The 71 points was the most conceded by the Raptors in a first half this season, as the Suns used their speed to push to the ball forward on the fast break and catch Toronto defensively flat-footed.
"We had a few defensive stops. We had some rebounds and turnovers, and we tried to execute off of those. That led to fast-break chances … and it seemed to work for us," Stoudemire told CBC Sports at halftime.
Toronto effectively slowed the pace of the game down in the second half and fought back to trail by only a single point, 110-109, with four minutes left in regulation.
But the Raptors couldn't overtake the Suns down the stretch, and Nash's late basket slam dunked Toronto for good.
The Raptors open a three-game road trip in Atlanta on Monday afternoon.
Toronto then visits Detroit (Jan. 21) and Chicago (Jan. 23) before returning home next Sunday to host Sacramento.
