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Saturday, Mar. 3 9:00pm ET
McDyess day-to-day after first-half injury

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PHOENIX (AP) – Tom Gugliotta had felt his physical improvement in recent weeks. Now he got a mental boost.

Kevin Willis
Nuggets forward Kevin Willis reacts after getting the ball knocked from his hands in the second quarter.
Gugliotta responded to his first start of the year with a season-high 19 points and 13 rebounds Saturday night as the Phoenix Suns rallied for a 97-82 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets played the fourth quarter without leading scorer Antonio McDyess, who partially dislocated his left kneecap late in the first half. McDyess, who played the third quarter with the injury, finished with nine points and seven rebounds.

"I was running so fast and I just planted and felt a sharp, sharp pain go through my knee," McDyess said. "It was my decision to try and see how it felt. When I walk it's fine. But when I try to run and plant and move and jump, that's the only thing."

The Suns, who had lost two straight, moved a half-game ahead of the idle Minnesota Timberwolves for seventh place in the Western Conference. Denver trails the Timberwolves by six games for the conference's eighth and final playoff spot.

Gugliotta ruptured the anterior and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on March 10, 2000, and underwent reconstructive surgery seven days later. He was activated on Nov. 17 and appeared in 33 games, but had not started since the injury.

"Over the past couple of weeks I've felt really good, like I'm getting my legs beneath me," said Gugliotta, who was 6-for-11 from the floor. "I feel my game's coming along and as I'm more comfortable, I can be stronger on the court and be more of an aggressor on the court than just a role player."

Clifford Robinson scored a team-high 20 points, Rodney Rogers had 18, Vinny Del Negro finished with 12 and Tony Delk added 11 for Phoenix. Jason Kidd finished with seven points and a season-high 19 assists.

"The assists are for my teammates," said Kidd, who matched his top assist total with the Suns. "If they make the shots, I feed them the ball. That's always been my job in this league."

Nick Van Exel scored 22 points but was scoreless in the fourth quarter for Denver, which lost for the 15th time in 20 games.

Raef Lafrentz's 15-foot jump shot allowed the Nuggets to extend a five-point halftime lead to 52-46 with 7:25 left in the third quarter.

On Denver's next possession, however, Robinson blocked Ryan Bowen's shot and the momentum turned. Rogers hit consecutive baskets and Del Negro added three straight as the Suns rallied to a 57-57 tie with 3:45 left in the period.

Rogers added four more points and Delk scored six as Phoenix outscored the Nuggets 13-4 from that point to take a 70-61 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Suns led by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter.

"When you stop people, you can go down and get easier looks," said Suns coach Scott Skiles. "The basket opens up for you. When you have confidence you can stop people, everything opens up."

Robinson scored nine points in the first quarter as Phoenix took a 22-21 lead. The Suns still led by one, 28-27, with 8:04 left in the first half when the Nuggets rallied.

George McCloud's 18-foot jump shot gave the Nuggets a 29-28 lead. Robert Pack hit consecutive jumpers from just inside the 3-point line and McDyess added a three-point play as Denver took a 38-30 lead with 5:21 to go in the half.

Game notes
Preliminary X-rays on McDyess' left knee were negative and he is listed as day-to-day. ... The Suns have won 15 of 16 meetings between the teams, including the last six straight. ... The Nuggets were whistled for three technicals -- Kevin Willis and coach Dan Issel were hit in the second quarter and Van Exel was called for one in the third. ... Phoenix scored 30 points in the third quarter after scoring 40 in the first half. ... Kidd also had 19 assists at Seattle on March 4, 1999.

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LA Lakers 98
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Dallas 100
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Milwaukee 126
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San Antonio 124
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Phoenix 97
Denver 82

Portland 122
Golden State 91

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 Nick Van Exel lights up the Suns for 22 points.
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