Team Report: Notes and Quotes
–Forward Raja Bell said he felt lucky that a blindside forearm shiver from Atlanta’s Josh Smith missed his face and caught him on the side of the head two minutes into the fourth quarter. Smith was ejected for the flagrant foul.
“We got tangled up down on the other end and I knew he wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t expecting that,” Bell said. “I think it was supposed to get me in the jaw, so I guess it could have been worse.”
–The Suns held their opponents under 100 points for the eighth straight game, allowing an average of 90.5 points over that stretch.
–The Suns are 6-0 since Leandro Barbosa went down with an injury and 5-0 with a starting lineup featuring Boris Diaw.
QUOTES TO NOTE: “I’m kind of over my first little slump in Phoenix, and it feels good to get over it. This was a game that, if you lose, you kick yourself in the butt come playoff time.” — Suns forward James Jones, who scored a season-high 20 points.
