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Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley, right, passes the ball around Houston Rockets forward Greg Smith, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. The Suns won 107-105.(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won't tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you Suns Strokes, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Suns' 107-105 win over the Rockets on March 9.

The Good:

Jared Dudley scored a team-high 22 points off the bench while Goran Dragic scored 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Suns end a two-game losing streak.

And without centers Marcin Gortat (foot injury) and Jermaine O'Neal (personal reasons), the Suns' bench featured two double-digit rebounders. Hamed Haddadi, in his third game as a Sun, grabbed a career-high 11 boards. PJ Tucker grabbed a career-high tying 10 boards.

The Bad:

The win. The Suns did themselves no favors beating Houston. The Suns now own the seventh-worst record in the NBA (ping pong balls). And with the Jazz and Rockets both losing, the Lakers are now tied with Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West and only a-game-and-a-half behind Houston. Remember, the Suns gain a second lottery pick should L.A. not reach the postseason.

He Said It:

"He was our true point guard. He had eight assists," Dragic said of Dudley. "When we needed him to score he was scoring and when they double teamed him he would find the open guy and he did this from the bench. He was the player of the game."

Noted:

• Phoenix eclipsed the century mark at home for the first time since Dec. 19.

• The Suns' five of nine wins under interim head coach Lindsey Hunter have come against teams with 30 or more victories (Clippers, Grizzlies, Hawks, Rockets, Spurs).

Up Next:

The Suns (22-41) close out this brief two-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, March 11.


Craig Grialou, Reporter

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    DanTheTimid wrote...
    Ouch
    Talk about winning when you shouldn't. With gortat and O'Neal both gone, they had the perfect excuse to tank this game and both help their own draft status, and help houston fight to hold off the Lakers. Instead our team played their hearts out, found a way to win, and shot themselves in the foot in the process. I don't blame the players, they're going to give there best no matter what for a number of reasons, I mainly blame the coach who should be coaching with our future in mind yet allowed a hot hand in Dudley to continue to tear it up in a must lose game like this.
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