PHOENIX (AP) -- Along with facing a team on its best 15-game run

since 1988, the Phoenix Suns had some adversity to overcome -- the

lack of their top scorer, and a trend toward lackadaisical play at

home.

Joe Johnson, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion made sure nothing

stopped the Suns' drive toward the NBA's best record.

Marion had 30 points and 14 rebounds, and Johnson and Nash

accounted for all of Phoenix's points during a fourth-quarter run

that carried the Suns to a 123-114 victory over the revenge-minded

Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

"I was just really taking it upon myself," said Johnson, who

scored eight points in the 13-2 burst that lifted the Suns to a

115-109 lead with 2:34 left. "It wasn't, like, a set play or

anything. I was just getting the ball and trying to make plays."

The Suns snapped a Denver winning streak for the second time

this month. The Nuggets had won eight straight when Phoenix beat

them 106-101 in Denver on March 13, and they won their next six

before visiting Phoenix.

Nash had 23 points and 12 assists, helping offset the absence of

fellow All-Star Amare Stoudemire, who missed his first game this

season to rest a swollen left ankle that began troubling him during

Phoenix's win in Orlando on Saturday night.

"Most of the stuff he gets I was getting, like transition,"

Marion said. "Tonight I got the chance to run the floor and took

advantage of it."

Johnson finished with 23 points, Steven Hunter had 14 and

Quentin Richardson added 13.

Carmelo Anthony, who had only nine points against the Suns two

weeks ago, led the Nuggets with 22. Andre Miller had 19 points,

seven assists and six rebounds, and Marcus Camby had 14 points and

nine rebounds. Reserve Wesley Person had 14 points, and Earl

Boykins had 11 points and seven assists off the bench.

Boykins made a 3-pointer for a 91-89 lead with 10:48 left -- only

Denver's second since the first quarter -- and the Nuggets went up

107-102 on a layup by Boykins with 5:45 to go.

But Johnson had a 17-footer, a 3-pointer and a three-point play,

and Nash made two jumpers and a free throw over the next 3:11.

"We were trying to figure out how to beat Phoenix, who has the

best record in the NBA," coach George Karl said. "We did a good

job for three quarters, and then Johnson and Nash were perfect

there for about four minutes."

Anthony made a free throw to get within five points, but the win

was sealed when the Nuggets were called for a defensive technical

foul with 42.3 seconds left, and Karl was assessed another and

ejected for protesting.

Nash made both free throws, and Richardson drove from the wing

for a dunk seconds later.

"We just have to fight back and make sure we don't lose two in

a row," Person said. "Coach is a competitor. He's fiery like

that."

Johnson's tip-in gave Phoenix a 22-21 lead with 1:02 left in the

first quarter, and the Suns led from then until the third.

But Denver kept stepping up. Bryon Russell had two 3-pointers

and a runner in 2½ minutes, Boykins made four free throws in 29

seconds, and Miller scored five points in 52 seconds. Miller tied

it at 85 and 87 with successive reverse layups, and Nene sent the

Nuggets to an 88-87 lead with a free throw with 23 seconds left,

leaving time for Johnson to make two free throws and get Phoenix

the lead 89-88 after three.

The Suns led by 51-41 in the second quarter before the Nuggets

rallied to get within one point at halftime.

"We should have gone into halftime 10 points ahead," Suns

coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We kind of had a mental breakdown."Game notes
Karl's record with Denver dipped to 21-6. ... Camby

returned after missing two games with a sprained ankle to start at

center, but Kenyon Martin, a starter, missed the game with a sore

chest. ... The Suns, who have an NBA-best 29-7 road record, are

just 8-7 in their last 15 home games and 24-9 overall. ... Marion

has 10 straight double-doubles, tying the second-best streak of his

career (2000-01), and Nash (11) has the NBA's longest active

double-doubles streak. ... Denver's Greg Buckner and Eduardo Najera

scored 10 points each.