A look back at Steve Nash’s 40+ point games with the Phoenix Suns

The injury-riddled Brooklyn Nets are set to face the team with the best record in the NBA on Tuesday night. More importantly, the team that drafted Steve Nash. The 40-9 Suns have won 10 straight games and are on the right track to make it back to the finals for the second-consecutive year.

In 1996, Phoenix chose Nash with its No. 15 pick. During his first two seasons with the Suns, he started a combined 11 games before he was traded to the Mavericks.

In 2004, Nash was a free agent and signed a five-year, $65 million deal with Phoenix. He spent the next eight seasons with the Suns before ending his career with a two-year stint in Los Angeles.

Overall, Nash spent 10 years in Phoenix, so of course, he’s always going to be fond of the Suns, regardless of his position as head coach of the Nets. In honor of his return to the place where it all began, let’s take a look back at his three 40+ point games for Phoenix.

Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash’s 3 40+ point games with the Phoenix Suns.

3: Dec. 7, 2006, vs. the Nets

Ironically enough, first up is Nash’s performance against Brooklyn in East Rutherford, N.J.

In a head-to-head matchup between Nash and Jason Kidd, the Suns defeated the Nets in double overtime, 161-157. The game featured a total of 34 lead changes and 21 ties. Brooklyn had the 133-130 lead with 4.4 seconds left in regulation but Nash hit a 3-pointer to force the game into overtime.

Nash scored a then career-high 42 points (16-of-25 from the field, 6-of-7 from the 3-point line) and dished out 13 assists.

Kidd finished with 38 points (13-of-26 from the field, 3-of-6 from the 3-point line), 14 rebounds, and 14 assists.

2: Dec. 22, 2006, vs. the Wizards

A little over two weeks after dropping 42 points against the Nets, Nash did the same thing against the Wizards. However, this time, the game didn’t go into double overtime and Phoenix didn’t win.

The Suns were on a 15-game win streak but were outlasted by a Washington team that was previously 4-9 in games played on the road.

Phoenix didn’t have an answer for point guard Gilbert Arenas, who scored 54 points. That includes the 3-pointer that he banked in with 30.7 seconds remaining in overtime to propel the Wizards to the 144-139 win.

The Suns had spent the previous two nights trapped in Denver due to the snow and didn’t arrive to U.S. Airways Center until two hours and fifteen minutes before the 8:30 p.m. tip.

That didn’t affect Nash, who tied his career-high of 42 points (14-of-25 from the field, 7-of-15 from the 3-point line) and added 12 assists.

1: May 15, 2005, vs. the Mavericks

During Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals in 2005, Nash put on a show against his former team. However, it was Dallas who got the 119-109 win to tie the series 2-2.

The MVP scored a career-best 48 points (20-of-28 from the field, 4-of-6 from the 3-point line) and added five rebounds and five assists. In the third quarter alone, Nash had 23 points, including 16 straight points for Phoenix.

The Mavericks didn’t have an answer for Nash but found a way to contain Amar’e Stoudemire (who’s now an assistant coach for Brooklyn). The center finished with 15 points and five rebounds.

The Suns got the last laugh, though, as they won the series 4-2 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix fell to San Antonio, 101-95.

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