Bee: "Hair Nash" cuts off Kings

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'Hair Nash' cuts off Kings
The Suns' MVP guard sets the pace for an easy Phoenix victory.
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:35 am PDT Friday, October 20, 2006


PHOENIX-New hairdo, same old game.

Oh, and a Wheaties box cover to call his own, too.

Steve Nash tinkered and toyed with everyone near him and he left a wake of exasperated Kings on Thursday night. He looked every bit his MVP form, and the Phoenix Suns showed that their core group is quicker and more prolific than Sacramento's.

They rolled 111-94 in an exhibition affair at US Airways Center before an announced sellout crowd of 18,422, with the Suns flexing some of the firepower that makes them a prohibitive favorite to make a run to the NBA Finals.

The Kings' starters didn't show a whole lot of fight at times, except when Phoenix's Raja Bell floored Brad Miller with a didn't-see-it-coming body slam during a Sacramento possession in the third quarter. Miller jumped up, ready to rumble, but was restrained. Bell levels opponents of all sizes, including Kobe Bryant last spring in the playoffs.

The decking of Miller left teammate Ron Artest still sneering later in the dressing room, having to carefully choose his words.

"He's a good defender, a good player," Artest said of Bell, "but he does that dirty stuff sometimes. When he does stuff like that, I want to fight him. I can't do that, of course, but it makes me want to meet him off the floor for a nice little fight."

Said Miller of Bell, who was assessed a flagrant foul: "That's what he does."

Bell didn't stick around to comment.

In falling to 2-1 in exhibition games, the Kings faced their first foe with a full arsenal. And what an arsenal. And what a difference maker Nash continues to be.

He hacked off his trademark rocker-boy locks in the summer for something that's still not easy to describe (think of a teenager who woke up late and is rushing off to class, leaving a comb in the bathroom drawer). Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said it makes his floor leader "more hair-o-dynamic." The Kings can't argue.

Nash set the tone with six early assists. In 27 total minutes, he had 17 points and 13 assists.

The Kings looked a half-step slow on both ends of the floor. They had 23 turnovers that led to 29 Suns points. John Salmons led the Kings with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Artest had 14 points but no rebounds. Rebounding is an area of concern for Kings coach Eric Musselman, and his top defender wasn't anywhere near a board.

Ronnie Price had 12 points off the bench for the Kings. Miller scored 10, and Mike Bibby contributed eight, but not nearly enough big plays to satisfy the 42 friends and family members for whom he rounded up tickets to see his state homecoming. Francisco García had nine points and absorbed an inadvertent James Jones elbow above his right eye that sidelined him in the fourth quarter. García should be fine for the Kings' home exhibition opener tonight against Utah.

Meanwhile, Shawn Marion had 20 points for the Suns, who looked as if they had played six exhibition games.

"They're a hard team to play because of their style, and we didn't defend in the first and third quarters," Musselman said. "And Nash, when he goes 6 for 6 with 13 assists..."

About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at jdavidson@ sacbee.com.
 
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