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The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
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Reuters
PHOENIX - The Washington Wizards are the NBA’s streak-busters.
The Phoenix Suns went from snowed in to snowed under by Gilbert Arenas on Friday night — and their franchise-best 15-game winning streak is history.
Arenas capped a 54-point night by banking in a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 30.7 seconds left in overtime and the Wizards beat the Suns 144-139.
He didn’t call bank, he said, but wasn’t surprised it went in.
“The way I was going,” Arenas said, “I knew it was good.”
The Wizards have snapped the two longest winning streaks in the league this season, earlier ending Dallas’ 11-game string with a victory in Washington.
“That just goes to show you how talented we are,” the Wizards’ Caron Butler said.
Arenas’ output was the second-most points ever scored against Phoenix. Only Wilt Chamberlain scored more, 66 for the Lakers in February 1969 in the Suns’ first season.
“He wants to win,” Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. “He wants to show he’s going to be one of the greatest of all time.”
Steve Nash matched his career high with 42 points and had 12 assists, and Shawn Marion added 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who rallied from 15 points down in the second half to send the game into overtime.
But Butler scored 10 of his 34 — one shy of his career best — in the extra session to help Washington to its eighth victory in 10 games.
The Suns arrived a little over two hours before tipoff after being snowed in for two nights in Denver, and couldn’t quite overcome an offensive onslaught by Arenas that brought an end to the NBA’s longest winning streak in seven seasons.
“It’s obviously not ideal to be on a bus for three hours and on a plane and come straight to the arena not smelling our best and not in our pressed linens,” Nash said. “But that’s the hand we were dealt. Maybe that did us in a bit tonight.”
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He converted a three-point play after he was fouled on a running one-handed 9-foot bank shot to tie it at 127 with 20.9 seconds to play in regulation. Nash missed a 3-pointer, then Marion and Amare Stoudemire missed rebound attempts and the game went into overtime.
“We had our chances,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said, “and didn’t get it done in regulation. You have to give Gilbert Arenas credit. He made some big shots.”
Arenas, admittedly carrying a grudge after being cut from the U.S. team for this year’s world championships, pounded his chest and appeared to stare into the stands at Jerry Colangelo several times after making big plays. Colangelo, the Suns’ chairman and ex-owner, is the head of USA Basketball.
He also stared down D’Antoni after sinking a 37-footer at the first-quarter buzzer. But Arenas said he was not upset with D’Antoni and insisted he didn’t even know Colangelo was in the building.
“When you’re on fire, you’re on fire,” Arenas said of his showmanship. “We’ve shown the world that we can compete with these good teams out here.”
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
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