Clean sweep: 6 Suns in double figures as Grizzlies fall quietly

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Phoenix Suns are off and running in the NBA playoffs and show no signs of slowing down.

Joe Johnson scored a playoff-best 25 points, and the Suns swept the Memphis Grizzlies with a 123-115 victory Sunday night that put Phoenix into the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2000.

The team that ran through the regular season and earned the league's best record will now rest and wait before playing Dallas or Houston in the second round.

"We know it is important to prove this to ourselves," Suns guard Steve Nash said of winning with a run-and-gun style. "We do better with an underdog attitude. If we play with our backs against the wall, especially on the defensive end, we'll do pretty well."

It's the first sweep by the Suns in a best-of-seven series and their first since the 1995 playoffs when they took Portland 3-0 in a best-of-five opening round.

"This is the first time I have ever been on a team that swept another team," said Amare Stoudemire, who scored 18 points. "But like I said, it doesn't matter who we play in the next round, we are going to be ready for them."

Nash added 24 points and nine assists for the Suns, who outshot Memphis in the highest-scoring game of these playoffs 60.3 percent (38-of-63) to 50.6 percent (45-of-89). Shawn Marion also had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Jim Jackson had 19 points, and Quentin Richardson had 14.

"I think that we proved a lot to a lot of people in this series," Marion said. "Hopefully, we turned nonbelievers into believers tonight."

The Suns outrebounded Memphis 37-28 and had more trips to the free throw line (49) than Memphis made shots from the floor (45).

Pau Gasol matched his playoff-best with 28 points to lead the Grizzlies, who extended their NBA record to eight straight playoff losses. They will have to wait until next season to try for the young franchise's first postseason victory.

Jason Williams had 20 points, Dahntay Jones added 14, Stromile Swift and Mike Miller each had 13, James Posey 12 and Earl Watson 11.

Memphis coach Mike Fratello tried to jumpstart his Grizzlies by telling the disruptive Bonzi Wells that he wouldn't be playing and not to bother sitting on the bench. Williams, perhaps in silent protest, wore a blue sweatband around his left biceps with Wells' No. 6 on it.

Fratello thought it worked.