Barbosa leads Suns past Raptors

TORONTO — Leandro Barbosa scored 35 points, Canadian star Steve Nash had a season-high 18 assists and the Phoenix Suns set a season high in points, beating the Toronto Raptors 136-123 on Wednesday night.

Shawn Marion had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Suns, who have won four straight and 12 of their past 14. Amare Stoudamire had 25 points and six rebounds, failing to record his fourth straight double-double.

Nash scored 10 points in his only appearance of the regular season in Canada, and received a loud ovation during the pregame introductions.

T.J. Ford, who had missed five of the past seven games because of a stinger in his left arm, scored 27 for Toronto, which had won four straight home games. Anthony Parker added 22, and Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino had 14 points apiece.

Pacific Division-leading Phoenix has won seven straight against Toronto.

Raptors forward Chris Bosh missed his fourth consecutive game with a strained groin, and forward Andrea Bargnani sat out for the second straight game with a hyperextended left knee.

Without its top two big men, Toronto kept it close for the first 15 minutes and trailed by just one, 37-36, when Nash returned in the second. Boris Diaw made a hook shot and Barbosa sandwiched 3-pointers around a layup by Ford, then added a driving layup to cap a 10-2 run that put the Suns ahead 47-38.

Grant Hill also finished with 17 points and nine assists for Phoenix.

Two 3-pointers by Delfino helped Toronto whittle it down to 61-56 at the half, but Phoenix opened the third with an 11-2 run and didn't let up, leading by as many as 23.

CELTICS 113, SIXERS 103: At Philadelphia, Paul Pierce had 19 points and 12 assists, Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and the Boston Celtics broke open a surprisingly tight game in the fourth quarter to beat Philadelphia. Ray Allen added 12 points for Boston (15-2), but it was Eddie House and James Posey who sank the big 3-pointers that let the NBA-best Celtics remain undefeated in the Atlantic Division. House and Posey went 7-for-13 on 3s and that was the difference late in the game.