European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 1 2007 stars and stripes Page 41 warriors Start fast hold off suns Golden state scores 45 Points in first Quarter is Phoenix the associated press Oakland Calif Don Nel son has used 36 starting lineups while trying to coax consistency and chemistry out of his Golden state warriors this season the coach might want to stick with this 36th combination it produced a 45point first Quarter and a key Victory Over the Phoenix suns Jason Richardson made a fran Chis record eight three pointers while scoring 36 Points and me warriors Rode a big Early Lead to a 124119 Victory thursday night Stephen Jackson scored 29 Points and Baron Davis added 21 Points 12 assists and eight re Bounds As the warriors leaped to a 20point Lead in the opening Quarter but blew most of their advantage in the fourth before hang ing on for an important Victory for their playoff Hopes the warriors repeatedly exposed the suns porous defense during the first three quarters scoring with style and ease Rich arsons performance was his Best of a difficult season that began with knee surgery and his teammates loved it Jay can do that every Jackson said i think this game is going to get him on the right track and we need him if were going to get to these Golden state moved within one game of the los Angeles clippers for the Western conferences final playoff spot though they won Only twice in a five game Span against probable playoff teams the warriors 3439 Arent giving up on their first play off berth since 1994 it shows what our character Richardson said we just put everything out there left every thing on the court after my first shot went Down it Felt Good then the second went Down and after that i knew it was going to be a Good game for the warriors set a season High for Points in a Quarter As Richard son scored 19 in the opening period and they had a season High 77 by halftime Richardson didst score in the fourth Quarter but his 12 rebounds also were a sea son High they would have beaten every team in the league suns guard Raja Bell said they were that hot this is one where you Chalk it up and say hey Man what were you going to do Ben Jason Richardson made a fran Chis record eight three pointers in the Golden state warriors 124119 Victory Over the Phoenix suns on thursday night got a question ask with this a ase my it will career that spouse Saccs Send your questions to  with debuts april 1 with your weekly scene Leandro Barbosa scored 27 Points for the suns who lost in Northern California for the Sec Ond time in five Days with another unpleasant defensive Effort Boris Diaw Barbosa and three Phoenix reserves trimmed Golden states 25point Lead to five in the fourth Quarter of the suns first loss to Golden state in four meetings this season Diaw scored 18 Points and Arenare Stoudemire added 17 Points and 11 rebounds for Phoe Nix which already has clinched its third straight Pacific division tide but the suns defense didst look any More playoff ready than it did in their exits from the Previ Ous two postseason Steve Nash had 14 Points and nine assists while Shawn Marion managed just 10 Points Nash Marion and Stoudemire All sat out the fourth Quarter As the suns second eamers made it interesting against Golden states starters Richardson broke the club record of seven three pointers which he held along with six other players he was the second player in five Days to set his franchises record for three pointers against the suns after Mike Bibby made a Sacramento est nine three pointers in the Kings 107100 Victory on sunday Richardson broke the franchise record on a three from the Corner with left in the third Quarter and Golden state led 10986 enter ing the fourth Barbosa and mar Cus Banks got the suns within six 122116 in the final 2 minutes but Davis stripped the Ball from Banks and drove for a Layup with 58 seconds left bulls 83 pistons 81 at Chica go Kirk Hinrich hit two of three free throws with seconds left and the bulls clinched their third straight playoff berth after Tayshaun Prince tied it with a Putback with seconds left Hinrich caught a pass at the top of the key and got fouled by Carlos Delfino on a three Point at tempt Hinrich missed the first free throw but hit the next two it was the fourth straight Victory for the bulls and their Lith in 14 games Chicago trails Eastern conference Leader Detroit by three games and second place Cleveland by a Hal game with the Cavaliers visiting the United Center on saturday Ben Gordon led the bulls with 25 Points and Ben Wallace grabbed 19 rebounds against his former team Prince scored 26 Points for de troit grizzlies 96 Trail blazers 92 at Portland Rookie Tarence Kinsey had 20 Points to Lead four starters in double figures and Memphis won Bac Toback games for the first time this sea son Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick added 18 Points apiece and Pau gaol had 17 for the grizzlies who made 35 of 36 free throws including their first 29 Zach Randolph had a Ca ree High 43 Points and tied a sea son High with 17 rebounds a Dallas Phoenix san Antonio Utah Houston lakers Denver la 60 53 51 47 46 38 35 11 18 20 24 26 33 35 845 746 718 662 639 535 500 7 9 13 14 22 26 Golden state new Orleans Sacramento Minnesota Seattle Portland 32 30 30 29 29 40 40 41 42 43 444 429 423 408 403 30 31 31v2 42 Eastern conference a Detroit Cleveland Toronto Washington Chicago Miami new Jersey Orlando w l pet 45 26 634 43 29 597 39 32 549 38 32 543 43 30 589 38 33 535 33 38 465 33 39 458 go 6 6vz 3 12 Indiana new York Philadelphia Charlotte Atlanta Milwaukee Boston 31 40 437 31 40 437 28 43 394 27 45 27 46 25 45 22 49 375 370 357 310 14 14 17 1816 19 19vz 23 Western conference a clenched playoff spot clinched division division Leader thursdays games Chicago 83 Detroit 81 Memphis 96 Portland 92 Golden state 124 Phoenix 119 fridays games Boston at Philadelphia Toronto at Washington Milwaukee at Charlotte Indiana at Orlando Utah at san Antonio Miami at Minnesota new Jersey at Detroit new York at Dallas Denver at Phoenix Memphis at Seattle Houston at lakers clippers at Sacramento saturdays games Cleveland at Chicago Philadelphia at new Jersey new York is new Orleans at Oklahoma City la clippers at Portland sundays games Miami at Detroit Chicago at Atlanta Dallas at Phoenix Washington at Milwaukee Memphis at Golden state Utah at Houston Minnesota at Orlando Cleveland at Boston Charlotte at Toronto san Antonio at Indiana Denver at Seattle Sacramento at lakers thursday bulls 83 pistons 81 Detroit Prince 1020 44 26 Maxiell 24 03 4 816 00 19 Billups 316 67 12 Murray 03 121 Mcdyess 47 00 8 Delfi no 37 00 7 Davis 00 00 0 Hunter 12 22 4 totals 3175 1318 81 Chicago Deng 618 4416 Brown 15 22 4 39 02 6 Gordon 819 811 25 Hinrich 514 35 15 Thomas 59 3413 Duhon 13 00 2 Griffin 02 00 0 Allen 15 00 2 to tals 3084 2028 83 Detroit 17 24 20 2081 Chicago 25 13 22 2383 three Point goal Detroit 620 36 Prince 26 Delfino 12 Hunter 01 Mur Ray 01 Billups Chicago 311 Hinrich 26 Gordon 13 Deng 01 Duhon fouled rebound Detroit 46 Mcdyess Chicago 65 assists de troit 19 Billups Chicago 19 Hinrich total foul Detroit 23 Chicago 14 techno coach Saunders Billups lace Chicago defensive three second Chica go coach Skiles Hinrich grizzlies 96 Trail blazers 92 Memphis Kinsey 813 22 20 Warrick 613 66 18 gaol 514 78 17 Gay 514 77 18 Harrington 27 22 6 Johnson 02 00 0 Atkins 15 33 5 Swift 23 44 8 Roberts 01 22 2 Jones 0122 2 totals 2973 3536 96 Portland Webster 06 12 1 Randolph 1626 1116 43 Aldridge 310 00 6 Roy 512 3413 Jack 16 34 5 Magloire 34 00 6 out Law 610 12 13 Rodriguez 12 00 2 14 11 3 Dickau 02 00 0 totals 3682 2029 92 Memphis 24 26 19 2796 Portland 24 22 20 2692 three Point goal Memphis 37 Kinsey 24 Gay 12 Atkins Portland 011 Jack 01 outlaw 01 Dickau 01 Fjones 01 web Ster 03 Roy fouled outdone re 51 Warrick Portland 49 Randolph assist Memphis 15 Harrington Portland 25 Rodriguez total 23 Portland 26 techno Cal Memphis defensive three second warriors 124 suns 119 Phoenix Marion 4622 10 diaw8ll 11 18 Stoudemire 68 58 17 Bell 39 34 10 Nash 714 00 14 Barbosa 1123 13 27 Jjones 28 25 8 Thomas 11 44 6 Banks 37 22 9 totals 2029 119 Golden state Richardson 1423 00 36 Jackson 1118 23 29 Harrington 29 34 7 Ellis 815 00 16 Davis 1022 11 21 Biedrina 24 24 6 Pietrus 13 12 3 Barnes 34 00 6 to tals 5198 914 124 Phoenix 33 30 23 33119 Golden state 45323215124 three Point 922 Barbosa 48 Jjones 22 Diaw 11 Banks la Bell 15 Stoudemire of Nash Golden state 1331 Richardson 813 Jackson 510 Pietrus 01 Harrington 02 Davis fouled out none rebound Phoenix 51 Stoudemire Golden state 52 Richardson As 32 Nash Golden state 29 Davis total foul Phoenix 18 Golden state 23 technical Nash