ATLANTA -- Phoenix blitzed the Atlanta Hawks early from the 3-point stripe. Nashville Predators Jersey . Then, the Suns finished it off from long range. Eric Bledsoe scored 20 points, four teammates reached double figures and Phoenix won its fourth in a row, beating the Atlanta Hawks 102-95 on Monday night to pull even with Dallas for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Suns knocked down 12 of 24 from 3-point range, including back-to-back treys that clinched it. Bledsoe made all three of his attempts, while Channing Frye was 4-of-9 outside the arc to account for the bulk of his 18 points. Goran Dragic had 19 points, Markieff Morris 17 and Gerald Green 13. Overall, Phoenix shot 51 per cent from the field, while holding the Hawks to just under 42 per cent. "On offence, everybody was engaged, everybody was focused," Dragic said. "If you defend like that, then we can run, we hit 3s, and its much easier to play like that." Atlanta, trying to hold the eighth spot in the East, lost its third in a row after a season-high five-game winning streak. Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll led the Hawks with 19 points apiece. Jeff Teague and Lou Williams each had 17. With the score tied at 59, Phoenix took control with a 14-4 run near the end of the third quarter. Bledsoe got it started with a drive to the basket, and Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer picked up a technical foul for griping about the officiating. Bledsoe made the free throw, turning it into a three-point play. Frye took over from there, swishing three straight jumpers -- including a 3-pointer -- sandwiched around Dragic swiping an Atlanta pass and driving for a layup. The Suns closed the half on a Dragics end-to-end drive, the Slovenian guard banking in the shot with 1.5 seconds left for a 77-68 lead heading to the fourth. "I think the best thing about this team is theres no selfishness," Frye said. The Hawks got as close as four in the closing period, but Phoenix sealed the victory on consecutive 3s by Markieff Morris and Bledsoe, stretching the lead to 98-86 with 2 1/2 minutes left. "They put a lot of pressure on you early in the shot clock. They put a lot of pressure on matchup," Budenholzer said. "To beat a good team like that, youve got to play with a lot of energy in transition defence." Dragic (six assists) and Bledsoe (four) were able to blow past the Hawks defenders off the dribble, setting up shots both inside and out. "Theyve got good penetrating guards surrounded by shooters," Millsap said. "Youve got to choose your poison with them." Locked in a tight battle for playoff positioning, the Suns are trying not to worry about whats going on around them. They improved to 42-29, tied for eighth with Dallas and just a half-game behind Memphis, which also won Monday. Phoenix is within three games of Portland and Golden State as well. "Its about us," Frye said. "We have to play like were already in it." The teams were coming off contrasting performances on the road the previous day. The Suns overcame a 22-point deficit at Minnesota to win 127-120, their biggest comeback of the season. Atlanta, on the other hand, squandered an 11-point lead going to the fourth quarter at Toronto, outscored by the Raptors 36-15 over the final 12 minutes. Atlanta faded again at home, squandering a 52-44 lead early in the third. The Suns jumped ahead 11-2 in the opening minutes, setting the tone with its 3-point shooting. Dragic, Frye and Bledsoe hit three straight from outside the stripe, while the Hawks missed their first six shots. But Atlanta tightened up defensively and began hitting some shots, tying the game at 23 by late in the period. The Hawks were up 45-42 at halftime. NOTES: The Hawks played their third straight game without G Kyle Korver, who is hampered by back spasms. Budenholzer said theres no timetable for Korvers return. ... Shelvin Mack started in place of Korver. ... P.J. Tucker led the Suns with 11 rebounds. Phoenix held a 39-32 edge on the boards. ... The Suns swept the season series, following up a 129-120 victory in Phoenix three weeks earlier. James Neal Authentic Jersey .Y. - Dustin Tokarski stopped all 43 shots he faced as the Hamilton Bulldogs blanked the host Syracuse Crunch 3-0 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. Olli Jokinen Jersey . Tournament officials said the sisters pulled out because of an injury to Venus lower left leg. The announcement came shortly after Serena Williams, a five-time singles champion in Australia, won her third-round singles match against Daniela Hantuchova in temperatures of almost 40C (104F).CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first game at Wrigley Field in the most appropriate way: with a gut-wrenching loss. They entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead. They were one out from victory. And then they collapsed. After an error by shortstop Starlin Castro, the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for five runs in the ninth to beat the Cubs 7-5 Wednesday. "That one finished not like we would have wanted, obviously," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "It seemed like the inning kept opening up, and we werent able to end up in the end putting a stop to it." Martin Prado hit a two-run single off Pedro Strop (0-2), Miguel Montero had a tying single against James Russell and Aaron Hill followed with a two-run triple off Justin Grimm. The beloved ballpark, the second-oldest in the major leagues behind 102-year-old Fenway Park in Boston, opened on April 23, 1914, when the Federal Leagues Chicago Federals beat the Kansas City Packers 9-1. Fans sang "Happy Birthday" in the middle of the fifth inning Wednesday. The Cubs wore Federals uniforms, and the Diamondbacks wore Kansas City Packers threads. The Cubs moved into the Friendly Confines in 1916, after the Federal League folded, and have established a tradition of beloved losers. The Cubs only World Series titles came in 1907 and 08, when they played at the West Side Grounds, and they havent even reached the World Series since 1945. Still, the Cubs are 4,076-3,621 (.530) during the regular season at Wrigley, according to STATS, and 7-20 in the post-season. Chicago failed in its bid to win three straight games for the first time since last July 26-28. "Big day out there. You want to show up, have a good turnout for the fans and former players in the crowd," Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija said. Before a crowd of 32,323 -- about 9,000 under capacity -- the Cubs led 5-2 in the ninth. Strop walked Chris Owings on four pitches and Castro allowed Tony Campanas grounder to kick off his glove for an error. Castro tried to keep his left leg on second as he retrieved the ball, and second base umpire Brian ONora called the sliding Owings safe -- a decision confirmed by the replay umpire in New York. Pinch-hitter Eric Chavez walked on a full count, loading the bases, and Gerardo Parra struck out. Prados bouncer up the middle bounded off second base, eluding second baseman Darwin Barney and kicking into short right-centre field as thee Diamondbacks closed to 5-4. Derek Roy Predators Jersey. Strop struck out Paul Goldschmidt for the second out. Montero fouled off a 2-2 pitch, took a ball, and then lined a tying single to right. Hill blooped a ball down the right-field line and Justin Ruggiano injured his left hamstring as he tried for a sliding catch near the foul line and the bullpen mound. He needed assistance to leave the field and was replaced by Ryan Kalish. Samardzija allowed two runs and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings and is winless in 11 starts since beating San Diego on Aug. 24. He was supported by Ruggianos two-run homer in the sixth and a three-run fifth. Trevor Cahill (1-4) pitched two scoreless innings for Arizona, which ended a four-game losing streak, and Addison Reed got his fourth save as the Cubs went quietly in a 1-2-3 ninth. That gave the Diamondbacks gome good news on a day when they learned outfielder Mark Trumbo will be out an undetermined amount of time with a stress fracture in his left foot. Trumbo has felt plantar fasciitis since spring training. "The plantar (fasciitis) at times has been pretty bad but manageable," Trumbo said. "Thats what you have to do. Youve got to earn a living and play. This was to the point where I severely had to compensate running-wise to the point where I probably wouldnt be much of an asset on either side." Arizona starter Wade Miley gave up five runs -- three earned -- and four hits in five innings. "I think were going to continue to be the Kansas City Packers," Miley said. "Were the Packers now." Even dressed as another team, the Cubs were still the Cubs. NOTES: Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said "it would be great, no question about it" if the Cubs were competitive. He also said replay review has "done great" and added that hes not reconsidering his decision to retire after the season. He also confirmed that baseball is working on an interpretation of the transfer rule. ... Ryan Dempster, who was at Wrigley Field for the 100th anniversary festivities, said joining MLB Network as an analyst is the best thing for him to do right now. Dempster didnt rule out returning to the field. ... Results of Ruggianos MRI will be known Thursday. ... Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta is to make his fifth -- and what the team hopes is final -- minor league injury rehabilitation start Saturday for Double-A Tennessee. ... Arizona OF A.J. Pollock (neck stiffness) didnt start but pinch ran in the ninth. wholesale nfl jerseyswholesale jerseys ' ' '
