Nash injures ankle, but Suns roll to 11th win in row
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Phoenix point guard Steve Nash, the reigning NBA MVP and a strong contender to win the award for a second year in a row, said Monday night he's "day to day" after leaving the Suns' game against New Orleans with a sprained ankle.
Nash injured his right ankle and left the game with 2:54 remaining in the third quarter and the Suns down by four points. He did not return.
"I just stepped on someone's foot and it just rolled over," he said.
Without Nash, the Suns erased an eight-point deficit with a 15-2 run to open the fourth quarter, capped by Leandro Barbosa's two free throws with 5:56 left. After that, the Suns cruised to their 11th straight win, 101-88, the longest active streak in the league.
Nash said he thought at first that he would be able to return and still thought that when he got to the locker room. After the game, he had the ankle wrapped and struggled at first to get his right shoe on.
"I think it's day-to-day," Nash said. "I'm not very experienced at ankle sprains. I think we'll know a lot more tomorrow. I don't think it's horrible."
Nash leads the NBA with 10.9 assists per game and had 12 points and seven assists before leaving. He has played all 58 of the Suns' games this season. He missed seven games last season with injuries to his left thigh and left hamstring and back spasms.
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