PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Steve Nash heard the whispers in the offseason. He chose to ignore them.
Opting to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns sure looks to have been the right decision for the NBA All-Star point guard.
Nash scored 21 points and tied his season-high with 20 assists as the Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 late Monday.
"I was a free agent and it was natural to explore my options," Nash said. "Some people said I was a little crazy going back to Phoenix because I wouldn't have as good a chance to win. I liked the team and coaches and I was comfortable."
Was he ever.
Nash registered the first 20-20 in points and assists in the league since he accomplished the feat in January 2006 — a 28-point, 22-assist performance against New York. Those 22 assists still represents a career-high.
"I felt good and had energy, even after a game last night," Nash said. "I felt pretty energized in the fourth quarter when we made our run and pulled away."
The Suns eclipsed the 100-point barrier for the eighth straight game to open a season, which hadn't happened since the 1990.
Nash, who signed a two-year, $22 million extension in the summer, turned in another impressive performance after putting up 11 points and 17 assists in Sunday's 102-90 win against Washington.
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