"If Boston rookie big man Greg Stiemsma had not experienced his welcome-to-the-NBA moment, he probably did not expect it to come against Suns center Marcin Gortat.

There often is that regrettable yet memorable play for each young player when he discovers what an elite skill level he has entered in the NBA.

On Friday night, Gortat already had scored 12 consecutive Suns first-quarter points when he received the ball on the extended post with Stiemsma on his back. Gortat's spin move to the baseline froze Stiemsma for a score.

"Polish shake," Suns forward Grant Hill said in deference to the "Dream Shake" of Hakeem Olajuwon, who taught moves to Gortat for a week in June.

The Suns have lacked a go-to scorer who creates his own shot since last season, but Gortat at least has proven to be a reliable, efficient scorer. Steve Nash is creating more scores than any NBA player, averaging 10.0 assists per game, and leads the Suns in scoring with 14.8 points per game, but his pick-and-roll partner, Gortat, is up to 14.7.

"I know where to put myself in the position to score," Gortat said. "Having Steve going to the bucket every time hard, then I'm going to be open or the other way around, and I'm going to draw attention on my roll. That's a pretty good combination. I like that.""