"The game was in the balance. The Suns held a two-point lead and had the ball in the final minute. Suns guard Shannon Brown was going to be aggressive one way or another.

Brown stepped in from the 3-point line to get ready to crash the boards, assuming teammate Channing Frye was going to shoot. Instead, Frye fed Brown, who made a 3-pointer with the friendliest corner-shot bounce you will see -- from rim to glass to net.

It was part of a key stretch for Brown in which he made four of the Suns' final five field goals in a 91-88 victory Wednesday night at New York.

Brown has shot 50 percent or better in only three of 14 games this season but two of those have come in the past three games.

"I've been staying patient and taking advantage of the opportunity," Brown said. "We definitely needed that win for our confidence and morale. It's a different feeling around here."

Coach Alvin Gentry has turned to Brown regularly to help him find his way in a new system. Brown's 22.1 minutes per game ranks sixth on the team."