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PHOENIX (AP) - Channing Frye scored a season-high 30 points before sitting out the final 9 1/2 minutes to watch the Phoenix Suns wrap up a 117-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.
Frye, who missed all of last season for treatment of an enlarged heart, made 12 of 16 shots, 5 of 7 3-pointers, to fall three points shy of his career high.
Markieff Morris scored 16 and Goran Dragic 15 for the Suns, who never trailed and improved to 3-0 against Denver this season with one game to play.
Anthony Randolph scored a season-best 19 for the Nuggets, who have lost four of five and were without guard Randy Foye because of a stomach virus. Evan Fournier, Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler added 17 points apiece for Denver.
In his most extensive minutes of the season since returning from an ankle injury, Suns rookie center Alex Len had nine points and six rebounds.
The Suns never fell behind two nights after they never had the lead in a home loss to Dallas.
The Nuggets managed three ties in the first quarter before Phoenix took the lead for good when Frye's 22-footer made it 21-19 with 4:27 left in the opening quarter.
The Suns led by as many as 11 early in the second quarter and were up 62-56 at the half. Phoenix opened the second half with a 9-1 run to take its biggest lead, 71-57, after Dragic banked in a running 10-footer.
Denver got back in it with a flurry of 3-pointers and offensive rebounds.
Chandler scored 11 in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers, and Denver cut the lead to 77-73 on Fournier's 3 with 4:02 to left in the period. Denver had a chance to get closer moments later, but Hickson missed two free throws.
Baskets by Frye and Leandro Barbosa boosted the Suns' lead to 84-77 before Lawson's late driving layup cut the their margin to 84-79 entering the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets started the fourth with a basket to cut it to 84-81, but that's as close as it got. Frye sank a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 spurt that made it 91-81 10:12 from the end. Denver sliced it to 91-86, then Phoenix scored the next seven and the Nuggets never got it closer than nine again.
NOTES: Barbosa, in his home debut after rejoining the franchise where he had his greatest NBA success, scored 12. He had missed the previous two games with a sore right shoulder. ... The Suns haven't swept the Nuggets since 2004-05. ... The Suns signed Barbosa to in 16 minutes. Barbosa signed a second 10-day contract Saturday and are expected to sign him for the rest of the season when that deal expires as the team awaits the return some weeks away of guard Eric Bledsoe after knee surgery. ... In their last meeting, Dec. 20, Phoenix rallied from 21 down to win in Denver 103-99.
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