Steve Nash: A
Great first half, no assists in the second half, but don’t let me pretend he wasn’t great. He was.

Jared Dudley: B+
A lot of defensive lapses on Jared’s part stop him from getting an A-. Sorry, Jared.

Grant Hill: B
Had he not picked up quick fouls one after another, this game might’ve never gotten close enough for a comeback. But oh well, c’est la vie.

Channing Frye: B
He made his shots. He fouled. He let Ibaka do a bit too much. Oh well.

The Bench: F
The bench let this happen. No defence, no well executed sets. Classic Suns D.

Alvin Gentry: F
Alvin went small in the 4th quarter, allowing the Thunder to make a comeback. This one might just be on that little decision.

Feb 6, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash (13) drives against Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich (6) during the first half at Phillips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE

I told you so!

Never, ever, under any circumstance trust the Hawks. Don’t trust them to win, don’t trust them to lose, and don’t trust them to make good decisions. This thesis was confirmed in a great way last night. The Suns came out, and let the Suns trample them. So, without further ado, the grades.

Steve Nash: A++
Another vintage night for Steve Nash, on the eve of his 38th birthday no less. 24 points, 11 assists, 9-12 from the field, and 4 three pointers hit, including a running buzzer beater to end the third, and a quickfire three to beat the shot clock.

Channing Frye: A
Not only has Channing played good D on Josh Smith, he finally started hitting his shots, ending the game with 19 points. If he starts going off, the Suns are in good shape. A celebration should be in place for this one. That is, unless you played the patented Channing Frye drinking game in which case… Well, I hope you’re having fun in the hospital.

Marcin Gortat: A-
Attribute this to my Gortat bias if you must, but he had a good game. Yes, the box score looked rather bleak with his 8 points and 9 rebounds, but he also was +16 in the game, creating a ton of shots off of his screens. The Hawks seemed to focus a lot of their D on him, and they got burned by the rest, all while Gortat was making the right moves nearly all the time in his 35 minutes on the floor. The only problem? He missed a few shots.

Jared Dudley: B
Jared kept the pedal on the metal after missing one game. He scored 10 points and showed typical hustle.

Michael Redd: B
Mike Redd isn’t dead. Prior to a homecoming to Milwuakee, Redd scored double figures for the second game in a row, including a beautiful driving layup. If he keeps it up, the Suns’ll be happy.

Markieff Morris: B
‘Kieff finally made most of his shots, scoring 7 points on 3-5 shooting. He also grabbed 7 rips, showed classic hustle and managed to play good D at times. Perhaps unworthy of being over Grant Hill, but I give him credit for taking less bad shots.

Grant Hill: B-
Grant is so much better when he’s looking to pass first. Missed all but one shot, but made up for it with 5 assists. Goodie.

Josh Childress: B-
I can’t stress how much of Josh Childress’ effort stays off the box score. His quiet, unassuming 4 points may seem bad, but he scored on both of his shots and played solid D throughout. I believe in Josh Childress, I really do.

Bassy Telfair: C+
The turnover trouble is back for Bassy, but he’s also making better decisions, and setting the offence up better with every game. He also threw some daggers in the 4th quarter to halt Atlanta runs, ending with 9 points on 4-7 shooting. Do I believe in Bassy Telfair? Not yet, but he’s slowly creeping up on me.

Robin Lopez: C+
I won’t count one of Robin Lopez’s baskets, because it was actually a Zaza Pachulia own basket, which leaves Robin with 2-5 shooting with 4 points, a team worst -7 rating and a disappointing second half. He grabbed 5 rebounds though. I fully expect him to suck again soon.

Shannon Brown, Ronnie Price and Hakim Warrick did not enter the game.