By Bob Baum, Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) -- Grant Hill completed his most durable pro season by scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds Wednesday night to lead the Phoenix Suns past the depleted Golden State Warriors 117-113.
Hill, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his 15 NBA seasons, appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his career. His 27 points matched his season high. Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Shaquille O'Neal scored 15 for Phoenix.
Anthony Morrow wrapped up his strong rookie season with 33 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who had eight players in uniform and used only seven. C.J. Watson had 20 points and 12 assists. Kelenna Azubuike added 18 points for Golden State.
Hill was only 7-for-25 from the field but made 13-of-16 free throws.
After the 36-year-old forward made one of two from the line to make it 113-108 with 44.3 seconds to go, he stole the ball in Golden State's frontcourt, then scored on a layup after a pass from Steve Nash to put Phoenix ahead 115-108 with 25.4 seconds to play.
The Suns finished 10 games above .500 (46-36) but two games behind Utah for the eighth and final playoff berth in the West.
The Warriors led by 14 in the first quarter and were up 36-24 entering the second. Morrow made four of his first five shots for 10 first-quarter points. He had 17 points and nine rebounds in the first half.
Watson's two free throws 48 seconds into the second quarter gave Golden State its biggest lead at 40-24.
The Suns got back into it with a 15-2 run. Jason Richardson scored eight in the surge, two 3-pointers and a fast-break stuff on a lob from Nash that cut the lead to 49-48 with 4:21 left in the half.
O'Neal's fast-break layup tied it at 54-54 1:23 before the break and it was 56-56 at the half.
There were eight lead changes in the third quarter, with Golden State up 90-86 entering the fourth.
The Suns took control for good with a 13-2 run, capped by Barbosa's fast-break layup that put Phoenix ahead 108-99 with 4:18 remaining.
Notes: Hill is the only Suns player to appear in every game. ... O'Neal failed to make the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season. ... Golden State players missed a combined 234 games with injuries. ... Louis Amundson won the Suns' Dan Majerle Hustle Award for outstanding effort.