On Monday, new Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry discussed with reporters his desire to see the Suns commit more to the up-tempo play they’ve enjoyed in seasons past.

“We are who we are and I think we have to go back to establishing a breakneck pace like we’ve had in the past,” the former assistant said after being named interim head coach. “I think we have to go back to establishing what this team is. It’sa unique team. We’re not your typical NBA team and so we have to play the way we have to play to be successful and that’s what we’re looking to do.”

Prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Clippers, the message to run, run, run was reiterated to his team on the locker room’s whiteboard where it read: “Push the Ball! Every Posession!”

Having talked the talked, the Suns walked the walked on Tuesday night with a 140-100 blowout of the division-rival Clippers. The team set the tone early behind a 41-point opening quarter – their highest this season – and kept things rolling by scoring 40 points more before the half. It marked the first time the team had scored 40 points in consecutive quarters since a Feb. 16, 1994 game against Portland. Gentry made sure to tell the media he didn't want to be perceived as the guy who was "bringing back" a run-and-gun system, and that a fast-paced style of play is something the Suns have been looking to impose on opponents all season.

"We've had stretches where we've done it successfully and have scored 110 or more points on quite a few occasions," Gentry said. "Tonight we just played well and I thought we did what we had to do. “It was a total team effort and I don’t think there was one particular guy who stood out. Everybody was consistent in what we were trying to do and our bench played well.”

Gentry did not wait long to go to his bench on Tuesday night and took full advantage of everybody’s fresh legs following the All-Star break. Ten players logged time in the opening quarter and all eleven Suns who dressed for the contest saw action and scored at least five points.

“It was a lot of fun,” Suns All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire said. “It’s beginning to be a lot of fun out there. We got ourselves going, everybody got themselves good spacing and shooting rhythm and we played well.”

SUNS ENJOY VICTORY

Fun appeared to be the word of the day both on the court Tuesday night, as well as, in the Suns locker room following the game. As if the smiles worn by players throughout the contest didn’t make it apparent enough, the team said the blowout victory over the Clippers was by far their most enjoyable of the season.

“It was the way I like to play basketball,” rookie guard Goran Dragic said. “That’s the style I was used to playing overseas and it was nice to be a part of it here.”

Dragic contributed a career-high 12 points in the winning effort and said he’s noticed an improvement not only in his game but in his confidence these past few games.

“I’ve just been more comfortable,” Dragic said. “I’ve been playing better in practice and have noticed that has helped me play better in the games.”

Another international guard who looked at ease on Tuesday was Leandro Barbosa, who pitched in 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals in a starting role for the Suns.

“It was great, we really had a fun time,” Barbosa said. “This is what we want to do, run up and down. We just need to make sure we are in the right shape to do that."

Barbosa said the energy by both the Suns and their fans almost had the feel of a season opener, and that the team was definitely ready to get the second half of the season started the right way.

“We were really excited to get back out there,” the “Brazilian Blur” said. “Before the game, the coaches said whoever catches the ball needs to shoot it, so I think I was feeling the way I used to feel and me and my teammates were feeling the flow.”

The Suns now hope to continue that flow not only tomorrow night in Los Angeles, but after returning to Phoenix where they will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and Boston Celtics on Sunday.

“I liked our effort and I liked what we did, but it’s one game and we still have a lot of work to do,” Gentry said. “We’re not ready to crown ourselves NBA Champions quite yet.”

AMUNDSON DISCUSSES FIRST-QUARTER ALTERCATION

Unfortunately, not all of the focus following Tuesday night’s win was on Phoenix’s great play. Lou Amundson’s locker was flooded by reporters after the game who wanted to ask about his incident with Clippers forward Zach Randolph.

Randolph threw an open-hand jab at Amundson’s face after the two became tangled up while going for a rebound in the first quarter. Amundson did not retaliate while Randolph was immediately ejected and will most likely be suspended when the two teams square off on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

“Basically he just threw me down when I was going for a rebound,” Amundson said. “I was on the floor and I could feel him on top of me, trying to step on me – I don’t know what he was trying to do. I got up and I was pretty upset about the whole situation and I got in his face and he did what he did.”

Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry said Randolph’s action wasn’t necessarily just a display of frustration at the lopsided score, but of Amundson’s aggressiveness on the floor.

“I thought Lou did a great job of fronting him and keeping the ball out of his hands,” Gentry said. “Zach is a great low-post player and we told Lou not to let him catch the ball down there. Lou is just a hard worker and I don’t know why Zach resorted to that.”

In the Clippers locker room, Randolph seemed to have little remorse for his actions, despite the fact a short-handed Los Angeles team may now be even more short-handed when they take the court against the Suns on Wednesday. Randolph joked that Amundson looked as if he might want to kiss him and told reporters that keeping his fist open during the swing was the only reason Amundson didn’t hit the ground.

“I probably would have hit the ground,” “Lightning Lou” said. “But he would have been sitting out a little longer than he is.”

SIMS CITY

Shaquille O’Neal may have become the first Phoenix player ever to earn NBA All-Star MVP honors on Sunday, but he wasn’t the only Sun taking home an MVP trophy over the weekend. Courtney Sims, who hours earlier signed a 10-day extension with the Suns, earned himself MVP honors in the third annual D-League All-Star Game on Saturday night.

Sims helped his team to a 113-103 victory in the contest, contributing 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Like the Big Cactus, Sims also shared his All-Star honor, as he too was a co-MVP in the affair along with reigning D-League Rookie of the Year, Blake Ahearn.

The 6-11 big man told Suns.com on Tuesday that playing in the contest and earning himself MVP honors was by far his favorite part of a very memorable weekend.

“It was really both a blessing and an honor,” Sims said. “I wanted to play well in the game and it’s usually hard for big men to stand out in All-Star games because the tempo is more catered to smaller, quicker guards. In the D-League All-Star Game, guys are out there really giving their all to show what they can do so I was really proud of myself.”

Between both Sims’ effort on Saturday, and the Diesel’s on Sunday, either the trend of All-Star games not catering to big men is changing or the Suns are proving that theirs can run with the best of them.

PHOENIX’S SWEET OFFENSE GETS EVEN RICHER ON WEDNESDAY

In the mist of Alvin Gentry’s first win as Suns head coach, a blowout victory for Phoenix and the altercation between Lou Amundson and Zach Randolph, it’s easy to see why Jason Richardson’s one-game suspension was lost in the shuffle.

On Tuesday, J-Rich served a team imposed one-game suspension, but will be back on Wednesday when the Suns and Clippers square off in Los Angeles. The Suns put up 140 points on Tuesday without the services of Richardson – one of their most explosive scorers.

Fans looking to see just what the offense will be capable of on Wednesday can tune into My45 or Sports 620 KTAR at 8:30 p.m. and find out for themselves.