Phoenix ? Bo Outlaw always brings energy off the bench. In this game, he brought plenty of points and rebounds, too.

Outlaw had season highs of 19 points and 15 rebounds, his first double-double in nearly two years with Phoenix, as the Suns improved their playoff chances with a 111-94 victory Saturday over Minnesota.

“This was a big game,” Outlaw said. “The rest of our games are big. We’ve got to come and play with an attitude.”

The Suns, who beat the Timberwolves for the first time in four tries this season, have won four of five overall to boost their lead to 11¼2 games over idle Houston for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with seven to play.

“For us, we’ve just got to win,” Stephon Marbury said. “If we win, we control our own destiny. It doesn’t matter what Houston does.”

The Timberwolves have lost four of five to fall a game behind Portland for the No. 4 spot in the West and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota plays at Portland tonight.

“There’s no way we should have lost like this,” Kevin Garnett said. “We’re coming down the line and the playoffs are right around the corner and we’re not playing so well. We’ve got to find a way to come out of this slump and come out of it quick.”

Outlaw went 6-for-10 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. He also had three blocked shots and five assists.

“Every shot I scored on was not an individual move. It was a pass from one of my teammates,” Outlaw said. “I was moving and they found me. I give the credit to those guys.”

Shawn Marion scored 24 and Marbury 23 for Phoenix. Penny Hardaway added 14 points and nine assists. Amare Stoudemire scored 10, all in the third quarter on 5-for-5 shooting. Jake Voskuhl had eight points and 10 rebounds as Phoenix dominated the boards 49-38.

Cavaliers 79, Hornets 76

Phoenix forward Bo Outlaw, center, takes a shot between Minnesota defenders Kevin Garnett, left, and Loren Woods in the third quarter. Outlaw scored 19 points and had 15 rebounds as the Suns defeated the Timberwolves, 111-94, Saturday in Phoenix.

Cleveland — Ricky Davis scored 17 points, and Cleveland blocked 13 shots in a victory over New Orleans that assured the Cavaliers they won’t set a new mark for the worst record in franchise history. It was the 15th win of the season for Cleveland, which has six games remaining. The Cavaliers went 15-67 in their inaugural season of 1970-71 and in 1981-82. Davis had three of the Cavaliers’ season-high 13 blocks, and rookie Carlos Boozer had 15 rebounds and 13 points to help Cleveland snapped a five-game losing streak.

Mavericks 108, Magic 90

Dallas — Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points, and Steve Nash added 28 as Dallas retained its lead in the Western Conference. The Mavericks (57-19) hold a one-game advantage over San Antonio in the race for the top record in the Midwest Division — and the Western Conference. With the Magic’s Tracy McGrady out of the starting lineup, the Mavericks took advantage by jumping out to a 28-9 lead 81¼2 minutes in. McGrady didn’t start because of a strained rib muscle on his right side, but checked in with 3:55 left in the first quarter.

Bulls 117, Bucks 115, OT

Chicago — Jalen Rose scored 31 points, and Donyell Marshall had 19 points and 13 rebounds as Chicago erased a 19-point deficit in regulation and beat Milwaukee. Jamal Crawford and Jay Williams each added 19 points for the Bulls, who ended a four-game losing streak and won in overtime for the first time in a franchise-record eight tries this season. Gary Payton had 24 points and 10 assists, and reserve Michael Redd added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who hold a 21¼2-game lead over Washington for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Hawks 97, Grizzlies 91

Atlanta — Jason Terry scored 23 points, and Dion Glover added 20 as Atlanta sent Memphis to its seventh straight loss. The Hawks, eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoffs following Milwaukee’s two-point victory Friday over Cleveland, never trailed after Terry hit two free throws with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter. Pau Gasol had 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead Memphis, which has lost 10 of 12 after a 7-1 stretch last month.

Clippers 109, Knicks 98

Los Angeles — Elton Brand scored 29 points in his third game off the injured list as the Los Angeles Clippers put New York one step closer to elimination from the playoff picture. New York’s fourth defeat in six games, coupled with Milwaukee’s overtime loss at Chicago, left the Knicks one loss or one Milwaukee victory away from missing the postseason for the second straight season. The last time that happened was from 1985 to 1987 — Hubie Brown’s last three seasons as coach of New York. Andre Miller scored seven of his 19 points in the final 3:16 for the Clippers. The Knicks’ next game is Tuesday night against Atlanta at Madison Square Garden. Milwaukee’s next game is Wednesday night at home against the Clippers.