PHOENIX — Amare Stoudemire scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on his 26th birthday and the Phoenix Suns overcame the second-quarter ejection of Shaquille O'Neal tonight to beat the Detroit Pistons, 104-86.

Steve Nash, back from a one-game suspension for his part in a skirmish with several Houston Rockets last Wednesday, added 17 points and seven assists for the Suns, who already were without two players before O'Neal was tossed for a flagrant foul with 5:19 left in the first half. Boris Diaw had 13 points for Phoenix.

Richard Hamilton scored 19 for the Pistons, who entered the game 3-0 on a four-game western swing that began Tuesday. In their previous stop, they handed the Lakers their first loss of the season Friday night in Los Angeles.