NBA: Phoenix 128, Washington 96

PHOENIX, March 22 (UPI) -- Jason Richardson had a season-best 35 points and Shaquille O'Neal rose to fifth on the NBA all-time scoring list Saturday when Phoenix beat Washington 128-96.

The Suns got 17 points from Steve Nash and shot 55.4 percent from the floor to win their season-high fourth straight game and move within 3 ½ games of the idle Dallas Mavericks for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth.

O'Neal scored 13 to run his NBA career total to 27,411 and overtake Moses Malone for fifth place all-time.

Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 25 points and eight rebounds and Andray Blatche had 14 points and nine rebounds for Washington, which has lost four straight.

The Suns staged an 11-2 first-quarter run and led 31-16 going into the second, but the Wizards put together a 10-2 run and the Suns lead at intermission was just 57-53. Phoenix ran its lead to 77-67 halfway through the third on consecutive dunks by O'Neal and Matt Barnes, went on a 7-2 run to close out the quarter, and then opened the fourth with a 9-0 run to take control of the game.