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The Phoenix Suns held an intrasquad scrimmage Friday at McKale Center, and neither side scored more than 60 points.

Maybe we should repeat that.

Neither Suns team managed to put 60 points on the board.

Somehow, Grant Hill and his Orange team squeaked by Alando Tucker and the White team 59-57 in a 48-minute scrimmage.

Last October, after leading the NBA in scoring during the 2006-07 season, the Suns played themselves to a 97-91 score in 40 minutes at McKale.

"It's a little different," said Hill, who had 17 points and four rebounds. "At the end of the third quarter, I looked over and it's 35 points. Last year, we might have had that at the end of the first quarter."

First-year Suns coach Terry Porter said the running clock kept down the score. He noted that if the 59-57 mark came with a regular clock, it would have been suitable, even for mentor Dick Bennett, the famously deliberate former Washington State coach who spent a few days advising Porter this week.

"That would be perfect for him," Porter said. "He would have loved it."

Still, running clock or no running clock, there was no doubt the Suns were beginning to adapt to the new defensive philosophy Porter has been instilling this week in the team's camp in Tucson.

"We have to build the defense, make defense a priority," Suns guard Steve Nash said. "The only choice you have is to buy into it, if you're a good teammate."

Nash put on a quiet offensive performance, taking just one shot in more than 32 minutes with five assists. While Hill and Raja Bell (11 points) led the Orange offensively, Tucker had 22 for the White, and Matt Barnes added 12.

The scrimmage did have its high-flying moments, however. New Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic recorded a memorable steal and layup en route to six points and nine assists, while Tucker hit 3 of 3 from three-point territory in his difficult quest to earn playing time this season.

"Our guys did a good job of moving the ball and being aggressive," Porter said. "I was happy defensively."

Suns forward Amare Stoudemire sat courtside in Louis Vuitton sunglasses and a black T-shirt, but not just to make a fashion statement.

Stoudemire said he still has blurred vision and soreness from an injury to his right iris after he was poked in the eye during a full-court workout on Wednesday. Stoudemire initially stayed in Tucson, but he left Thursday to see an eye specialist in Phoenix when the pain remained overnight.

Stoudemire said he cannot run, bike or do any physical activity for a week that would inflate his blood pressure, since that could affect his eye. It will be re-evaluated in a week, after which Stoudemire hopes to begin working out again.

When he does return, Stoudemire said, he will wear goggles, perhaps permanently, in games.

"I don't want to have that injury again," Stoudemire said. "It was extremely painful."

Suns GM and former Arizona star Steve Kerr took the microphone before the game, making sure fans remembered that Phoenix rookies Robin Lopez (Stanford) and Sean Singletary (Virginia) came into McKale and beat the Wildcats as collegians last season.

"Just to get it out of the way," Kerr told the crowd of about 5,000, "let's boo them as loudly as we can."

Lopez smiled during the booing, and when asked about it afterward.

"I didn't expect Mr. Kerr would throw me in the fire like that," Lopez said. "Next time we get to Stanford, I'll have to think of something."

Suns center Shaquille O'Neal spent some of his few moments off the court this week with UA athletes, meeting the football team and being "challenged" to a race in the pool by a Wildcat swimmer.

"I told her I was the black Michael Phelps and she was scared of me," O'Neal said earlier this week, adding Friday, "It's been a great time here in Tucson with the locals."