Official Suns at Spurs Game Thread (8:00 PM CT)

[Eddy from Austin]

8:00 PM CT TV:KENS, ESPN (KVBO Austin)
Phoenix (31 - 28)
San Antonio (41 - 16)

Suns-Spurs Preview
By JEFF BARTL
STATS Writer

• The Spurs have won the last two and five of their last six games against the Suns.
  
• San Antonio is outrebounding its opponents by +4.0 boards per game in its wins, but getting outrebounded by -6.2 per game in its losses.
  
• Tim Duncan has had a double-double in his last three, and 18 of his last 21, games against the Suns.
  
• Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all have scored 10,000+ points since Ginobili joined the other two in San Antonio in 2002-03. They are just the fourth trio in NBA history to each have 10,000+ points while teammates.

(AP) -- While most seem to wonder when Tim Duncan will call it a career and wait for his Hall of Fame induction, he continues to be a key part of the aging San Antonio Spurs' unexpected success.

The Phoenix Suns know all too well that he's still capable of putting up big numbers.

San Antonio seeks its sixth straight home victory over Phoenix when the teams meet Saturday night.

Following losses to Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday and Wednesday, Duncan tied his season high with 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Thursday to lead the Spurs (41-16) to a 107-97 home win over Memphis.

After coach Gregg Popovich rested the 35-year-old Duncan, 34-year-old Manu Ginobili and 11th-year veteran Tony Parker on Monday, and Ginobili and Parker combined to shoot 5 for 20 in Wednesday's loss, Duncan stepped up Thursday.

"We got back on track. That was the key to the whole thing, getting back on track," Duncan said. "Played awful against the Lakers. Got blown out, came back in there (Thursday) against another good team. A much better effort."

The Spurs are one game behind Oklahoma City for the Western Conference's top seed but are tied in the loss column with two games in hand after Duncan's heroics.

The veteran has played similarly well in each meeting with Phoenix this season for the Spurs, who have won 17 of the last 21 regular-season meetings. Duncan had 24 points and 11 rebounds Jan. 15 in San Antonio's 102-91 home victory over the Suns, and 26 points with 11 boards March 27 in Phoenix. The Spurs won that contest 107-100, overcoming a career-high 32 points from Suns guard Shannon Brown.

Marcin Gortat scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds Friday, while Nash added 18 points and 10 assists in the Suns' 112-105 win at Houston, helping Phoenix (31-28) pull within one game of both the Rockets and Denver Nuggets, who currently hold the West's final two playoff spots.

Phoenix is 19-9 since Feb. 19 and has won six of its last eight as it seeks to avoid missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.

"It was a huge win for us. Every game is big and we didn't play great in the first half," said Grant Hill, who scored four points Friday after missing the previous nine games due to surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. "We just came out with a sense of urgency in the third quarter."

Nash is averaging 11.1 assists per game - second in the league to Boston's Rajon Rondo - and is averaging 17.4 points and 10.4 assists in his last 20 regular-season games against the Spurs.
San Antonio has defeated the Suns five straight times at home since Phoenix's 103-98 victory Oct. 29, 2008.

[alh1020]

We do need to continue getting maximum effort from all Spurs who hit the floor, regardless of who Pop may rest tonight. We might be lucky that the Suns are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back, having beat the Rockets in Houston last night. The Suns have a few bangers who like to hang around the rim in Morris, Warrick, Lopez and Gortat, who we need to neutralize. And if we can stymie Shannon Brown’s shooting, which killed us the last outing, and limit the effectiveness of Nash’s interior passing, we should win.

Spurs 92
Suns 86

[Spurd_On]

There's not that much regular season time left. I'm looking for more Diaw, Jackson and Mills to get them firmly entrenched and comfortable with the team. Maybe some Neil at the SG to shake off the rust.

[spurscrazed]

Agreed alh1020! whoever plays from the Spurs needs to Bring it!

Keep in mind those Suns have Blown the Lakers last week by double digits (20). Plus the Suns are on a marathon run for a PO spot.... They will play desperate....... Shannon Brown played awesome for them at that game and so did Redd who came from surgery playing well. Also Telfair and Childress off that bench and of course Gortat and Nash.... They Suns beat the lakers despite losing the rebounding battle 54 to 36 HOWEVER the Suns played good D and had 11 Block Shots and took care of the ball and had ONLY THREE TO's the entire game

Never an automatic W even if it is at HOME SWEET HOME!
Needless to say Spurs need to Bring it!

Close one but Spurs would survive and pull the W

Spurs 108
Sun 105

Go Spurs Go!

[Jose_TheGenius]

i think the Suns may run out of gas tonight, Nash/Gortat played a lot of minutes (well for Nash anyway) and the majority of those minutes were late in the game.

[esparzar1]

Spurs win easily tonight

Spurs 111

Suns 98

[Eddy from Austin]

Spurs 102
Sun 97

[Mombear]

Spurs 109
Suns 99

[ATHENEA]

[Spurd_On]

I like any win but 24 turnovers makes this one bittersweet.