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San Antonio Spurs 115, Phoenix Suns 94
San Antonio, TX Dec. 28 / Brett Dvorak -- In what was billed as a
statement game for the Suns, Tony Parker made a statement of his own. Parker scores a season high 29 points as the Spurs
snap the Suns eleven game winning streak in dominant fashion 115-94.
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said beforehand that this would be a barometer game for his team to let them know where they are.
If tonight’s game is any indication, it may be time for D’Antoni to go back to the drawing board. This was the game that
matched the top scoring offense in the league versus the league’s best defensive team. It was the new look, highflying
Phoenix Suns (24-3) versus the sometimes methodical, dump it down to Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs (22-6). Something had to
give.
That something was Tony Parker. Going against the early season MVP in Steve Nash, Parker dribbled around and through Nash on
his way to a season high 29 points, while making fourteen of twenty shots from the floor.
After a first quarter that saw the Spurs score a season high 32 points, but give up a season high 35 points, things started
to get interesting.
Amare Stoudemire took advantage of being guarded by Malik Rose to score the team’s first four points, building their lead
to as many as eight points (40-32), but Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had the answer in the form of a technical foul. Popovich
was served the technical by Violet Palmer after he went onto the floor after a non-call against Duncan in the low
post.
The technical worked as the Spurs began to make their run. A 9-0, highlighted by a Parker three pointer gave the Spurs a
46-45 lead.
"It was a great time to do it," Duncan said when asked about the technical foul. "Guys got refocused and a little bit of a
charge."
A subdued Shawn Marion, who scored just six points on two of eleven shooting agreed; When Pop picked up that technical, that
was a big shift in the momentum."
The run continued as Parker and Duncan played pick and roll basketball to perfection. The 16-2 run gave the Spurs a 53-47
lead late in the half. Parker was everywhere in the quarter, scoring thirteen of his 19 points in the quarter, most coming
on drives to the basketball after being set up by Duncan. “You know they are not going to leave Timmy open, so you have to
drive it and make sure you go all the way to the basket," said Parker.
Parker wasn’t the only one doing some scoring. Stoudemire was a true one-man show in the quarter, scoring fifteen of his
team’s nineteen points, but unlike Parker, he had no help. Duncan finished the half with a dozen points and eight rebounds
while Manu Ginobili chipped in nine points. The extra scoring help for Parker enabled the Spurs to take a 61-54 lead to the
locker room.
Whatever halftime speech D’Antoni gave his team, well, let’s juts say he shouldn’t use that one again.
After a pair of quick baskets by Duncan, Parker once again went to work, driving to the lane for easy baskets as the Phoenix
defense failed to rotate or switch defenders, allowing the easy looks. Phoenix played defense as if it was just something to
fill the void until they could play offense again.
Unfortunately for the Suns, the Spurs view defense a little differently. San Antonio clamped down on an offense averaging
109 points a game, holding them to an abysmal four of seventeen (23%) shooting in the quarter. The Spurs on the other hand
were scoring at will. If it wasn’t Parker scoring inside, it was Bruce Bowen connecting on a pair of three pointers as the
Spurs started the quarter on a 20-6 run, opening up an 81-60 lead.
"Everybody understood that defense is what was going to do it for us," explained Bowen when asked about the halftime
adjustments the Spurs made. “We know they can score points, but let's see what they can do against hands being in their
face on contested shots."
Stoudemire continued to do his thing, scoring eight more points in the quarter, but Marion, Nash, and Quinten Richardson
combined for two points in the quarter as the Spurs ended the third quarter with a commanding 93-69 lead.
Even with the Spurs reserves in the game, the lead continued to grow. Rose, Beno Udrih, and Devin Brown sparked a 13-6 run
to start the final quarter to give the Spurs their largest lead of the night at 106-75. Even though the Suns ended the game
on a 19-6 run, it was clear on this night where the Suns need to improve.
Early on it was all about Steve Nash. After Stoudemire scored the Suns first six points, Nash, the former Dallas Maverick
began to take over. Nash sparked a 14-2 run that gave the team with the league’s best road record a 27-22 lead. For the
quarter Nash scored 12 points and dished out three assists.
Late in the quarter the Spurs went to a zone defense looking to get help with Nash’s penetration. It worked because he was
never the same after that, scoring 0 points and dishing out just one assist the remaining three quarters.
In addition to Parker’s 29 points, Duncan added 16 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocked shots. Joining them in
double figures were Rose (15 points) and Ginobili (13 points and 6 assists). Stoudemire continued his dominant early season
play, scoring a game high 37 points, including thirteen of fourteen from the free throw line.
"They just kicked our butts," said Nash. "Maybe that's good for this team, to face a tough challenge like this. ... We can
make this a turning point in our season."
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