Nash, Shaq and STAT lead Suns past Spurs 96-79
(AP Photo/Eric Gay) Amaré Stoudemire scored 21 points, Shaq added 16 points while Steve Nash had 12 points and 10 assists to lead the Suns past the Spurs 96-79 last night in San Antonio. The Suns “big three” led a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter that made the difference in a very tight game (45 all at the half, 72-68).
Shaq, or “the baddest 36-year-old ever created” as he defined himself after the game, scored eight of his 16 points in the decisive fourth quarter.
It was a good team effort by the Suns as 6 players scored in double digits and Phoenix shot 51.9 percent from the field and held San Antonio to 42 percent. The Spurs have really been struggling with their shooting lately.
The Suns with Shaq in the lineup are a tough matchup for the Spurs as Phoenix won the season series 3-1. “Phoenix played well, they did a great job, and they beat us good” Thanks Coach Popovich.
Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Tony Parker had 20. Manu Ginobili was held in check for the most part as he scored only 8 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
It was not the heated battle (only 29 fouls called in the game) Suns and Spurs like to engage each time they play each other as both Coaches are now starting to focus on the post season. Both teams reached the playoffs and both have very limited chances of improving their current seeding.
Phoenix (53-26) remains in sixth place in the standings but only 1/2 game behind the Lakers in the Pac5.
LA plays the Clippers, Hornets, Spurs and the Kings in the last four games of the year while the Suns have only three games left playing in Houston on Friday (5:30 PM) and then hosting Golden State and Portland.
Overtaking the Lakers in the standings could mean facing them again in the playoffs but, at least, Suns would have home court advantage.
Of course the Suns could also overtake the Spurs as the fourth seeded team in the West which could lead to a San Antonio-Phoenix series.
Whatever, since we can’t play the Clippers or the Kings.
Yours truly, Steve Fan
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Posted by Steve Fan
Blogger and Steve Nash enthusiast. Don't get in his way, he'll MVP your ass.
http://sonsofstevenash.blogspot.com
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YEE-HA! The Suns more or less routed the Squirts for the first time in years! I haven’t been so delighted since the end of the Suns-Lakers series in ‘06!
It’s always a bit special beating the Spurs