Tim Duncan scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Tony Parker added 32 points and handed out 8 assists as the San Antonio Spurs went into Phoenix and knocked off the Suns 111-106 to take game one of their second round Western Conference playoff series.
The Spurs hit 50 percent from the floor and dominated the glass with a 49-34 advantage to upset the Suns.
Heading into the fourth quarter the Spurs held an 80-75 lead but seven points from Shawn Marion in the opening two and a half minutes put the Suns in front by one. From that point on no team could build a lead greater than three points until Parker hit a 21-foot jumper with 1:23 left in the game to give San Antonio a 106-102 lead.
Amare Stoudemire brought the Suns to within one after hitting a pair of free-throws but San Antonio was able to boost their lead back to three after Michael Finley hit a free-throw and Manu Ginobili sank one of two from the line. Stoudemire had a chance to cut the deficit to one but missed a layup and Finley hit one of two to seal the game with nine seconds left.
Finley and Robert Horry combined to hit 5-10 from beyond the three-point arc as the Spurs finished 7-16 from that distance. Fortunately for San Antonio their 22-33 performance from the free-throw line didn’t hurt them in the close game.
Steve Nash finished with 31 points and 8 assists while Stoudemire added 20 points and 18 rebounds but hit just 6-19 from the floor.
Both teams will meet again in Phoenix on Tuesday for game two of their best of seven playoff series.