Spurs Outlast Suns 117-115 in Double OT

There was no clear answer to whether or not the Suns trade for Shaquille O'Neal would enable them to get over the hump that has prevented them from winning the Western Conference title.  But today's first round playoff game with the San Antonio Spurs gave them a hint.

The Spurs uncharacteristically turned the ball over 8 times in the first quarter and didn’t get their first field goal until Tim Duncan finger-rolled a basket seven minutes into the first quarter. The Spurs were fortunate only to be four points back at 24-20.

Personal fouls by the Suns kept the Spurs close. The Suns committed 8 overall in the first quarter. Shaquille O’Neal sat down after four minutes with two personals.

But that quickly changed. A Spurs technical, a foul on a 3-point shot by Leandro Barbosa, and a two-point shot by Barbosa led to a Suns 6-0 run and a 10-point lead, 30-20, to start the second quarter.

O’Neal came in and then went right back out with his third foul. From there, the rest of the second quarter was all Stoudemire, 7 for 9 and 20 points, along with bench help from Boris Diaw, 8 points, and Barbosa, 10 points.

The Spurs didn’t get their first 3-pointer until Brent Barry came off the bench and hit one with only one minute remaining. Superb defense from Raja Bell held Manu Ginobili to just 1 for 6. The Suns led at halftime, 48 – 40, despite the fact that O’Neal only played 5 minutes.

The referees took over the third quarter. It became more of an NCAA bracket game where everthing is a "charge" rather than anything that resembled an NBA playoff. Whistle after whistle broke up the rhythm of both teams. In defense of the officials, the players have become such terrific stunt men that it was difficult without a replay to determine what was a charge and what was a flop.

The 3^rd quarter ended with the Suns holding onto a 71-65 lead. O’Neal, Stoudemire and Diaw ended the quarter with four fouls each. The turnovers had evened out to 12 all.

The Spurs caught the Suns in the fourth quarter on the play of Duncan and Parker. The Suns were forced to take O’Neal out once more when the Spurs decided to foul him. O’Neal missed consecutive three free throws.

The Suns brought O’Neal back at the two-minute mark. The move was key, as an O’Neal block on Ginobili allowed Barbosa to score on an uncontested fast break to give the Suns a 93-90 lead. Michael Finley answered by hitting a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game with 15.1 left.

Phoenix failed to score on their final possession as Bruce Bowen contested a Barbosa jump shot sending the game into overtime locked at 93.

Nash opened OT with a two-point shot. Fabricio Oberto matched it at the other end. Stoudemire hit from close in. Nash hit again from the key to give the Suns a 4-point lead. Duncan cut the lead to two. But Nash, who only had 6 points in regulation, hit a three-pointer to put the Suns up 102-97.

Duncan hit from the top of the key to cut the lead to three. Stoudemire then extended the lead back to five, but Duncan once again cut it back to three with one minute left.

The Suns were 5 for 5 in OT up to that point and had the ball, Then Nash passed to Stoudemire. Instead of passing off to O’Neal, Stoudemire went to the basket and commited a charge for his sixth fouled with 12.6 left.

Off a set play, Ginobili found Duncan who hit the game tying 3-pointer with 3 seconds in OT. Diaw missed the final shot to send the game into a second overtime.

Ginobili scored on a drive around O’Neal. Nash came back, hitting another jumper. Kurt Thomas kept the ball alive at the other end allowing Duncan to score. Diaw came back and tied it at 108.

A Thomas screen allowed Parker to give the Spurs the lead. Then Thomas fouled out on a moving screen.

Parker fouled out for the first time this season, giving Nash three free throws on a shot from behind the arc. Nash hit 2 out of three to tie at 110. Ginobili came back with his 20^th point to give the Spurs the lead. O’Neal put back a Nash misfire to tie. But Ginobili again went around O’Neal at the other end for a 114-112 lead.

Ginobili missed a long two-pointer, but Diaw missed a layup at the other end, and the Suns were forced to foul Ginobili with 20 seconds left. Duncan inbounded across court to Brent Barry. Nash fouled, but Barry made only 1 of 2 free throws.

The Suns could tie with a three-pointer, but the Spurs had a foul to give. They failed to give it as Nash circled around quickly and hit a three to tie. But Ginobili again put the Spurs on his back and drove to the basket for the game winner, 117-115.

A playoff classic if there ever was one, Duncan finished with 40, Parker 26, and Ginobili 22. For the Suns, Stoudemire had 33, Nash 22, Raja Bell 14, and Diaw and Barbosa both had 12.