The Suns played the entire first half without a turnover. They had only three after three quarters -- quite a feat for a team that averages 16 a game and had 20 or more with regularity.
But in the fourth quarter, the sloppy Suns showed up. Five turnovers led to 10 of San Antonio's 25 points, and the Spurs got the rest from the free throw line -- where they lived all night while piling up 114 points and continuing their decade-long hex over Phoenix. The Suns needed this game a lot more than San Antonio. They were coming off a 3-3 road trip that featured sit-downs with the general manager (Steve Kerr) and managing partner (Robert Sarver) and had a run of sub-.500 opponents following the Spurs into town. A win could sling-shot them into a good run before the All-Star Game, which they will host on Feb. 15.
But the Spurs would have none of it, and all the old nemeses were accounted for. Manu Ginobili had 30 points and made all 18 of his free throws. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker ran wild as well. And Bruce Bowen, even as a part-time player at 37, harassed Steve Nash in the second half and made six of eight free throws when Phoenix coach Terry Porter decided to "Hack-A-Bowen" late in the third quarter.
So the Suns are now 3-6 over the last nine games, remain awful against the best teams in the West and are counting the days to the trade deadline, when Kerr and Sarver have to decided to fish or cut bait with a team over the luxury tax but unable to win consistently.
SPURS 114, SUNS 104: When San Antonio scores 100 points, they are pretty tough to beat. Give the Spurs 114, and it's impossible.
The Suns found that out Thursday, when San Antonio's "Big Three" of Manu Ginobili (30 points), Tony Parker (26) and Tim Duncan (20) combined for 76 points and the Spurs hit 38 of 44 free throws to beat the Suns in Phoenix for the second time a little over a month.
Amare Stoudemire had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns while Grant Hill (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Steve Nash (16 points, 18 assists) also posted double-doubles. The Suns had a season-low eight turnovers, but committed five of them in the fourth quarter and the Spurs turned them into 10 points.
