Spurs Update

Spurs @ Phoenix, 3/26/12

We begin a back-to-back tonight in the land of the Phoenix Suns. Patty Mills is finally in uniform, as is everyone else, except for Tiago Splitter. Jackson is apparently going to be held out for "rest". It's an odd decision in my opinion, but I'm not Pop.

So our big-3 are in full-force for the first time in a while, and it's a good thing. It's always a good thing. Timmy continues to turn back the clock with his play this season. He would score 11 of our first 13 out of the gates.. but Shannon Brown, starting in place of Grant Hill, also gets off to a HOT start. By the end of the 1st-Q, it's Shannon Brown 14 - Tim Duncan 13. (Spurs 29 - Suns 28).

Spurs would momentarily pull away, but Shannon Brown would not let up. Then Sebastian Telfair would follow Brown's lead, as he would go off for 12 straight
Image Source (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Suns' points in the 2nd. But Kawhi Leonard, Timmy & Tony would keep us ahead, despite some late Marcin Gortat heroics. Our lead was 5 at the half: 62-57.

Just as I was expecting Pop to pull some crazy personnel magic to begin the 3rd, it didn't happen, but Phoenix went on a 14-4 run instead. But now down 5, 71-66, Manu & Timmy would do what we do best - more pick 'n' roll, as each would score 7 over the next 4 minutes or so. But Gortat, Nash, and Brown got theirs as well.. 80-79 1:57 left in the 3rd-Q. Hakim Warrick would enter and score 6 straight for the Suns, but after an 84-83 lead after 3-Qs, Tony Parker would make 6 straight, and then a Boris Diaw jumper quickly gave us the 9-pt. 96-87 lead.

With 7 minutes to go Kawhi would nail a nice three.. and then a sweet defensive stop later, Timmy would lay it in from a Manu assist. 103-91, now. But too late for the Suns, foul mode began, and Tony made them pay. We finished off the WIN 107-100, and it's onto Sacramento later tonight. Timmy had a night to remember with 26 & 11, and Tony had 24 & 7 asst. But Manu & Kawhi had great games under the radar: 13-5-5 and 14-7 respectively. Wow our guys are kicking it!

Kudos to a career-high 32 for Shannon Brown, and a 21-14 game from Gortat, as Nash had 16 & 8. Good game guys!