Parker, Spurs snap Suns’ 11-game win streak

San Antonio, TX (Basketball News) - Tony Parker delivered 29 points and Tim Duncan finished with 16 along with 12 rebounds as San Antonio stopped Phoenix’s 11-game win streak with a convincing 115-94 victory in a battle between two Western Conference powers at the SBC Center.

Parker, who netted 27 points in Sunday’s triumph over Boston, made 14-of-20 shots from the field to lead the Spurs to their fourth straight win and 15th in 18 games. Malik Rose contributed 15 points and six boards in 18 minutes off the bench.

Amare Stoudemire poured in 37 points for the Suns, who failed in their attempt to set a club record for consecutive wins. Steve Nash, who entered the contest as the NBA’s assist leader with more than 11 assists per game, finished with 12 points but was held to just four assists.

"They just kicked our butts," said Nash. :Maybe that’s good for this team, to face a tough challenge like this...We can make this a turning point in our season. We can learn that we are not a finished product."

San Antonio outscored the Suns 54-40 in the second half and held the prolific Phoenix offense to just 40 percent shooting on the night. The Suns failed to reach 100 points for the first time since their last defeat, a 97-93 setback to Minnesota on December 3.

"Everybody understood that defense is what was going to do it for us," said San Antonio guard Bruce Bowen. "We know they can score points, but let’s see what they can do against hands being in their face on contested shots."

The Spurs trailed 43-34 with 9:33 left in the first half but put together a 12-2 run to move in front. Robert Horry began the spurt with a three-pointer and Parker capped it with a trey which put San Antonio up 46-45 midway through the second quarter.

Two free throws by Stoudemire put Phoenix back on top, but the Suns went without a field goal for nearly a five-minute stretch and the Spurs took advantage. Two baskets by Parker and a three-point play from Duncan gave the hosts a 53-47 lead with 4:16 remaining before intermission. A jumper by Rose at the buzzer sent San Antonio into the break with a 61-54 edge.

The Spurs maintained a seven-point cushion until a Duncan layup followed by Bowen’s three-pointer and a basket by Parker extended their advantage to 72-58 with 7:31 left in the third quarter. After Stoudemire’s jumper cut the deficit to 12, San Antonio answered with eight consecutive points, capped by Parker’s three-point play with 4:50 remaining in the stanza which made the score 81-60.

San Antonio closed out the third with seven straight points and outscored Phoenix 32-15 for the quarter to claim a commanding 93-69 lead.

A 10-0 flurry ending with Joe Johnson’s three-pointer gave Phoenix a 23-20 lead with 4:22 to go in the first quarter. The Suns ended a fast-paced opening period up 35-32.