Phoenix, AZ (Basketball News) - Tim Duncan poured in 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead San Antonio to a high-scoring 121-114 victory over Phoenix in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at America West Arena.
Duncan, who was plagued by injured ankles, ended 10-of-21 from the field and 8-of-10 from the foul line for the second-seeded Spurs, who are playing in the conference finals for the third time in the past five seasons.
Tony Parker added 29 points and seven rebounds while Brent Barry came off the bench to hit five three-pointers and score a playoff career-high 21 for San Antonio, which will try and take the first two games of this best-of-seven series when the teams meet Tuesday night in Phoenix.
"We’re happy to get this one, but we’re not overly ecstatic" Duncan said. "We want to get the next one and really hurt them here."
Manu Ginobili ended with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Spurs, who took control of the game courtesy of a 43-point fourth quarter that saw the team hit 16-of-22 shots.
"Any win in the playoffs is a great feeling and we feel good about the win against a very good basketball team," said San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich. "I thought that Tony, Manu and Timmy were all very good tonight and that allowed us to stay in the ballgame when things got a little dicey and they scored a zillion points in the third quarter."
San Antonio, which has won five of its last six series openers, is hoping to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since winning it all in 2002-03.
Amare Stoudemire netted a game-high 41 points and grabbed nine boards for the top-seeded Suns, who are appearing in the Western Conference finals for the first time since the 1992-93 campaign when the team eventually lost to Chicago in the championship round.
League MVP Steve Nash contributed 29 points and 13 assists while Jim Jackson chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds for Phoenix, which had won its last four Game 1s.
"They beat us in all aspects," said Jackson. "That’s what ex-champions do. They know how to do it. No excuses. They just came in here and flat out beat us."
The Spurs trailed by four points heading into the final quarter, but began the fourth with a 7-0 run to claim an 85-82 lead. The game then stayed close over the next several minutes and Duncan’s jump hook with 5:56 left gave San Antonio a 96-92 edge.
With the lead at two moments later, Barry hit consecutive threes to widen the advantage to 106-98 with just under five minutes remaining. The Spurs continued to increase the margin as Parker’s breakaway layup with 2:31 to play made it a 112-102 game and capped a string of eight straight made shots by San Antonio.
"Brent making shots for us is huge because that is what’s got to happen to make Timmy a better player," said Popovich. "Brent Barry has obviously been a great shooter throughout his career, but he’s been up and down in the playoffs. But tonight he was very good for us and made shots."
Phoenix did not seriously threaten, getting no closer than six points the rest of the way.
During the decisive fourth quarter, the Spurs gave the league’s top-scoring team a dose of its own medicine as San Antonio outscored the Suns 43-32. The period was aided by four three-pointers and seven foul shots.
"I think that (our lack of) defense was a big part of the loss," said Nash.
The Spurs built an early six-point lead, but Phoenix tied the game at 16-16 in the waning minutes of the first quarter. However, San Antonio then reeled off eight quick points, keyed by three each from Ginobili and Barry, to garner an eight-point edge. The Spurs held an 11-point margin and would eventually lead 30-20 after one period as Ginobili hit a three from halfcourt as time expired.
The Suns climbed back in the second as Jackson’s three-pointer with 6:04 remaining in the quarter trimmed the deficit to 39-37 and Stoudemire’s tip-in moments later made it a one-point contest. San Antonio did widen its advantage to eight points in the final seconds and the Spurs went into the locker room with a 55-49 lead.
Duncan had 11 points and nine rebounds while Parker also chipped in 11 points for San Antonio, which shot 46 percent from the field in the opening half. Stoudemire poured in 20 points, including 18 in the second quarter, for the Suns, who hit on 44 percent of their attempts in the opening 24 minutes.
Phoenix came out hot to start the third quarter as Stoudemire’s emphatic slam dunk capped a quick 11-2 surge and made it 60-57 with 9:16 left. Nash had five points and Stoudemire netted three during the flurry. The Suns’ edge was increased to six points on a pair of Stoudemire free throws moments later, but the Spurs scored six straight to tie the game at 70-70.
Shawn Marion’s free throw with 1 1/2 minutes left in the third capped an 8-0 spurt and gave Phoenix an eight-point lead. The Suns, who outscored San Antonio 33-23 in the quarter, led 82-78 after the frame.
Phoenix Suns 
San Antonio Spurs 
