Phoenix 100, San Antonio 95
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer
December 17, 2007
AP - Dec 17, 10:29 pm EST
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SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Grant Hill had 22 points and the Phoenix Suns handed the San Antonio Spurs their first home loss of the season, 100-95, on Monday night.
Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns, whose win might have helped them get the bad taste out of their mouth they brought with them after losing a controversial and testy Western Conference semifinals series last season.
Tim Duncan led the Spurs with a season-high 36 points and 17 rebounds in his second game back since sitting out for four with a sprained ankle, and Manu Ginobili added 18 points. But the Spurs were without Tony Parker, who sat out third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
The Suns were up 74-67 going into fourth quarter after a late third-quarter burst. But the Spurs opened the final period with a 10-2 run capped by Duncan's basket to put San Antonio up 77-76.
After that it was back and forth, and the game was tied at 90 with 1:55 to play. Ginobili's running jumper put San Antonio up by one, 95-94, but the Suns hit six free throws and the Spurs made mistakes that cost them the game. Bruce Bowen missed a corner 3-point attempt and the Suns' Boris Diaw stole the ball from Ginobili after an inbounds pass, leading to a pair of free throws that made it a two-possession game with 6.8 seconds to go.
The Spurs are now 13-1 at home.