Live Blogging the Phoenix Suns at San Antonio

First Quarter

• Tim Duncan sits with two fouls, obviously part of the Suns' game plan.
• When watching the Suns play, never take your eyes off the TV, or you will miss something. Everything happens so damn fast.
• Steve Nash looks like an over-caffeinated point guard on speed. I know that's redundant, but it's accurate; the guy is a blur on the hardcourt.

Second Quarter

• Duncan can take anyone down on the post. ANYONE. The guy isn't fast, can't jump that high, but his footwork is incredible. Kevin McHale, reincarnated. (As a player, not a GM)
  
• Score is quite low for a Phoenix game. Spurs playing the way they want to play.
• The Suns look like an ordinary team without Nash. A good, ordinary team, but an ordinary team nonetheless.
• Big follow by Duncan on a Finley miss! Two-handed slam while trailing Finley on a slow break.
• Nash blows by Duncan, uses his body to protect ball; if you're short, and want to play with the big boys, watch Nash play. (An aside; GOD, how great would it be for Kevin Garnett to play with someone like Nash? He would be a better partner than Amare, since KG has much more range, and a better jump shot. Nash-KG on a screen and roll would be friggin' unstoppable!)
• Amare powers his way to the basket for a slam.
• A few seconds later, Marion stuffs one on the break, off a pass by Nash. You gotta type fast when live-blogging the Suns.
• Duncan, on the low post, scores AGAIN. Can anyone stop him down there?
• Amare fouls Duncan on the post; ball should've gone in, so the Suns are lucky in that Timmy has to earn his points from the stripe.
  
• Suns incredibly lucky that Duncan is missing shots close to the basket. He's missed something like three, four easy ones. (Easy for him, that is.)
• Nash to Thomas is not Stockton to Malone, but it works. Kurt Thomas so surprised to find himself open it takes him a second to realize that he should take the shot.

Third Quarter

• Duncan scores on the low block. Again.
• Marion blocks a potential Duncan stuff! Talk about HOPS!! (Marion is truly one of the best help defenders in the league.)
  
• Duncan. Duncan. Duncan. The double-team came too late.
• Marion has got a butt-ugly release, but it doesn't keep him from filling the bucket.
• All the Suns have their shorts the regulation NBA length––above the knee. No hip-hop shorts a la Iverson. I wonder if it's an agreement among all of them, to allow them to run without being held back by baggy shorts.
• Three straight offensive fouls. Refs whistle-happy here.
• Nash drives to the basket and makes it. The guy has got serious game.
• The Suns haven't been playing their usual brand of ball, but they're only down by two, which is scary. What happens when they get it going? Will the Spurs be able to keep up? On the other hand, the Spurs are playing disciplined, patient ball, and if there's a team that can keep the Suns from heating up, it's the Spurs.
• Parker one of the league's best finishers. Wasn't always like that. I remember how erratic his play was when he was starting, which was why the Spurs pursued Jason Kidd back in 2002.
• Marion called for his fourth foul. Crap.
  
• Even Parker's jump shot has improved.
• Nash to Barbosa on a back-door cut. Thing of beauty. Too bad Barbosa misses it. He makes free throws, however.
• Duncan blocks Barbosa, starts break, Spurs score. Spurs come back, Finley hits three, Spurs lead by ten. Wow. Quick turn of events.
  
• Quarter ends with Spurs in control and up by 14.
  

Fourth Quarter

• Nash begins quarter on his back. Same can be said for the Suns at this point.
• Diaw is screwing up. Duncan on bench, but Suns not making any headway into the lead.
• Duncan makes the pretty pass to Parker, who's in the paint, makes the lay-up, and is fouled. Critical play, as it puts Spurs up by 12.
• Barbosa flubs a fastbreak lay-up against TD. Damn.
• This game is a disappointment, from the Suns' perspective. They didn't shoot the threes, didn't run well. Sheesh.
• Duncan blocks an Amare dunk!! Holy crap, that was GREAT D! Demoralizing!
• Finally, a fast break dunk. That was what I woke up for.
• Suns making a run. Down by eight with less than three minutes to go. Just a few more stops! Suns within six now!
• They foul Duncan! And the Suns now down by four!
• Duncan blocks Barbosa AGAIN! FIVE blocks for TD!
• Amare loses the ball below the basket, Suns down by five. That's the game.
• Parker sinks the jump shot, unguarded. Spurs up by seven, 30-plus secs to go. Game over.