Spurs win slugfest (SAS 2-1)

With the long buildup between games and all the talk about dirty play, it was clear Game 3 would set the tone for the rest of the series. In a physical game, the Spurs got big performances from their big three and wore down the Suns in 108-101 victory.

The Suns started well. After Amare Stoudemire picked up his second late in the first quarter, the Suns got a boost from Boris Diaw off the bench. Boris looked to score and found some success inside. Raja Bell got a couple good looks from three. Leandro Barbosa bounced back from a couple bad plays with an and1 to end the quarter and the Suns hit 30 and had a five point lead.

The Suns pushed the lead up to 10 in the second as the Spurs continued to shoot poorly and Raja Bell stayed hot. However that lead was in spite of Nash not hitting a shot, Stoudemire sitting in foul trouble, Kurt Thomas struggling on offense and Leandro Barbosa looking rattled. The Spurs despite missing jumpers, had Tim Duncan dominating and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili getting warm with drives to the basket. As the Spurs turned up the intensity, the Suns began to fade. Nash was trapped every time he penetrated into the lane and he was goaded into turnovers. The Spurs ended the second on a 16-5 run and took a two-point lead into halftime.

In the third, the Spurs surged ahead and the officials lost control. Stoudemire picked up two cheap fouls on a seemingly clean block and a flop by Oberto away from the ball. Nash was kneed in the balls by Bowen. In a key sequence, Spurs hit three straight three-pointers to turn a four-point deficit into a five-point lead. The first came when Raja Bell gave some quick help defense and Brent Barry fired a quick, long three. Marion fumbles away a sure dunk. Bowen hits a corner three. Nash rattles out a three. Marion blocks a Parker layup. Duncan clearly fouls Marion on a layup, no call. Bowen hits a corner three.

The Suns would cut the lead to one but then Manu Ginobili took over. After getting hit in the eye by Shawn Marion on a no call, he briefly left to get the bleeding stopped. Ginobili scored the last 10 points of the quarter to put the Spurs up 80-72.

In the fourth, the Suns could get no closer than six thanks to Duncan (33 pts, 19 reb, 4 blk). He hit bank shot after bank shot facing single coverage, scoring 13 in the fourth. In a key sequence with the Suns down six with 90 seconds to go, the Spurs brought back Finley. To me on my couch, the play is to lure a help defender off of Finley, who has (as I've written numerous time in this webspace) become a standstill jumpshooter. Parker drives at full speed, Nash helps off Finley, corner three. Ball game.

Positives
A little more balance from Marion (26 pts, 7 reb, 4 blk, 2 stl), who held Parker to two points in the second half.

Concerns
Raja Bell (12 pts) did not attempt a shot in the second half. Single coverage on Tim Duncan doesn't work. 18-27 Free throw shooting.

Thoughts
I really don't like to complain about officiating but as expected the Spurs got some homecooking. Their consistent physical style makes it hard officials to call every foul but some obvious calls were missed. With all the chatter and cheap shots on both sides, the officials clearly lost control of this game. Duncan should have fouled out in the third quarter. He committed three clear fouls during the pivotal 10-0 run. 1. On the fastbreak after Marion's block of Tony Parker, he bodies and hits Marion across the arms on a layup, no call. 2. Nash has position on help defense takes clear charge, the exact same play as a charge called in Game 2, blocking foul on Nash. 3. Nash drives in for layup, Duncan pushed him in the back, no call and Tony Parker grabs the net with the ball still on the rim.

The Spurs bodied Nash on the perimeter and slapped at the ball whenever he entered the lane. Anyone who's watched Dwyane Wade play knows, those are fouls. Why is it however that the 2-time MVP and highest profile point guard doesn't get those calls? Thinking about it is frustrating because the Spurs don't adjust and the referees don't adjust. 5 on 8 means it's the Phoenix Suns who have to adjust. Some possible adjustments:

1. Tim Duncan. Yes he laughed at the thought of this being a physical series. It's not physical for him, no hard fouls on him and he's getting away with murder inside. Single coverage isn't working and he's scoring 30 a game.

2. Speed. STAT, LB and Marion have a speed advantage and they all need easy buckets. The quick ball movement has given way to Nash creating all the half court offense. With the traps the Spurs are using, an extra pass will produce a good shot.

3. Find a way. Last season this team thrilled fans by finding a way to win again bigger, more physical teams. They showed heart and hit numerous clutch shots when the team was labeled as a finesse team that didn't play defense. After a great season, the Spurs stand in the way. If the championship is the goal, they have to find a way to beat a team that is what they want to be.

4. Run