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The Spurs defeated the Suns in San Antonio this afternoon, 103-98. The game unfolded in a rather predictable manner, given the absence of Amare Stoudemire and the Suns’ return to a fast-paced, relatively defenseless style. With the win, the Spurs remain in firm control of the West’s 2nd spot while the Suns slide further and further behind the 8th seed (they are currently 4 games back of the Mavs).

For 3 1/2 quarters, the Spurs were productive on the offensive end of the floor (at the beginning of the 3rd we suffered an inevitable but comparatively brief drought). We average just over 19 free throw attempts a game but the Spurs found their way to the charity stripe 27 times this afternoon. A collectively hot hand from outside allowed us to match the Suns’ impressive 1st quarter 30 point performance but our consistent penetration (and clutch mid-range shooting down the stretch) is what helped us remain in control for the majority of the game. Even in the 3rd, during which our offense was least effective, we remained focused on reaching the rim. During that time our players best equipped to make their way into the paint were Roger Mason and Matt Bonner (in other words, we had no one equipped to make their way into the paint), but for 48 minutes we never lost sight of the value of getting high-percentage shots in the lane.

Against such a porous defense, it’s easy to think our offense won it for us. But, in the true spirit of Spurs’ dogma, it was the defense that secured the win. Our most impressive quarter of the game was the second, in which we held the high-powered Suns to a mere 15 points. Steve Nash hit a 5-foot jumper with 5:18 left in the second to tie the game 45-45. The Spurs would go into the locker room at half up 58-45. For over 5 minutes, the Spurs held the Suns scoreless. This is no easy feat. Part of it can be attributed to the Spurs’ “killer instinct,” part of it to Shaq’s poor conditioning (he was productive in both the 1st and the start of the 3rd but by the end of each half he was completely irrelevant). Either way, when the Spurs got serious on the defensive end, the Suns struggled to respond.

The game ended on a similar note. The Suns put together a heroic attempt to remain competitive but a flood of steals by the Spurs made Phoenix’s loss seem inevitable. Although the general storyline is familiar (spurs lockdown on D, win in crunch time), the way it happened is a tad uncommon. Our defense is most effective when forcing low-percentage shots and getting in position to secure the rebound. But we held off the Suns by filling passing lanes and producing turnovers. Creating steals often seems too risky. A failed attempt will most likely leave a man open and lead to an easy bucket for the opposing team. But our late-game turnovers didn’t feel like gambles; they felt surgical.

Some impressive outside shooting by Leandro Barbosa, Grant Hill, and Steve Nash kept the game from getting completely out of hand but our offense remained too efficient and our defensive rebounding too consistent. By avoiding the Hack-a-Shaq and needing shooters on the floor, the Suns left themselves in a tough position when it came to rebounding. Down 10 with 4 to play, the Suns just weren’t getting the second chance looks it takes to pull off the comeback.

If I had to give away the game ball, it would go to Tony Parker and not just because he put up another 30-point game (12 of which came in the 4th for those of who you don’t think Parker can make shots in the clutch). He was also a key piece in our defensive stands. Duncan sat for much of the 4th quarter. During that time, Parker dictated the outcome of the game on both ends of the floor. He made crisp rotations, swiped a couple of the previously mentioned steals, drained mid-range jumpers, and finished at the rim. This afternoon we did not see Parker’s most impressive offensive performance of the season but we received a balanced, focused effort from our All-Star point guard.

Somewhat unexpectedly Ime Udoka saw 24 minutes of court time this afternoon (he is averaging 12.9 minutes a game this season). He used them wisely, going 4-8 from the field while hauling down 2 boards and dishing 2 dimes. Equally unexpectedly, Malik Hairston received a DNP-CD. Between Matt Barnes, Grant Hill, and Jared Dudley, the Suns play a SF-heavy rotation which explains Udoka’s minutes. But Hairston’s absence caught me off guard.

In recent weeks Hairston has been one of the first players off the bench. Against a fast-paced team like the Suns (who in some instances we encouraged to out-run themselves instead of trying to slow them down) Malik’s athleticism seems like a valuable asset. My guess is that Pop thought exposing an unsophisticated player like Malik to the Suns’ up-tempo style was dangerous. Playing at such a quick pace is alluring for a rookie but can lead to poor defensive decisions and too many offensive gambles. It may also be a sign that Malik hasn’t shown enough progress to make it into our playoff rotation.

Fabricio Oberto didn’t play as well but, given how shallow the Suns’ frontcourt is without Amare Stoudemire, I am not particularly surprised. Oberto sees limited minutes when we face teams with only 1 imposing big man. With Duncan and Shaq entering and exiting in unison for nearly the entire game, Oberto’s presence never really seemed necessary.

I’ll avoid making some awful “setting Suns” remark here, but I will say that, if Phoenix plans on making the playoffs, they better get hot and do it fast. They are 4 games out of the 8th seed with 19 left to play.

On Tuesday the Spurs face the Bobcats in San Antonio. In our first meeting this season the Spurs narrowly won a hard-fought game in Charlotte 86-84.