Years from now, every basketball fan in San Antonio will claim to have been one of the almost 19,000 to have witnessed three hour and 21 minute battle royal that started the first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs.
Tim Duncan scored one point shy of his career playoff record of 41 to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a thrilling double overtime win against the Phoenix Suns at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Saturday.
The Suns came in confident and loose. Remember it was only 10 days ago that the Suns came into the AT&T Center and promptly throttled the Spurs by 17.
Early, it was starting to look like a repeat for the Suns as they pushed to a 16 point lead in the first half. The Spurs however, did not fold and pulled to within eight by halftime.
By the end of the third, the Spurs were within six and the Suns were finding no easy way to put away the savvy veterans and defending NBA champions.
The fourth quarter was highlighted by foul trouble for Phoenix and timely shot by San Antonio. Then miraculously, the Spurs came back and tied it as time was running out. Nothing is better than free basketball in the playoffs.
At the end of the first overtime, the basketball Gods struck at the AT&T Center. With just a scarce few seconds left and the Spurs down by three Tim Duncan launched a three-pointer that hit. This was Duncan's first three-pointer of the season.
The second overtime was more anxiety with both teams threatening and neither team yielding. Then with 1.8 seconds left, Manu Ginobili hit a layup and it was finally over.
Points of interest:
Steve Nash missed a free throw that could had ended it for San Antonio.
Tim Duncan hit a three but Robert Horry never got in the game. Hard to question Pop but that was a very risky move.
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