Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns denied San Antonio a chance for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a 106-103 victory over the Spurs in their regular-season finale on Wednesday night.

The Spurs, who at 61-21 finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA, lost Manu Ginobili to a hyperextended right elbow early in the game.

Had San Antonio and the Bulls finished tied and faced each other in the NBA finals, home-court advantage would have been determined by a random drawing because all other tiebreakers were equal.

Of greater concern to San Antonio could be the health of Ginobili, who went down with 9:46 left in the first quarter. The star guard slid to the floor near the San Antonio free throw line, then the Suns’ Grant Hill fell on top of him.

X-rays for a more serious injury were negative. An MRI was planned on Thursday.

With Memphis’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs play the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.

Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out the Spurs’ 102-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday but all three were in the starting lineup against Phoenix. Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Parker scored 12 on 4 of 12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley scored 17 apiece for the Suns, who avoided a four-game sweep of the season series.

Phoenix failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years after a surprise run to the Western Conference finals a year ago, which included a second-round sweep of San Antonio.

The Suns shot out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter Wednesday night and the Spurs never could catch them.

After shooting 65 percent in the first 12 minutes (17 of 26), the Suns made 20 percent (5 of 25) in the second to lead 61-53 at the break.

San Antonio cut the lead to 66-63 on Parker’s short jumper three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 Phoenix run made it 77-64 when Dudley made a pair of free throws with 5:01 to play in the period.

Down 85-74 after three, the Spurs came back to make it a free throw shootout down the stretch. Aaron Brooks sank two from the line to put Phoenix ahead 106-103 with 3.9 seconds to go. Gary Neal threw up an airball from the corner for San Antonio just before the buzzer.

Notes: Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 13 points at age 38 or older. … Ginobili missed two games this season, only one because of injury: March 28 against Portland because of a bruised left quad. … Phoenix’s Steve Nash led the NBA in assists for the fifth time, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players to do so. … San Antonio had the best record in the West for the sixth time in franchise history – five of them with Duncan. … The Suns won 40 games for the seventh straight season.

Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns denied San Antonio a chance for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a 106-103 victory over the Spurs in their regular-season finale on Wednesday night.

The Spurs, who at 61-21 finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA, lost Manu Ginobili to a hyperextended right elbow early in the game.

Had San Antonio and the Bulls finished tied and faced each other in the NBA finals, home-court advantage would have been determined by a random drawing because all other tiebreakers were equal.

Of greater concern to San Antonio could be the health of Ginobili, who went down with 9:46 left in the first quarter. The star guard slid to the floor near the San Antonio free throw line, then the Suns’ Grant Hill fell on top of him.

X-rays for a more serious injury were negative. An MRI was planned on Thursday.

With Memphis’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs play the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.

Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out the Spurs’ 102-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday but all three were in the starting lineup against Phoenix. Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Parker scored 12 on 4 of 12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley scored 17 apiece for the Suns, who avoided a four-game sweep of the season series.

Phoenix failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years after a surprise run to the Western Conference finals a year ago, which included a second-round sweep of San Antonio.

The Suns shot out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter Wednesday night and the Spurs never could catch them.

After shooting 65 percent in the first 12 minutes (17 of 26), the Suns made 20 percent (5 of 25) in the second to lead 61-53 at the break.

San Antonio cut the lead to 66-63 on Parker’s short jumper three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 Phoenix run made it 77-64 when Dudley made a pair of free throws with 5:01 to play in the period.

Down 85-74 after three, the Spurs came back to make it a free throw shootout down the stretch. Aaron Brooks sank two from the line to put Phoenix ahead 106-103 with 3.9 seconds to go. Gary Neal threw up an airball from the corner for San Antonio just before the buzzer.

Notes: Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 13 points at age 38 or older. … Ginobili missed two games this season, only one because of injury: March 28 against Portland because of a bruised left quad. … Phoenix’s Steve Nash led the NBA in assists for the fifth time, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players to do so. … San Antonio had the best record in the West for the sixth time in franchise history – five of them with Duncan. … The Suns won 40 games for the seventh straight season.

Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns denied San Antonio a chance for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a 106-103 victory over the Spurs in their regular-season finale on Wednesday night.

The Spurs, who at 61-21 finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA, lost Manu Ginobili to a hyperextended right elbow early in the game.

Had San Antonio and the Bulls finished tied and faced each other in the NBA finals, home-court advantage would have been determined by a random drawing because all other tiebreakers were equal.

Of greater concern to San Antonio could be the health of Ginobili, who went down with 9:46 left in the first quarter. The star guard slid to the floor near the San Antonio free throw line, then the Suns’ Grant Hill fell on top of him.

X-rays for a more serious injury were negative. An MRI was planned on Thursday.

With Memphis’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs play the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.

Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out the Spurs’ 102-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday but all three were in the starting lineup against Phoenix. Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Parker scored 12 on 4 of 12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley scored 17 apiece for the Suns, who avoided a four-game sweep of the season series.

Phoenix failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years after a surprise run to the Western Conference finals a year ago, which included a second-round sweep of San Antonio.

The Suns shot out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter Wednesday night and the Spurs never could catch them.

After shooting 65 percent in the first 12 minutes (17 of 26), the Suns made 20 percent (5 of 25) in the second to lead 61-53 at the break.

San Antonio cut the lead to 66-63 on Parker’s short jumper three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 Phoenix run made it 77-64 when Dudley made a pair of free throws with 5:01 to play in the period.

Down 85-74 after three, the Spurs came back to make it a free throw shootout down the stretch. Aaron Brooks sank two from the line to put Phoenix ahead 106-103 with 3.9 seconds to go. Gary Neal threw up an airball from the corner for San Antonio just before the buzzer.

Notes: Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 13 points at age 38 or older. … Ginobili missed two games this season, only one because of injury: March 28 against Portland because of a bruised left quad. … Phoenix’s Steve Nash led the NBA in assists for the fifth time, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players to do so. … San Antonio had the best record in the West for the sixth time in franchise history – five of them with Duncan. … The Suns won 40 games for the seventh straight season.

Oh, what could’ve been.

The Suns, the team that disappointed as much as any in the NBA this season, looked as good as any in its farewell Wednesday night.

A losing, lottery-bound, lamentable season ended with US Airways Center cheers for the Suns tying their most mistake-free game of the season in a 106-103 victory over the best of the West, San Antonio.

The nothing-held-back Suns (40-42) had their highest-scoring first quarter of the season with 43 points, their first 40-point quarter since November. They did not make a turnover until the third quarter and had only a season-low-tying six for the game. They defended the Spurs (61-21), who were denied a shot at home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, into 42.7 percent shooting. They even located their former promising center, Robin Lopez, for his best game since February.

“It was important for us too for our psyche,” Nash said. “It’s a good feeling amidst a lot of disappointment.”

It was everything the Suns had intended to be this season but only appeared sporadically to wind up on the outside of the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Suns at least got to 40 wins, making them the only team besides Denver, Dallas and San Antonio to win at least 40 games in the past seven seasons.

“That’s our seventh game,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “But it was a good win for us to end on a note like that playing against a team that needed the win. As I told them, 40-42 sounds a ton better than 39-43.”

The Spurs were looking to get into a playoff rhythm after resting four of their starters Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers. But it looked more like last season’s playoff rhythm, when the Suns knocked out San Antonio with a second-round sweep.

The Suns averted a regular-season sweep to the Spurs and finished 10th in the West against the full Spurs lineup, although San Antonio lost Manu Ginobili to a hyperextended elbow just 2:14 into the game. Ginobili will be examined Thursday in San Antonio.

As devastating as the Suns were in a 43-29 first quarter with Marcin Gortat’s 14 points, Grant Hill’s 10 points and Steve Nash’s eight points and six assists, they went completely the other way in the second quarter with a string of 14 consecutive misses.

The Suns never lost their lead, though, asserting themselves defensively in the third quarter for a stretch of eight consecutive key Spurs misses, the first half of which were by Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.

The Suns only shot 40.2 percent for the game – with Aaron Brooks going 0 for 7 while the player the Suns traded for him, Goran Dragic, posted his first career triple-double in Houston on Wednesday night. But Phoenix had only one turnover – a third-quarter Gortat offensive foul – until the fourth quarter, when they committed five turnovers to let San Antonio pull within one twice in the final 10 seconds.

Brooks made four free throws and Gary Neal missed a 3 to tie at the end, sending Suns 18-year broadcaster Gary Bender out a winner with tears and a smile.

“It’s just great to beat one of the best teams in the NBA right now and it’s just a good feeling to end up the season with a win,” Gortat said.

Gortat led the Suns with 21 points and 13 rebounds, giving the Gortat-Lopez center tandem 32 points and 16 rebounds. Channing Frye added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Dudley had 17 points and eight rebounds.

View from press row

Grant Hill became the first two-time winner of the Dan Majerle Hustle Award before Wednesday’s season finale and then reminded everyone why he won the ninth presentation of it. Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat personify the award just as well but there is something about the league’s third oldest player regularly outracing opponents down the floor, defending each team’s key offensive player and communicating more than anyone on the floor that gives him the nod. Suns fans, players, coaches and employees voted for the award.

Report

Key player

Suns center Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds, his 23rd double-double after having six with Orlando.

Key moment

With Steve Nash out, Jared Dudley created the Suns offense down the stretch.

Key number

6 A season-low tying Suns turnover total.

Oh, what could’ve been.

The Suns, the team that disappointed as much as any in the NBA this season, looked as good as any in its farewell Wednesday night.

A losing, lottery-bound, lamentable season ended with US Airways Center cheers for the Suns tying their most mistake-free game of the season in a 106-103 victory over the best of the West, San Antonio.

The nothing-held-back Suns (40-42) had their highest-scoring first quarter of the season with 43 points, their first 40-point quarter since November. They did not make a turnover until the third quarter and had only a season-low-tying six for the game. They defended the Spurs (61-21), who were denied a shot at home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, into 42.7 percent shooting. They even located their former promising center, Robin Lopez, for his best game since February.

“It was important for us too for our psyche,” Nash said. “It’s a good feeling amidst a lot of disappointment.”

It was everything the Suns had intended to be this season but only appeared sporadically to wind up on the outside of the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Suns at least got to 40 wins, making them the only team besides Denver, Dallas and San Antonio to win at least 40 games in the past seven seasons.

“That’s our seventh game,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “But it was a good win for us to end on a note like that playing against a team that needed the win. As I told them, 40-42 sounds a ton better than 39-43.”

The Spurs were looking to get into a playoff rhythm after resting four of their starters Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers. But it looked more like last season’s playoff rhythm, when the Suns knocked out San Antonio with a second-round sweep.

The Suns averted a regular-season sweep to the Spurs and finished 10th in the West against the full Spurs lineup, although San Antonio lost Manu Ginobili to a hyperextended elbow just 2:14 into the game. Ginobili will be examined Thursday in San Antonio.

As devastating as the Suns were in a 43-29 first quarter with Marcin Gortat’s 14 points, Grant Hill’s 10 points and Steve Nash’s eight points and six assists, they went completely the other way in the second quarter with a string of 14 consecutive misses.

The Suns never lost their lead, though, asserting themselves defensively in the third quarter for a stretch of eight consecutive key Spurs misses, the first half of which were by Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.

The Suns only shot 40.2 percent for the game – with Aaron Brooks going 0 for 7 while the player the Suns traded for him, Goran Dragic, posted his first career triple-double in Houston on Wednesday night. But Phoenix had only one turnover – a third-quarter Gortat offensive foul – until the fourth quarter, when they committed five turnovers to let San Antonio pull within one twice in the final 10 seconds.

Brooks made four free throws and Gary Neal missed a 3 to tie at the end, sending Suns 18-year broadcaster Gary Bender out a winner with tears and a smile.

“It’s just great to beat one of the best teams in the NBA right now and it’s just a good feeling to end up the season with a win,” Gortat said.

Gortat led the Suns with 21 points and 13 rebounds, giving the Gortat-Lopez center tandem 32 points and 16 rebounds. Channing Frye added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Dudley had 17 points and eight rebounds.

View from press row

Grant Hill became the first two-time winner of the Dan Majerle Hustle Award before Wednesday’s season finale and then reminded everyone why he won the ninth presentation of it. Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat personify the award just as well but there is something about the league’s third oldest player regularly outracing opponents down the floor, defending each team’s key offensive player and communicating more than anyone on the floor that gives him the nod. Suns fans, players, coaches and employees voted for the award.

Report

Key player

Suns center Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds, his 23rd double-double after having six with Orlando.

Key moment

With Steve Nash out, Jared Dudley created the Suns offense down the stretch.

Key number

6 A season-low tying Suns turnover total.