Updated Apr 14, 2011 3:02 AM ET

PHOENIX (AP)

The San Antonio Spurs lost a shot at home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and saw a grimacing Manu Ginobili leave the court in pain early in the game.

Not exactly a beautiful ending to a powerful regular season.

”Now,” coach Gregg Popovich said, ”the fun starts.”

Despite the 106-103 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Spurs are the No. 1 seed in the West and early indications were that Ginobili’s hyperextended elbow wasn’t serious.

Popovich sat Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, but all three were in the starting lineup Wednesday.

”You can’t predict anything and there’s no reason to second guess and I don’t think any one of us are going to do that,” Duncan said. ”Luckily, it’s not serious and hopefully he can be ready to go once the playoff starts. You cross your fingers, you hope for that, and you move on.”

The Spurs move on to a first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that seemed to want to face San Antonio.

”They sat their guys for the last three or four games,” Duncan said. ”They’re trying to stay where they’re at. Obviously, they’ve chosen their matchup and want to stick with it.”

Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the Suns avoid being swept in the four-game regular season series.

The Spurs, at 61-21, finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA.

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.

Ginobili 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 Thursday.

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 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

”Tony’s been under the weather. He got 25 minutes so I thought that was about enough for him,” coach Gregg Popovich said. ”We got Timmy about 30 so that was good. They needed to get a good run and they did so they could keep a rhythm. And then you like to win, but we didn’t and that’s the way it goes.”

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley scored 17 apiece for the Suns.

”We’ve kind of had our fans on the emotional roller coaster this year,” Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said, ”where we played well and then we struggled then we played well.”

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.

”It’s been a long year so to finish it off with a couple of victories was good,” the Suns’ Steve Nash said. ”I think it was important for us too for our psyche. It’s a good feeling amidst a lot of disappointment.”

Nash, with one year left on his contract with Phoenix, said he has no desire to play elsewhere.

”This is my team,” he said.

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 it 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. … 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.

NEW ORLEANS – Between not going to the playoffs and a right-hamstring strain that sidelined him Friday night, Suns guard Steve Nash is having a hard time enjoying anything.

Profile: Steve Nash

That also goes for him closing in on his fifth NBA assists title in the past seven years. The historical significance might be something he enjoys telling his three kids someday, but it means little now.

“Maybe when I’m done, but right now, not making the playoffs makes everything feel like it doesn’t matter anymore,” Nash said. “We went through so much change, and (Boston’s Rajon) Rondo was racking up the assists at the start of the year. It’s weird to be in this position, but it feels awfully irrelevant and hollow.”

Nash is averaging 11.4 assists per game, but Rondo closed the gap Friday night with a 14-assist performance to put his average at 11.3 with three games to play.

Only Jason Kidd (five), Oscar Robertson (seven), Bob Cousy (eight) and John Stockton (nine) have at least five assist titles. Nash already became the oldest player to win an assist title last season at 36.

This season’s average is Nash’s best since 2006-07.

“I feel like the compliment would’ve been if I helped us make the playoffs,” Nash said. “I don’t think in terms like, ‘I’m still doing great even if the team is not.’ The measure of my success should be predicated on team success.”

Nash needs four free throws in a row to regain the career percentage record from Mark Price for the fourth time in the past three months. Nash has shot two free throws in his past six games.

He strained his right hamstring Tuesday against Chicago. He played 22 minutes Wednesday at Minnesota.

“His whole thing is to play the last three games, finish positive and then get the rest and rehab he needs,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

Jared Dunk-ley

Swingman Jared Dudley’s pledge to dunk 10 times this season looked farfetched when he did not dunk in the first 49 games.

Thirty games later, Dudley was dunking for the 10th time Friday night when his steal led to a two-handed fast-break slam.

“I’m promising No. 10 tonight,” Dudley said before the game. “Put it in the books. Get it over with. I don’t want the Mark McGwire stress on me.

“It’s like when Floyd Mayweather does a fight and he says, ‘I’m gonna win.’ He’s letting the other fighter know he’s going to win, but it doesn’t matter because his mind is already made up. My mind-set is that I want to get it done with.”

Carter moves to 35th

Suns guard Vince Carter passed Mitch Richmond for 35th place on the NBA career scoring list Friday. Carter, with 20,505 points, trails 34 players who are current or projected Hall of Famers.

Suns guard Steve Nash returns to the lineup for tonight’s matchup against the Bulls in Chicago.

More on this topic

Up next: Suns at Bulls
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Chicago
TV: My45 | Radio: KTAR-AM (620)

Bulls update: Chicago (56-20) has won 15 of its past 17 games to take a 2 1/2-game lead for first place in the East. The Bulls, 41-41 last season, could catch San Antonio and secure home-court advantage for the playoffs. MVP candidate Derrick Rose ranks in the top 10 for points per game (25.1, seventh) and assists per game (7.9, 10th). Chicago tops the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage (43.0).

Best of the Phoenix Suns dance team

More Suns with Paul Coro

(Sports Network) – The Phoenix Suns only have themselves to blame if they miss out on the playoffs for just the fourth time since the 1988-89 season.

Phoenix looks to keep its slim postseason hopes alive tonight versus the Los Angeles Clippers at US Airways Center. The Suns have lost three straight and eight of the last 11 games to fall 5 1/2 games behind Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with eight games to go.

The losing ways continued for the Suns with Wednesday’s 116-98 loss versus the Oklahoma City Thunder in the desert, as Vince Carter scored 28 points and Jared Dudley added 16 for Phoenix, which was outscored by a 37-25 margin in the final stanza.

“It’s a 48-minute game, not 36, so we have to find a way to play the last 12 minutes,” Suns head coach Alvin Gentry said after his team surrendered 37 points in the fourth quarter.

The Suns are winless in their last three home games and 20-18 as the host.

Meanwhile, the Clippers haven’t been to the playoffs since 2005-06 and that trend will continue for a fifth consecutive campaign.

Los Angeles has alternated wins and losses over its previous seven games and suffered a 106-100 loss versus Dallas the last time out on Wednesday. Blake Griffin finished with 25 points and 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost nine straight against the Mavericks. Griffin also set the franchise rookie record for most points in a season in the process and posted his 57th double-double of the season.

“They’re one of the best teams for a reason,” Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said. “We have to learn how to handle the referees. At times we get caught up with the referees and it takes us out of our game.”

Mo Williams had 19 points and five assists before being ejected in the fourth quarter while Eric Gordon scored 15 in defeat. Williams was tossed for receiving back-to-back technical fouls in the fourth quarter.

The Clippers are a lowly 8-28 as the visitor this season.

Phoenix has won two of the first three matchups with Los Angeles this season and is 14-3 in the past 17 meetings between the teams. The Clippers have lost seven straight, eight of nine and 11 of their last 13 trips to the desert.

The Sports Network

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Up next: Suns at Rockets
When: Monday @ 5:30 p.m. | Where: Houston
TV: My45 | Radio: KTAR-AM (620)

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Bickley: Frye a big-time player

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With about a month left in the NBA season, do you think the Suns will make the playoffs? Yes, they will secure a playoff spot No, this team will come up short

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Up next: Suns at Rockets
When: Monday @ 5:30 p.m. | Where: Houston
TV: My45 | Radio: KTAR-AM (620)

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Bickley: Frye a big-time player

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With about a month left in the NBA season, do you think the Suns will make the playoffs? Yes, they will secure a playoff spot No, this team will come up short

OKLAHOMA CITY – Since January, the Suns have been working their way back to respectability and contention.

Since Wednesday, the Suns also have been working their way back westward to Phoenix.

They can bring the two treks together perfectly Sunday if they can finish an 11-day trip with a win at Oklahoma City, which Suns forward Grant Hill said would turn a good trip into a great 5-1 trip.

“We have an opportunity to have a real special trip,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said of Sunday’s game at Ford Center, where they won short-handed in December.

To do so, it would help if point guard Steve Nash is able to work his way back to good health. The return of an irritation in his pubic bone that affected him in November recently returned. It caused him to feel as if he had less control of his body in recent games, and he felt pain for the first time during Friday’s win at Milwaukee.

“Playing like that has put me now in a position where I’m inflamed,” said Nash, who is shooting 43.5 percent in February and March but 50.6 for the season. “I just have got to go back to step one and get my strength back.”

Nash struggled early, with five of his seven first-half turnovers coming in the first seven minutes. In the second half, Nash had eight assists without a turnover to help the Suns to a game-turning 19-0 run.

“In the second half, I tried to be more cautious,” Nash said. “In the first half, I couldn’t explode so I was just trying to get rid of the ball fast. I was trying to play the same way, and I couldn’t get to places. I was trying to get rid of it too fast, and that’s what you get.

It’s hard to walk out there and think, ‘I’m going to be really conservative tonight,’ when it’s a big game and I’ve got to try to make shots for guys.”

An early March visit to Milwaukee is big, because every win seems so crucial. Nash figures the Suns need to reach 47 wins to make the playoffs. At 32-28, that means going 15-7 down the stretch. They are 17-7 since Jan. 12.

“It’s been a great trip for us so far,” said Suns forward Mickael Pietrus, who started for Vince Carter (concussion) on Friday and posted 20 points and nine rebounds. “The last one is the hardest one to get, because you’re trying to get home and the focus isn’t right. But we play for a reason. We play to make the playoffs. Everything matters right now.”

Forward Channing Frye has kept this trip alive with two game-winning shots and shooting that carried the Suns through the first half and sparked their run in the second half. He is averaging career highs in scoring (12.3) and rebounding (6.5) and is doing it consistently, with averages of 14.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in the past 26 games.

“We just need to come out and play a little reckless,” Frye said. “We need to play harder and be more focused. We need to set the tone, not allow the tone to be set. We need to come out and play the way we play.”

I don’t know what it is about the Phoenix Suns. They hurt me, time and time again. But they show glimpses of remorse, and I’m right back into a destructive relationship with Planet Orange. Maybe it’s Steve Nash, or the way the team looks like they legitimately enjoy playing with each other. Who is to say?

Last night was the final straw — I couldn’t hold out anymore. Nash was dropping dimes all over the Air Canada Centre, and Channing Frye was knocking down jumpers with ease and precision. The play that really got me? Frye’s perfect bounce pass to Marcin Gortat for the dunk.

In what could only be described as Nash-esque, Frye allowed two Raptor defenders to swarm to him, and at the last second snuck the ball to Gortat, who was pleasantly surprised to find an open lane for the jam. Frye was mobbed afterwards by Gortat and Nash, who both were extremely impressed by his vision. This type of basketball is very fan-friendly.

The Suns have now won 9 of their last 12 games, and the awful Hedo Turkoglu experiment is long over. Picking up Gortat was a great move by management, and his performance off the bench has been impressive (ten double-doubles this season since being traded to PHX). At 29-27, the Suns are in prime position to get to the playoffs and break my heart again.

Finally, to those who say we should trade Steve Nash? I never want to hear that talk again. He’s a Sun, through and through. The man brings Phoenix together, a cohesive force in times of change. He has one or two good years left, and we should cherish them all for ourselves.

The Houston Rockets have dealt PG Aaron Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for PG Goran Dragic and a lottery-protected first round pick. Brooks is expected to take over backup point guard duties in Phoenix from Dragic, playing behind Steve Nash.

“I’ll wait in line,” Brooks told the Houston Chronicle. “(Nash) is a legend, MVP and a Hall of Famer. I’m ready to go be behind him and learn from him, just come in and help team. It offers me a fresh start. I’m ready to go.”

Houston Rockets guard Aaron Brooks (0) shoots while defended by Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. Houston won 112-106. (AP Photo)

The Suns believe Brooks’ scoring ability and speed will boost the team’s second unit for the stretch run toward the playoffs, the Arizona Republic notes. Brooks is having an off year — he missed 21 games this season with an ankle injury, and his averages of 11.6 points and 3.8 assists are down from 19.6 and 5.3 last year. Phoenix nearly drafted Brooks out of Oregon four years ago, the Republic reported.

Reports earlier Thursday said the Rockets were discussing trading Brooks to Minnesota for Johnny Flynn, but they decided to take the Phoenix deal instead, according to the Chronicle. Because the draft pick that’s part of the deal is lottery-protected, the Rockets will get the pick Phoenix acquired from Orlando if the Suns don’t make the playoffs.

In another trade deadline deal, Houston sent Shane Battier to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet and a draft pick.

At this point, the Suns don’t care if Carmelo Anthony fits in with Amar’e Stoudemire and makes New York an instant contender in the Eastern Conference.

But the blockbuster trade that sent the All-Star from the Denver Nuggets to the Knicks could help the Suns in the tightly bunched Western Conference race.

The Suns, 10th entering Tuesday’s games, have 28 remaining – beginning Wednesday night with the Atlanta Hawks at US Airways Center.

One of those games is against the seventh-place Nuggets.

“You don’t wish ill will on anyone,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “But I’d like to see them lose as many games as they could.”

Actually, that is ill will.

“I said it nicely,” Gentry said.

Who can blame the Suns for hoping somebody struggles after handing an All-Star to the Knicks?

The Suns have gone through two extreme makeovers since last summer when they didn’t keep Stoudemire.

“I guess it’s not the worst thing that could happen to us,” Suns playmaker Steve Nash said of the trade. “(Denver) got a lot of really good players and good pieces, but it usually takes a team some time. We’ll see, but I don’t think we need to worry about anybody else. We need to worry about ourselves and try to find a way to win a bunch of these 28 games.”

Though Gentry would love to get some help from the Nuggets, he knows there are others in the race. Ultimately the Suns have to move past two to reach the playoffs. Gentry isn’t counting out Denver.

“(Denver forward) J.R. Smith is such a wild-card guy; he could take over that position and average the same amount of points,” Gentry said.

Suns reserve Hakim Warrick has extra reason to be happy – he was Anthony’s teammate on Syracuse’s national-championship team and remains close to him.

“For him to have a chance to go play for a team with all its history and being an East Coast guy born in New York, that’s really exciting,” he said.

“Losing Carmelo and Chauncey (Billups) is a really big hit for Denver, but those guys they got back are some good players. Hopefully it takes them a little bit more time to jell. But they’ve still got the talent to make the playoffs.”

For Jared Dudley, it doesn’t matter if Denver is the team that the Suns jump.

“There’s always one team in a playoff spot that tanks at the end,” he said. “It happens every year. Somebody struggles. It could be them. It could be Utah or New Orleans. It could be us. That’s why pressure gets to teams.”

After Wednesday night’s game, the club embarks on a six-game trip. And a five-game trip awaits in April. In all, the Suns play 16 of their final 28 on the road and 15 against winning teams.

Here’s how it looked entering Tuesday night:

- New Orleans was in sixth place but had lost eight of its past 10, including three in a row entering the All-Star break. The Suns have three games remaining against the Hornets and already have one victory against them.

- The Nuggets had lost six of their past 10 before the trade. Denver has a 2-1 edge in the season series with the Suns with one game to play.

- Utah has been in a free-fall since Jerry Sloan stepped down as coach, and they were slipping before that. The Jazz had lost their past four entering the break – two to the Suns, who hold the tiebreaker if a playoff spot or seeding comes to that.

- Memphis will be without Rudy Gay for at least a month because of a dislocated shoulder but had won eight of its past 10 going into All-Star weekend. Memphis has the tiebreaker against the Suns.

Since taking over as coach of the Suns, Alvin Gentry has made clear that he is going to stick with any player who happens to have a hot hand in a game, whether it’s one of the team’s stars or a reserve.

For the past two games, that player hasn’t been Vince Carter in the fourth quarter. Carter has accumulated a career low for minutes played in consecutive games – a total of 35.

He watched from the bench as the good Suns buckled down in the fourth quarter to win in Utah against the Jazz, who visit US Airways Center tonight. And he sat in the final period Sunday as the bad Suns crumpled in the fourth quarter at home in a costly loss to the Kings.

Like the two faces of the Suns, Carter has been great at times and, to use his word, “average” at others.

Gentry said he’s not changing his policy, “But I’d like for (Carter) to be one of the hot hands.”

The Suns and Gentry not only want Carter to be their go-to guy, they need him to be if they hope to climb over at least Memphis and Portland in the Western Conference standings and get into a playoff spot.

“I would like to see him remain aggressive,” Gentry said of Carter. “Sometimes he defers, and we don’t need him to defer. He’s got to be our guy, and he can only be our guy if he’s in there. I’ve got to make sure he’s out there in the game.”

On Monday, Carter spent extra time after practice hoisting up shots to make sure he is.

“That’s why I’m still out here,” he said. “Just getting my game back together, that’s all. I take it personally that I’m not playing to the level I’m capable of, not making shots.

“I think I put a little too much pressure on myself sometimes. It’s been a battle I’ve been dealing with probably for 13 years. It’s a mental game that I play with myself sometimes. I rededicated myself (Sunday) to come in here and get my extra work in and get back to who I am.”

Carter has played in 23 games for the Suns and is averaging 14.3 points. He’s shooting 42.2 percent overall and 38.8 percent from 3-point range, not far from his career 44.5 percent shooting with 37.5 percent 3-point accuracy.

So, is he deferring too much?

“None the less, moving forward,” Carter responded. “So it doesn’t matter. It’s just what needs to be done in moving forward, as far as getting into the playoffs. I know that I need to play to my level and my potential. I felt like that loss (to Sacramento) bothered me probably more than anybody.”

It was apparent that it was difficult for Carter to watch as the Suns unraveled against the Kings.

“The level of aggression needs to go up, especially when you’re playing catch-up and when we’re fighting for a (playoff) spot,” he said. “When I was sitting there just seeing that . . . we need to have a sense of urgency because we’re playing for so much. And I think that’s what bothered me more, because that’s something I can give to this team. It just hasn’t been there as far as me being aggressive and making shots.”

Carter said he likes the style the Suns play and sees potential for the team.

“That’s why I take it so personal because of what I can do for this team,” he said. “And I feel like I’m average right now. I’m definitely capable of more.

“It’s not anything against Coach. It’s personal for myself. I feel like, as any coach would do, if somebody else is producing they’re supposed to be on the floor.”

It’s just that Gentry wants that player to be Carter.

“I’ve talked to him,” Gentry said. “I told him, ‘We traded our leading scorer for you, and we want you to be our leading scorer.’ I just got to make sure he’s out there on the court and make sure that he’s engaged.” He has to be.”

The toe is a go

Goran Dragic went through his first full practice Monday since lacerating a big toe and is expected to play tonight.

“It was a little weird, but condition-wise, I was good,” Dragic said. “I didn’t get tired, so that’s a good thing. Just need a couple practices to get it back. I didn’t play for seven games, so I still need to get my swagger right. But, you know, so far so good.” No pain or anything.”

Zabian Dowdell, initially signed to a pair of 10-day contracts, is under contract for the remainder of the season and has been solid as Steve Nash’s backup with Dragic sidelined.

Old School

Forget his teammates; Grant Hill has been around so long he’s starting to make references that go over the heads of the media.

“At this point, we don’t have a cushion,” Hill said. “We’re not a team in the playoffs. We’re on the outside looking in, so every loss – I don’t care if it’s the Sacramento Kings or the Pittsburgh Pisces, you know, we’ve got to win.

“Some of ya’ll got that. “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh?” Remember that movie? It’s a classic. Set Shot Buford.”

Suns Ring of Honor member Connie Hawkins had a cameo in that 1979 film that starred Julius Erving.

Maybe the Suns should have watched it instead of tape of their fourth-quarter meltdown. They could use some “cosmic compatibility.”

Steve Nash already had enjoyed his 37th birthday in Oakland on Monday – receiving a call from his twin 6-year-old daughters and even having some pizza slices – but spent much of the evening handing out presents in the Suns’ 104-92 victory over the Warriors.

Nash committed a turnover following his first assist, but then delivered 14 assists without a miscue. Twenty-something Nash never recorded a game of at least 15 assists with one turnover or none. Nash did it 12 times with Amar’e Stoudemire over the past six years.

This season, Nash has done it twice, helping to put his assist average at 11.1, which tops or ties his past three season averages.

“I don’t really feel any different,” said Nash, the NBA’s seventh-oldest player. “I think the numbers are basically the same. This year has been a trying year, too. In a lot of ways, this has been the hardest year. I think a lot of those things – All-Star, MVP – you’ve got to carry your team to a place. Our team has been so up and down that I don’t really even think about that stuff. I’m just trying to see if we can get it better.”

Barring a need for an injury replacement, Nash won’t be an All-Star this season. Trade speculation might have cut into his fun anyway.

Nash is trying to catch up on fun, something that was lacking after his team was turned upside-down. He has more new teammates than returning ones from last year’s conference-finals team. The Suns have won nine of their past 13 games and, with a win Thursday against Golden State, can reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 19.

“That’s definitely more enjoyable,” Nash said. “We’ve got an uphill climb. The first goal would be to get back to .500. The second goal would be to stay there. The third one would be to start creeping up with our winning percentage so that we can get in the playoffs. Now’s not the time for complacency.”

Nash is averaging 16.7 points and 11.1 assists, greater averages than the past two seasons, despite losing the team’s top two scorers, Stoudemire and Jason Richardson.

“I feel like that’s my job,” Nash said. “Come out, be aggressive, make plays for my teammates.

“It might not be the same way without Amar’e, but there is still a way to get it done, try to adjust and find ways to be effective, manipulate the defense, make them pay for however they want to play us.”

Nash said he takes in trade speculation for two seconds before moving on, especially after Suns management publicly stated an intent to keep him.

“I appreciate them being faithful to me and telling the press that they’re not going to trade me,” Nash said. “That’s probably kept the trade talk to a minimum. I don’t really even concentrate on that, regardless. I’m always going to concentrate on trying to rally the troops, be accountable every day, try to lead the team, be aggressive on the floor and make plays so we can win as many games and try to get back to the playoffs.

“I’m loyal to the Suns, the franchise, the fans. I was given a contract, and I want to honor it. That’s all I’m concerned with. When they tell me it’s time to go, it’s time to go. But until then, I’m just going to play my hardest and try to get better.”

Phoenix Suns update:

Hornets (31-17) at Suns (21-24)

C: Emeka Okafor … Robin Lopez

PF: David West … Channing Frye

SF: Trevor Ariza … Grant Hill

SG: Marco Belinelli … Vince Carter

PG: Chris Paul … Steve Nash

Key Hornets subs: Jason Smith, Marcus Thornton, Willie Green, Jarrett Jack.

* You don’t have to look far for opportunities for the Suns to do things they have not done in a while this season. But a win today against New Orleans would give them a confidence-building achievement. The Suns have not beaten winning teams in consecutive games since mid-November when they won against the Lakers and Nuggets on back-to-back nights. Phoenix has won its last three games against winning teams but have sprinkled in losses to fellow losing opponents along the way.

“We’ve got to stack some wins together if we want to get in the playoffs,” Nash said.

Any lasting good impression from Friday night’s 88-71 against Boston requires a follow-up today against another quality defensive team in New Orleans.

“I hope everybody will bring the same energy for the next game,” Suns center Marcin Gortat said. “We’ve got to start winning some games right now. I still believe we can reach playoffs and we’ve got to compete. If we’re going to play hard like that (win vs. Boston) and defensively like that, I mean, whew, we will be good for the season.”

* Like Boston did Friday, New Orleans had the early morning arrival in the Valley today after playing Saturday night at Sacramento. The Hornets’ 10-game winning streak ended with a 102-96 loss to Sacramento, whose big men hurt New Orleans with a big game from rookie DeMarcus Cousins and Samuel Dalembert’s defense on David West (8 of 21 from the field). The Kings jumped on the Hornets by making 10 of their first 11 shots and never trailed. New Orleans pulled within two with 1:42 to go, a good things for the Suns that they were extended to the end. Sacramento scored most (52 of 102) of its points in the paint.

* It might seem like Chris Paul is a Suns killer but not as much as the memory will make you think. Paul is 7-7 against the Suns and his career averages of 22.4 points, 9.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 steals are similar to what he is averaging this season — 16.5 points, 9.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals — except for the scoring that is helped by that 42-point, double-overtime game he had in 2008.

* The Suns have moved past Houston for 10th place again in the West and Portland has lost two in a row to put Phoenix back within three of the Blazers.

* The Suns had been only 3-7 when catching teams on the second nights of their back-to-back sets before the Boston win Friday.

* Gortat joking on making his second career 3-pointer Friday night: ”I’m going to call (Saturday) to Coach Alvin and tell him he’s got to put in a special system for me where there’s always an option for me to pop. There’s always an option to be in the one spot. I can also handle the ball.”

* Parting words from Carter for what Friday’s win could mean moving forward to tonight: ”It’s great for our confidence. At the same time, it lets us know we’re very capable of playing at a high level. This team is capable of being in the playoffs.”

Tweetin’ at www.twitter.com/paulcoro

 

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns are one of the most dominant offensive teams in the NBA, but also one of least dominant defensive teams.

Since the 2004-2005 NBA season, the Suns have averaged 109.5 points per game, but during the same time period they have given up 104.5. From the 2003-2008 the Suns were led by Mike D’Antoni, who instilled the famous seven-seconds-or-less offense, and they were constantly a contender in the talented Western Conference. They reached the playoffs almost every year and multiple conference championship series but always fell short.

There was one thing missing from the team: defense.

The Suns could score on anyone, but anyone could score on them. Something had to give. The Suns argued with D’Antoni about paying increased attention to the defensive end, and following the 2008-2009 season, D’Antoni was gone. His successor, Terry Porter, lasted half of the ensuing season and was replaced by Alvin Gentry.

Under Porter the Suns were supposed to have been a better defensive team with the addition of future-Hall of Fame big man Shaquille O’Neal and the presence of players such as Amar’e Stoudemire, Matt Barnes, Jason Richardson and Steve Nash. But they were no better than previous seasons, and Porter was fired. Porter instilled similar concepts as D’Antoni but with a few significant changes; the seven-seconds-or-less offense was gone, and the team ran more half-court offense.

Under Gentry the team has reverted to running more, but there has been an increase on defensive attention. The Suns gave up 107.5 points per game in the 2008-2009 season and 104.9 points per game in 2009-2010. That’s almost three less points given up per game, which could be the difference between a win and a loss in a close game.

During Gentry’s first full season (2009-2010), the Suns surprised the league with their offensive efficiency and improved defensive ability. They reached the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

The Lakers were much larger than the Suns and used their height to perfection. The Suns couldn’t contain the likes of the twin towers, 7-footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. They exposed the Suns defense and stopped the Suns offense with superior defense. The Suns held strong the first four games, but the last two games showed how the Suns need a better defense to succeed at a high level.

This isn’t the first time they’ve lost to defensive-minded teams, either. They have also dealt with the San Antonio Spurs on multiple occasions, and until the second round matchup with the Spurs in last year’s playoff series, they hadn’t been able to get past them since the 1999-2000 NBA playoffs.

But the Suns once again faltered when matched with a dominant defensive team in the Lakers. They showed that no matter how explosive an offense is, there has to be at least an average defense behind it, or the team won’t win the title.

The worst points per game allowed by an NBA champion was 98.4 points per game by the 2008-2009 Los Angeles Laker squad. The 2008-2009 Suns allowed 107.5 points per game and missed the playoffs. This is testament to the fact that defense wins titles.

The Suns won’t be there anytime soon if they don’t focus on defense more.

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