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Ginobili hurt as Spurs fall to Suns

Apr 14, 2011 - 6:35 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Marcin Gortat scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, as the Phoenix Suns spoiled San Antonio's bid for the best record in the league with a 106-103 win.

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley each had 17 points while grabbing nine and eight rebounds, respectively, for the Suns, who got 14 points from Grant Hill.

The Suns finished at 40-42 for their first losing season in seven years, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. Last season, the Suns swept the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals before bowing out to the eventual NBA champion Lakers in six games during the West finals.

"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. "It looks better (to have) 40 wins than 39. That's the positive thing about winning this game,"

Meanwhile, the Spurs came into the game needing a win to pull into a tie with Chicago for the most wins in the NBA. But Tim Duncan's 17 points and 12 rebounds weren't enough to get the win, and San Antonio fell to 61-21.

Despite the loss, the Spurs still have the No. 1 seed in the West and will play the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round. The series begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. (et).

However, the status of their All-Star guard Manu Ginobili raises concern heading into the postseason. He left the game early with a hyperextended right elbow and did not return.

San Antonio started its regular lineup after Ginobili, Duncan and Tony Parker sat out in the Spurs' 102-93 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday. But some freakish and scary injuries occurred to two key players relegating some of the starters quickly to the bench. Richard Jefferson and Ginobili each hurt their elbows in the early on-going of the game.

Jefferson did return with his injury and posted just seven points, but Ginobili, who got tangled up with Hill near the foul line, hyperextended his elbow and left the game for good 2:14 into the game.

"Not a good time, but that's basketball, it happens," Parker said of Ginobili's injury. "That's part of the season. You'll have ups and downs and we had a lot of ups the whole season and pretty much injury free the whole season and now at the end we have a couple of things, but that's part of basketball."

With the Spurs starters on the bench early, it allowed the Suns to run away in the first quarter with 43 points. They shot a blazing 65.4 percent from the field during the quarter while holding the Spurs to 27 points.

However, the Suns cooled off in the second quarter and allowed the Spurs to make it a game. Gary Neal's three-pointer dipped the deficit under double figures, 58-49, with 2:33 left in the half. Antonio McDyess then hit a jumper with 10.8 seconds remaining to make it a 61-53 game at the break.

During the third, Phoenix kept its distance from the Spurs. Dudley nailed a trey with 6:42 left to make it a 10-point game. The Suns kept the lead around double digits the rest of the way and held an 85-74 lead heading into the fourth.

The Spurs came roaring back in the fourth and drew as close as one, but couldn't get over the hump. It was mostly the work of the bench in the comeback posting a 7-0 run that was stopped by Vince Carter's three-pointer for a 90-81 contest early in the quarter.

The Spurs chipped away at the deficit and Matt Bonner's two free throws cut it to 104-103 with 4.4 seconds. However, Aaron Brooks made two shots from the charity stripe, and Neal missed a three-pointer at the other end.

Game Notes

The Spurs won the series 3-1 and have not swept the Suns since the 2003-04 season...Ginobili will have a MRI on his elbow on Thursday...The Suns' 43- point opening quarter was a season high in points for the first quarter.