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Duncan, Spurs down Suns

Jan 16, 2012 - 5:10 AM San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Tim Duncan turned in a vintage performance against an old rival, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as the Spurs downed the Suns, 102-91, on Sunday.

Tony Parker had 17 points and nine assists while DeJuan Blair scored 14 for the Spurs, who improved to 9-0 at home this season.

Marcin Gortat paced the Suns, losers of four straight, with 24 points and 15 boards. Steve Nash added 20 points and 10 assists despite battling a bruised right quadriceps.

The Spurs have struggled to an 0-4 clip on the road this season, but continue to roll at home. On Sunday, they led by as many as 18 in the third before the fading Suns generated a spark.

The 39-year-old Grant Hill, who is himself battling a sore right quad, floated a layup over Duncan to cut the deficit to 10 midway through the quarter.

San Antonio maintained the edge, leading 78-68 after three, and Matt Bonner drained a corner three to make it 84-72 early in the fourth. The Suns countered with five straight, as rookie Markieff Morris hit a trey and Ronnie Price came up with a diving steal and found Shannon Brown for a layup. Price then followed a Blair reverse layup with a three, trimming the Suns' deficit to 86-80 with 8 1/2 minutes to play.

Duncan, though, kept Phoenix at bay, nailing a jumper for an 89-80 lead seconds later and sealing the victory with a 17-footer in the closing minutes.

Game Notes

The last time the Spurs started out a season with at least nine straight wins at the AT&T Center was the 2007-08 campaign, when they started 13-0...The Suns kicked off a five-game road trip on Sunday. They will also visit Chicago, New York, Boston and Dallas on the difficult trek.