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Spurs top Suns, win division

Apr 15, 2012 - 4:51 AM San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Tim Duncan finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and the Spurs clinched the Southwest Division title with a 105-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker scored 14 apiece as 13 different players recorded points for the Spurs, who remain one game behind Oklahoma City for the top spot in the Western Conference after the Thunder defeated Minnesota earlier on Saturday.

"We're in a great position right now and hopefully we can end up on top," said Duncan when asked about the importance of the top seed in the West. "If we don't, we're number two and we're happy with that."

Sebastian Telfair tallied 21 points off the bench, while Michael Redd chipped in 13 for Phoenix, which fell 1 1/2 games behind Denver and Houston for the final two playoff spots in the West.

"We've been on the road a lot. We get a chance to be at home and try to finish," remarked veteran guard Grant Hill, who finished with four points in his second game back after a nine-game absence. "It's a tough loss, it's embarrassing, but we're still in the hunt."

The Spurs got off to a blazing start, opening the game on a 21-4 run over the first six minutes of the game. Duncan had 11 points in the surge, while Danny Green and Leonard each knocked down three-pointers.

San Antonio led by as many as 23 in the first and took a 35-13 lead into the second quarter.

An 11-0 run in the middle of the second found the Spurs with a 58-30 advantage as they took a 62-38 lead into the locker room.

Phoenix made a run late in the third, scoring eight straight in a 10-2 run to pull within 16 before Patty Mills buried a three-pointer at the third quarter buzzer to extend the lead to 84-65 heading into the fourth.

The Suns got as close as 17 early in the fourth, but an 11-2 swing put the Spurs on top 95-69 with just under seven minutes to play.

The lead was 23 with 5:31 remaining, but the Suns had one last surge in them, scoring 11 straight points before Mills quelled the spurt with a three-pointer from the left corner to give the Spurs a 100-85 lead and end the comeback bid.

Game Notes

Phoenix has dropped six straight and 13 of 16 trips to the Alamo City... San Antonio will hit the road for a stretch of three-games in three nights beginning in Golden State on Monday...Phoenix will play five of its final six games at home, starting on Monday against the Trail Blazers...The Spurs had 24 turnovers, marking a season-high.