Spurs beat Phoenix in what might be Nash farewell
PHOENIX — Patty Mills scored 27 points and the depleted San Antonio Spurs beat Phoenix 110-106 on Wednesday night in a game overshadowed by the fact it could have been Steve Nash’s last in a Suns uniform.
The crowd stood and chanted “We want Nash” with about 5 minutes to go, leading coach Alvin Gentry to put the 38-year-old point guard in the game for a few plays before removing him to rousing cheers. Nash is a free agent after this season and plans to evaluate what options are open for him this summer.
The Spurs sent Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili — as well as coach Gregg Popovich — home earlier in the day. The four will also miss San Antonio’s regular-season finale at Golden State on Thursday night.
The Spurs, already guaranteed the No. 1 playoff spot in the Western Conference, won their ninth straight to remain tied with Chicago for the best record in the NBA with one game to play.
The Bulls hold the tiebreaker because they beat San Antonio in their only regular-season meeting, and the issue apparently is not that important to the Spurs given the fact they aren’t playing their three stars and don’t even have their coach.
Phoenix was eliminated from playoff contention with a loss at Utah on Tuesday night.
Nash had eight points and seven assists in just 18 minutes, all of his points coming in the third quarter. Completing his eighth season, the two-time league left the game with 3:08 to go in the third quarter and probably would have stayed on the sideline had the crowd not demanded his return.
As he left the court the final time to the cheers, Nash looked down but waved his right index finger briefly to the crowd.
Nash was scoreless with four assists in just 8 minutes on the court in the first half but scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in the third quarter.
He made a driving reverse layup from the baseline, then assisted on the next two baskets to put Phoenix ahead 76-70 in the third quarter. He left the game with 3:08 left in the period and the Suns up 76-75. The game was tied at 82-82 entering the fourth quarter.
Sebastian Telfair missed a 21-footer that would have tied it with 20 seconds left before Mills made two free throws with 12.3 seconds left to put it away.
Tiago Splitter scored 26 points for San Antonio. Shannon Brown had 21 points and Telfair added 20 for the Suns.
Notes: The Spurs have won 23 of their last 26 games. ... Phoenix rookie Markieff Morris went down with an injured right ankle with 3:57 to play. ... The Suns did not sell out a home game all season. ... Phoenix again was without Channing Frye (shoulder) and Grant Hill (knee). ... Nash entered the game second to Boston’s Rajon Rondo in assists at 10.8 per game. ... San Antonio is in the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season, the NBA’s longest active streak and seventh-longest in league history. ... Telfair won the team’s Dan Majerle Hustle Award. ... Phoenix missed the playoffs for the second straight season and the third time in the last four. ... The Spurs clinched the West’s top seed with a win at home over Portland on Monday night.