[ Bet on the next game at nba-bet.net ] The Suns get a win on the road in Portland to close out the series against the Trail Blazers. PORTLAND – The Phoenix Suns were far from perfect Thursday night at the Rose Garden. The Suns committed 17 turnovers — 15 in the first 28 minutes. The reserves were spottier than usual. A hobbled Steve Nash played like a D-leaguer much of the night. They let every bit of a 16-point third-quarter lead slip away. In the end, though, Phoenix had enough to put out the lights on the Portland Trail Blazers’ season. The Suns’ hard-fought 99-90 victory in Game 6 was their fourth of the first-round series, pushing them into a Western Conference semifinal matchup with San Antonio that begins Monday at US Airways Center. The Spurs have beaten the Suns three times in the playoffs since 2002-03, including a five-game ouster in 2008, the last time Phoenix participated in the postseason. “I told our guys, ‘We don’t look at past history,’ ” Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. “This team has never played San Antonio in a playoff series. That’s the way I look at it. “Everyone knows it will be physical. They have the best coach in the NBA (Gregg Popovich). Pop does an unbelievable job, and they have four (championship) banners hanging to prove that. They’re playing at a real high level right now. It’ll be a challenge, but we’re looking forward to it.” The Suns’ victory over Portland was a challenge, too, especially with Nash smarting from the effects of a hip …
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The Suns took a closeup look at Slovenian guard Goran Dragic during a private workout at US Airways Center and Suns.com TV was there. See the Suns staff put the playmaker through his paces before broadcaster Tom Leander conducts an exclusive interview. Log onto Suns.com to view more video features.
Video Rating: 4 / 5