SAN ANTONIO — Tony Parker scored 31 points, Tim Duncan added 29 points and 17 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 92-87 Game 5 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
The third-seeded Spurs will meet the No. 2 seed Hornets in a second-round series that begins Saturday in New Orleans.
Boris Diaw, who had a near triple-double in the Suns’ rout of the Spurs in Game 4, led the Suns with 22 points.
Four other players scored in double digits, but the Suns had a number of costly turnovers down the stretch and were sent home yet again by the Spurs, who have eliminated Phoenix in four of their past five playoff appearances.
With the Spurs up 88-87 after battling back and forth with the Suns throughout the fourth quarter, Manu Ginobili, who had been cold all night, hit 1-of-2 from the line with 25 seconds on the clock.
Steve Nash turned the ball over on an inbounds pass from Raja Bell, and Phoenix sent Ginobili to the line again with 23 seconds left. Ginobili hit both this time to make it 91-87.
Nash’s 3-point attempt missed and Duncan hit another free throw.
Diaw’s last-second 3 missed, but it wouldn’t have made a difference.
The Spurs outscored the Suns 23-15 in the fourth quarter, led by nine points apiece from Duncan and Parker.
The Suns were trying to become the first NBA team to come back from an 0-3 deficit, and they won Game 4 in Phoenix with gusto.
They stayed in Game 5 until the end, trying to force a Game 6 in Phoenix.
It was widely predicted that this might finally be the Suns’ year and that the series would go the full seven games.
Instead, the Suns go home, falling short despite the midseason blockbuster trade for Shaquille O’Neal — who was brought in specifically to match up better with teams such as San Antonio.
Down three points to start the fourth, the Spurs battled back and Parker’s under-the- basket feed to Duncan gave the Spurs a 77-76 lead with 6:43 to play.
Nash’s first basket of the quarter, a mid-range jumper, put the Suns back up by one, 82-81, with 3:10 on the clock. After Parker’s jumper put the Spurs up 85-82, Nash answered with his first 3 of the night to tie it.
Nash fouled Parker, who hit 1-of-2 from the line to give the Spurs a one-point cushion. His free throw was the go-ahead basket for the Spurs.
With just under 40 seconds to play, Diaw threw the ball out of bounds and Parker’s jumper fell with 29 on the clock for an 88-85 Spurs lead. Diaw’s quick layup brought Phoenix within 88-87.
