O’Neal comes up big as Suns rout Spurs

SAN ANTONIO -- Amare Stoudemire scored 21 points and five other Phoenix players scored in double digits in the Suns’ 96-79 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

The Suns won their second game in a row on the second night of a back to back and remained in sixth place in the Western Conference by taking the season series from the Spurs, 3-1.

Shaquille O’Neal had eight of his 16 points in the decisive fourth quarter and grabbed nine rebounds for Phoenix. Steve Nash scored 12 points -- including eight in the fourth quarter -- and had 10 assists.

Tim Duncan scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds for the Spurs, but Manu Ginobili had only eight points on three-of-12 shooting.

San Antonio remained second in the West.

The Suns and Spurs could match up with any number of teams in the first round -- including each other. The two had a testy second-round series last year that San Antonio won in six games on its way to the title.

O’Neal was back after missing Tuesday’s game with what was called a right hip contusion.

Up by four points with a quarter to play, O’Neal and Nash helped Phoenix pull away in the fourth, spearheading a decisive 13-0 run to go ahead, 92-73, with 3:52 to go. Not long after, Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich cleared his bench.

Phoenix outscored San Antonio, 24-11, in the fourth.

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