Tim Duncan against the Suns: By the Numbers
Jul 11, 2016, 11:02 AM
San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan, left, shoots around Phoenix Suns' Alex Len, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Tim Duncan announced his retirement Monday to end one of the NBA’s most decorated careers of all time. Some of that success came at the Phoenix Suns’ expense.
In fact, Duncan played 65 regular season games against the Suns, the sixth-highest total among teams he faced. He played 30 more contests against Phoenix in the playoffs, as the Spurs went 19-11 in those matchups.
The Spurs faced the Suns in seven different playoff series during Duncan’s career, though the power forward/center did not play in the 2000 playoffs, due to a torn meniscus.
After a heap of playing time against Phoenix over 19 NBA seasons, here’s Duncan’s career against the Suns, by the numbers:
32
In Duncan’s first career playoff game in 1998, just two days before his 22nd birthday, he scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Suns. In four games of that series, Duncan averaged 20.3 points and 9.8 rebounds.
27
In 30 career playoff games against Phoenix, Duncan put up a double-double 27 times. His lone triple-double against Phoenix in the playoffs came on May 1, 2003, when he registered 15 points, 10 assists and 20 rebounds in Game 6 of the first round. The Spurs won that game, 87-85, to take the series.
20.6
Duncan averaged 20.6 points per game in his regular season career against Phoenix. The only team for which that number is higher is the Milwaukee Bucks, against whom Duncan averaged 21.2 points in 35 games..
23.2
He averaged 23.2 points per game against Phoenix in the playoffs for his career.
1
In Game 1 of the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Duncan sunk a game-tying three-pointer to send the game to double overtime. It was one of only five three-pointers in his playoff career, and he shot 17.9 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season.
40
In that same Game 1 in 2008, Duncan scored 40 points and pulled 15 boards with five assists. In that series, in which the Spurs beat the Suns 4-1, Duncan averaged 24.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.
1,339
Duncan scored at least 1,000 career points against 13 different teams, and the Suns were one of them. He scored 1,339 points against Phoenix, and only Utah (1,351) and Memphis (1,366) were scored-on more.
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