First the first time in the postseason, the Phoenix Suns looks comfortable with who they are.

Throughout the regular season, the Suns were a team that thrived on energy.  And tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, that same energy sparked them to a 110-96 victory in a game that was critical for the Spurs to win.  The win has pushed Phoenix to a 3-0 advantage in their Western Conference Semifinal series.

With the Spurs playing at home for the first time in the series, they started out well and held a nine-point lead.  All indicators pointed to the Spurs possibly blowing out Phoenix and getting back into the series.

But after Steve Nash rested, he came back into the contest and immediately began to put his stamp on the game.  The Suns had battled back to within six at the half behind contributions from Nash (16 points, 6 assists) and Jason Richardson (21 points, 5-7 three’s). 

The shift in momentum continued in the second half, as Phoenix began to get more consistent production from Grant Hill (7-11 FG, 18 points) and Leandro Barbosa (5-7 FG, 13 points).  And Nash was running the pick and roll brilliantly, as well as isolating on defensive switches and making San Antonio pay for them.

Richardson, perhaps best known for his dunking ability, has become a deadly three-point marksman.

And then, it was Dragic-time.  After a subpar first half, head coach Alvin Gentry told him to be aggressive and to attack the defense.  And that he did.  Back-up point guard Goran Dragic put on an unbelievable offensive display that essentially put the game away.  With two-time MVP Steve Nash on the bench, Dragic scored several baskets – - and the Spurs didn’t have an answer for him.  Dragic scored 26 points – all in the second half – as Phoenix pulled ahead by double digits and left the Alamodome so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.  He connected on dribble-drive layups, three pointers, and everything in-between.  Dragic even converted a four-point play when he attempted a shot after a reach-in by George Hill.

Although the Spurs are the team with four NBA titles in a decade, it was the Suns who played with the poise of a championship team.  They knew that they would be entering a hostile environment, and they were able to weather the first-quarter blitz that the Spurs put on them.  Nash and Richardson held them together during a back-and-forth stretch, showing San Antonio that they weren’t going to go away.  And when they had the chance, they put the game away – thanks to the supreme efforts of their bench (in particular, Goran Dragic). 

It was a great, professional performance from a team who many had overlooked coming into the playoffs.  And to think, they accomplished their most impressive victory of the series with a minimal performance from Amar’e Stoudamire (7 points, 3-10 FG) 

The Suns are proving that if they are able to play their game their way, then they are just as dangerous as any other title contender in the postseason.