Spurs Dig In and Bury Suns to Advance

David Robinson and Vinny Del Negro delivered an inside-outside punch that knocked the Phoenix Suns out of the NBA playoffs.

Robinson had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Del Negro added 25 points while making five of seven three-point shots as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Suns, 116-98, Friday night at Phoenix to win their best-of-five first-round series, 3-1.

The Spurs, who had lost their six previous playoff games in Phoenix, will meet the winner of the Portland-Utah series next.

“I thought our effort was fantastic,” said Robinson, who was 12 for 21 from the field. “We maintained our intensity throughout the game.”

Del Negro, who set a career playoff high with 29 points in Game 1, scored nine points in the third quarter Friday night, when the Spurs broke the game open by outscoring the Suns, 33-18.

San Antonio made 14 of 21 shots in the period to stretch a one-point halftime lead into an 85-69 advantage going into the final quarter. The Spurs had led, 52-51, at halftime.

Avery Johnson had 15 points and 13 assists for the Spurs.

Charles Barkley led the Suns with 21 points, but was only six of 15 from the field. Reserve Chris Carr added 17 points for Phoenix.

“It’s no fun to lose in the first round,” Barkley said of a 41-41 regular season, “and it’s no fun to play on a .500 team.”

Barkley, who has two years left on his Suns’ contract, said he plans to play next season, but isn’t sure where. He called himself “one of the Suns’ few tradeable options” and said he would understand if the team tried to deal him in the off-season.

The game was very physical underneath, with Charles Smith getting into several confrontations with the Suns. Barkley elbowed Smith in the back at one point, and Smith responded with a push. Both players were given technical fouls.

Later, Smith drew a flagrant foul from John Williams. Smith missed both shots, but 44 seconds later he blocked Barkley’s layup attempt on a fastbreak, knocking the Suns’ star to the floor without drawing a foul.

NBA Notes

Dale Ellis, the NBA’s career three-point leader, exercised an opt-out clause in his contract with the Denver Nuggets, making the 35-year-old guard a free agent. Denver, however, wants him to stay and has offered $1.6 million for next season. . . . Henry Taub, the new board chairman of the New Jersey Nets, and some of his fellow owners are planning to buy out former chairman Alan Aufzien (26%) and minority owners Bernie Mann (4.5%) and Don Unger (3.5%) for about $30 million, the Asbury Park Press reported. Taub will reportedly join his brother, Joe, and David Gerstein and Jerry Cohen in the buyout.