Phoenix Suns lookback: Steve Nash and the 2005 playoff run

Western Conference Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs

Phoenix would now face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals. They did not yet know it, but the Spurs would be the toughest team they would face for years to come. Nash continued his hot streak with 29 and 13 in a seven-point loss to the eventual champs.

Nash followed up game-one with another MVP performance of 29 points and 15 assists in a three-point loss to go down 0-2 against Duncan and the Spurs.

Phoenix was hoping to take a win in game-three so they wouldn’t fall to 0-3. Nash had 20 points and just three assists in a heartbreaking 10-point loss. San Antonio was now up 3-0 and had everything in their favor, however the Suns weren’t done yet. Nash tallied 17 points and 12 assists in a five-point win on the road to avoid the sweep in game-four.

Phoenix was feeling good after the much-needed win but it wasn’t enough. The Spurs would win game-five by a score of 101-95 and send the Suns home for the summer despite a 21 and 10 game by Steve Nash. The league MVP posted averages of 23.2 points and 10.6 assists in his six games played against San Antonio in the playoffs.

Even though the Suns couldn’t finish the job and win a title, it is as still a very fun series for a team that won 29 games a year prior, and it was the start of a great run for the Suns. In total, Steve Nash averaged 23.9 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, and 11.3 assists on 52/38/91 shooting in the best individual playoff run of his career.