Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Prior to Friday's game against the Suns, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said he coveted Jeff Hornacek as a player and had nothing but praise for the job the rookie head coach has done in Phoenix.
Hornacek's Suns took it to Popovich's Spurs on Friday night, virtually leading all the way in a 106-85 triumph.
"A lot of credit goes to Jeff. He will try to deflect it all because of who he is. He sets a tone and has a lot of credibility for the way he has carried himself through his career," Popovich said.
Markieff Morris had 21 points, five assists and five rebounds, Channing Frye tallied 17 points and eight rebounds and Ish Smith added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Suns, who have won three in a row on the heels of a 1-3 stretch.
Phoenix's bench outscored the Spurs', 60-34.
Danny Green netted 15 points for San Antonio, which was just 2-of-21 from beyond the arc and shot 34.9 percent (29-of-83) from the floor.
The Spurs had their three-game winning streak snapped and finished 6-3 on their annual rodeo road trip.
"They were probably itching to get home. They had an off night," Hornacek said of the Spurs.
The Spurs led 23-19 after a quarter of play and 25-19 following Tiago Splitter's reverse layup to begin the second. Phoenix, though, quickly seized control with a 19-0 run.
Marcus Morris netted seven points and Smith added six during the burst, including a reverse to cap it and stake the hosts to a 38-25 cushion midway through the frame.
The advantage swelled to 45-28 a few minutes later after Smith drove in for an acrobatic up-and-under layup.
Phoenix headed into the break with a 47-35 spread and it further extended its margin in the third when Frye's 3-pointer finished off a 9-1 burst for a 64-42 lead.
The Suns took a 74-57 margin into the fourth, where they led by as many as 23 before coasting to the easy win.
Game Notes
Friday's game was the first Suns sellout of the season ... Phoenix shot 51.2 percent (42-of-82) from the field ... Tim Duncan had 13 points and five rebounds for San Antonio.
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