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Suns notes: Spurs missing two starters for opener
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SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs will be without both their Argentinean starters tonight when they open the season against the Suns.
Manu Ginobili is out indefinitely following ankle surgery and forward Fabricio Oberto will miss the first two games after undergoing treatment for an irregular heartbeat.
Oberto felt a fluttering heartbeat during practice Tuesday and tests confirmed an atrial fibrillation. He underwent a procedure to restore a normal rhythm and will have daily tests over the next five days. He would then be cleared to play if tests are normal.
NASH ON POINT
True to his word to play defense “straight-up” in most cases, Suns coach Terry Porter will start Steve Nash on San Antonio point guard Tony Parker tonight – a matchup that has historically been a poor one for Phoenix. In recent matchups, Nash has guarded Spurs small forward Bruce Bowen, a limited offensive threat, and Bowen has returned the favor and guarded Nash.
“It’s fine with me,” Nash said. “It might be something we’ll do full-time, it might be something we switch up on, we’ll see. But I don’t have any problem with the idea. He’s a point guard and so am I.”
SUNS ON RISE
According to Team Marketing Report’s Fan Cost Index, the Suns now have the fifth-highest average ticket price in the NBA after a 10.1 percent increase over last season. The average Suns ticket price of $64.16 is well above the NBA average of $49.47 and trails only the Los Angeles Lakers ($93.25), New York Knicks ($70.51), Boston Celtics ($68.55) and Chicago Bulls ($64.25) for highest in the league.
Those TMR price figures do not include much of the high-end club seating, luxury suites or private clubs. Only the Portland Trail Blazers (11.9 percent) had a higher one-season jump in ticket prices than the Suns.
BONUS SHOTS
The Spurs have not lost a season opener with Tim Duncan in the lineup, going 11-0 coming into tonight. Their last season-opening loss came in an 82-78 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996. …
Suns guards Alando Tucker (hamstring) and Sean Singletary figure to be inactive tonight. With Nash guarding Parker, Raja Bell will check ex-Sun Michael Finley and Matt Barnes gets the assignment on Bowen. O’Neal will guard Duncan. …
R&B artist Brian McKnight will sing the national anthem Thursday for the Suns' home opener against New Orleans. McKnight will also perform at halftime. The game is a 7:30 p.m. start to accommodate TNT.
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