Schedule and 2008 Results
Regular Season Records: San Antonio 56-26, Phoenix 55-27
Game 1 on Saturday, 19 April: Phoenix loses at San Antonio, 117-pts-115 (2OT)
Game 2 on Tuesday, 22 April: Phoenix loses at San Antonio, 102-pts-96
Game 3 on Friday, 25 April: San Antonio wins at Phoenix, 115-pts-99
Game 4 on Sunday, 27 April: San Antonio loses at Phoenix, 105-pts-86
Game 5 on Tuesday, 29 April: Phoenix loses at San Antonio, 92-pts-87

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: The San Antonio Spurs hosted and defeated the Phoenix Suns 92-pts-87, thus securing a 4-games-1 win of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1044. With the series 1044 win, San Antonio thus improves its best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 23-14 overall and 6-0 in the NBA Preliminary round. With the series 1044 loss, Phoenix sees its best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 13-19 overall and 3-2 in the NBA Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious San Antonio Spurs in series 1044 was WWWLW: Series 1044 thus becomes the first NBA Preliminary-round series, the 25th NBA series (all rounds) and the 69th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order.

After Game 4: Staving off a four-game sweep, the Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-pts-86; San Antonio now holds a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1044. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the San Antonio Spurs have a series record of 11-1 with a ten-series winning streak, and a Game 5 record of 8-4 with a four-Game 5 winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a 1-7 series record and a 4-4 Game 5 record. The series which San Antonio lost upon having led 3-games-1 was series 363 against the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in the 1979 NBA Semifinals round. The series which Phoenix won upon having trailed 3-games-1 was their last such series - series 977, over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2006 NBA Preliminary round.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1044 in Arizona for Games 3-4, the visiting San Antonio Spurs topped the Phoenix Suns 115-pts-99 to take a commanding 3-games-nil series 1044 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-nil, the San Antonio Spurs have a 7-0 series record and a 4-3 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-nil, the Phoenix Suns have an 0-5 series record and a 3-2 Game 4 record. The Phoenix Suns thus attempt to become the first NBA team (in the 84th try) to win a best-of-7 playoff series upon having trailed 3-games-nil. A good Game 3 drubbing and playing in the earliest best-of-7 playoff round can help in that regard; still, such a comeback is a very difficult task.

After Game 2: The San Antonio Spurs hosted and defeated the visiting Phoenix Suns 102-pts-96 to take a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1044. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the San Antonio Spurs have a 15-1 series record and a 7-9 Game 3 record (with the sole series defeat in series 932, which they lost to the eventual 2004 NBA finalist Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals). When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a perfect 0-11 series record and a 0-5 Game 3 record.

After Game 1: The San Antonio Spurs hosted and, in double overtime, defeated the visiting Phoenix Suns 117-pts-115 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1044. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2007, inclusive, home teams winning Game 1 in overtime have a 6-2 (.750) series record. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the San Antonio Spurs have an 18-4 series record and a 16-6 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a 3-13 series record (with an eight-series losing streak) and a 5-11 Game 2 record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2007-08 regular season, San Antonio finished one game ahead of Phoenix. From 1947 through the 2007 NBA Finals, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by a single regular-season games, they have posted a 14-15 (.483) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1044 is the 32nd best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Phoenix, and the 37th for San Antonio. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Phoenix has a 13-18 series record, a 3-1 Prelim-round series record, and a 15-16 Game 1 record, while San Antonio has a 22-14 series record, a 5-0 Prelim-round record, and a 22-14 Game 1 record. Series 1044 is the fifth best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between Phoenix and San Antonio; San Antonio lost the first but won the last three best-of-7 seriees between these two teams.