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(Sports Network) - The defending world champion San Antonio Spurs attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns tonight at US Airways Center, as the teams resume their first-round playoff series.

San Antonio finished in second place in the Southwest Division and is the third seed in the West playoffs. The Suns placed second in the Pacific and are seeded sixth.

On Tuesday, Tony Parker scored 32 points and dished out seven assists and the Spurs recovered from a slow start to dominate the second half en route to a 102-96 Game 2 victory over the Suns at the AT&T Center.

Manu Ginobili scored 29 off the Spurs' bench, while Tim Duncan added 18 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, as San Antonio outscored Phoenix 27-11 in a game- turning third quarter.

Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 33 points and seven rebounds, while Steve Nash collected 23 points and 10 assists. But Nash had just one assist to three turnovers in the final 24 minutes, and was out of the game for an extended stretch of the decisive third quarter.

Shaquille O'Neal scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, though he made just 7-of-14 free-throw attempts as San Antonio continued to employ the now-famous "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy, forcing him to earn his points at the stripe and, in the process, slowing down the Suns attack.

In Game 1, Duncan finished with 40 points and 15 rebounds and tied the game in overtime with his first three-pointer of the season, but it was Ginobili's layup with 1.8 seconds remaining in the second overtime that lifted the Spurs to a thrilling 117-115 win over the Suns at the AT&T Center.

On the injury front for Phoenix, veteran forward Grant Hill (sore right groin) is doubtful.

Game 4 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Sunday in Phoenix.

The Suns have lost three straight Game 3s in the playoffs, while the Spurs have captured three of their last four Game 3s in the postseason.

San Antonio has won three straight road contests in the playoffs.

There is a lot of playoff history between the teams, as this is the ninth time that the clubs have met in the postseason. The Suns defeated San Antonio in the first round in 1992 and 2000 and in the semis in 1993. The Spurs beat Phoenix in the opening round in 1996, 1998 and 2003 and also in the 2005 Western Conference finals.

Last year, the Suns were eliminated by the Spurs, 4-2, in a very physical and emotional Western Conference semifinals series. The series took an interesting turn in Game 4, which was won by the Suns. Veteran Robert Horry committed a flagrant foul on Steve Nash. Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the Phoenix bench briefly, and both were suspended for Game 5. Horry received a two-game suspension for his role in the incident.

San Antonio won Game 5, 88-85, at US Airways Center and eliminated the Suns with a 114-106 victory in Game 6 at the AT&T Center.

The last time the Spurs lost in the first round of the playoffs was in 2000, when they lost to the Suns, 3-1.

During the regular season, the Suns were 3-1 against San Antonio. The teams split a pair of contests at Phoenix, while the Suns swept two meetings at the AT&T Center.

The last time the Suns lost in round one was when they fell to the Spurs in six games during the 2003 postseason.