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(Sports Network) - The defending world champion San Antonio Spurs try to sweep the Phoenix Suns out of the playoffs today at the US Airways Center,

On Friday, Tony Parker scored a career-high 41 points, and the Spurs moved to the brink of eliminating Shaquille O'Neal and the Suns with an emphatic 115-99 Game 3 win in their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Parker, who also had 12 assists, shot 17-of-26 from the field, and Tim Duncan contributed 23 points and 10 rebounds for the third-seeded Spurs. Manu Ginobili added 20 points for San Antonio, which shot 56.1 percent from the field.

Steve Nash was blanketed by Bruce Bowen and was limited to seven points and nine assists for the sixth-seeded Suns, who were led by Amare Stoudemire's 28 points and 11 rebounds. O'Neal had 19 points and Leandro Barbosa scored 20 in defeat.

On the injury front for Phoenix, veteran forward Grant Hill is questionable with lower abdominal and groin strains.

The last time the Suns were swept in a playoff series was by the Portland Trail Blazers, 3-0, in round one of the 1999 playoffs. Phoenix has been swept twice in a best-of-seven series, as the Lakers knocked them out in four games in the 1989 Western Conference finals and the 1982 West semis.

San Antonio is trying to record its second straight series sweep, as it knocked out the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games in the 2007 NBA Finals. The Spurs have won four in a row on the road in the postseason, and nine straight playoff games overall.

The Suns have won three straight Game 4s in the playoffs. They have lost two straight games when facing elimination from the postseason.

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

The Spurs have won two straight Games 4s in the postseason, and have won four in a row when they have had the chance to eliminate their opponent from the playoffs.

If necessary, Game 5 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Tuesday at the AT&T Center.

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.