Steve Nash reveres on-court 'mental games' with Spurs Tim Duncan during NBA Playoffs
Steve Nash had legendary battles against Tim Duncan in the playoffs. During his stint with the Phoenix Suns (twice) and the Dallas Mavericks, Nash almost always went up against Duncan’s Spurs. More often than not, the two brought out the best in each other.
In the latest episode of Mind the Game with LeBron James, the former two-time MVP had this to say about playing against Duncan:
(4:40 mark)
"I always remember playing against the Spurs a lot in the playoffs. And, you know, it's tough. ... They'd have Tim Duncan at the rim, usually. Back in those days, they had two big guys, a seven-footer next to Tim Duncan, popping out to shrink the floor.
"Sometimes,he'd stay at home, you know? That was one of the things that he and I knew - he was playing mental games with me - is that he'd stay at home so that I couldn't throw the ball around the gym, and he knew I wanted to.
Duncan was one of the best two-way players the NBA has ever seen. Although he played in the paint, he was always constantly playing mind games against the best point guards, including Steve Nash.
In the first playoff battle between Nash and Duncan, the Spurs handily beat the Suns in the first round of the 1998 playoffs. TD, still a rookie, was already a franchise cornerstone with David Robinson. Nash came off the bench on a team that had Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson and Dennis Scott.
The last time Steve Nash and Tim Duncan met in the playoffs was in 2013. Duncan was still a pillar for the Spurs while Nash ran the LA Lakers offense. San Antonio had little trouble sweeping a team featuring the veteran point guard and big men Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.
Steve Nash is 12-25 in the playoffs against Tim Duncan
Steve Nash played 120 games in the playoffs, 37 of which came against Tim Duncan. The Hall of Fame point guard finished his career with a 12-25 record against the San Antonio Spurs legend.
Nash’s only series win against Duncan was in 2010 when the Phoenix Suns swept the Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinals. Nash led his team with 22.0 points, 7.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He had plenty of help from emerging stars Amare Stoudemire and Jason Richardson.
Meanwhile, Duncan finished that series with 20.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.8 BPG and 1.3 SPG. TD and the Spurs would reinvent themselves to win the 2014 championship against the Miami Heat.