SAN ANTONIO SPURS FORWARD TIM DUNCAN hangs from the basket in front of Phoenix Suns center Amare Stoudemire during Game 3 of their Western Conference playoff series. San Antonio scored a 108-101 victory on its home court Saturday to take a 2-1 series lead.

San Antonio ? The physical style of play returned in Game 3, and it seemed to bring out the best in the San Antonio Spurs again.

Manu Ginobili got a bloodied and bruised eye Saturday, and 24 points, as the Spurs took a 108-101 victory for a 2-1 lead in their second-round series with the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix’s Steve Nash got a gash to the nose that required six stitches during Game 1 after a collision with Tony Parker. The Spurs won that game 111-106 and had a 101-81 loss in Game 2.

“No big deal, I guess,” said Ginobili, who had the kind of night San Antonio needed after he had poor performances in Games 1 and 2, when he scored eight and six points, respectively.

Game 4 is Monday night in San Antonio.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 33 points – 13 in the fourth quarter – and 19 rebounds.

“It looked pretty bad actually, it still looks pretty bad,” Duncan said of Ginobili. “But … it fixed his shot, so it might be the other eye on Monday.”

Ginobili scored 12 points in the third quarter and 10 in the last 1:58. Even after he got hit in the eye on a drive to the basket, he hit a jumper, three free throws and a three-pointer to put the Spurs up 80-72 going into the final quarter.

Nash was scoreless in the first half and finished with 16 points. He had 10 points in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough as the Suns only got as close as six twice in the fourth. Nash also had 11 assists.

“I just had a bad game, and it’s frustrating to have it in such a big game but it happens from time to time,” Nash said. “Although they did play me tough, I still had my chances and it just didn’t bounce for me tonight.”

Ginobili said he wasn’t sure who got him as he got caught up with both Shawn Marion and Raja Bell on the play.

“I think I poked him in the eye,” Marion said. “It was an accident, but I mean, it’s part of the game. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Marion led the Suns with 26 points. Amare Stoudemire finished with 21, but was in foul trouble for most of the second half.

“There’s nothing I could do about it at that point,” Stoudemire said. “I just had to watch my guys fight and keep it close. They did that, they just couldn’t pull it out.”

The Suns were within 104-98 with 1:42 to go.

Bruce Bowen’s three-pointer with eight minutes left in the third was the go-ahead basket for San Antonio and gave it a 62-60 lead.

The tension of the playoff series between two of the league’s top teams was heightened after Stoudemire on Thursday called the Spurs a “dirty team” and specifically called out Bowen, saying he purposely kicked him during the Suns’ Game 2 win on Tuesday, and Ginobili.