A couple of big bodies get together as Tim Duncan, right, spars with the Suns' Shaquille O'Neal during a jump ball on Sunday afternoon. (Matt York/Associated Press)

There would be no San Antonio sweep, not even close.

Boris Diaw had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in one of the best playoff performances of his career, and the Phoenix Suns stayed alive with a 105-86 rout of the Spurs on Sunday in Arizona.

Raja Bell scored 21 of his 27 points in a dominant first half to help Phoenix bring a one-sided end to the defending NBA champions' nine-game playoff winning streak.

The Suns were 11-0 in the regular season when Bell scored at least 20.

Phoenix still trails the first-round series 3-1, with Game 5 on Tuesday night in San Antonio. No NBA team has come back from 0-3 to win a series.

Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa scored 15 apiece for the Suns, while Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni drew two technicals and was ejected with 3:38 to play and his team up 104-80.

Diaw, starting in place of injured Grant Hill, also led the Suns' vastly improved defence, guarding his good friend and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker much of the game.

Parker, who scored a career-high 41 in Game 3 and was averaging 33 in the series, led San Antonio with 18 points; Manu Ginobili scored 10.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich threw in the towel by benching both of them along with Tim Duncan late in the third quarter.

After watching the Spurs play to near-perfection in a 115-99 victory on Friday, the Suns were the aggressors from the start on Sunday.

Phoenix led by 21 after one quarter, by as many as 24 in the second and by 30 in the third.

Nash's 15-footer gave the Suns a 79-49 lead with 5:50 left in the third quarter. With Parker and Duncan on the bench, San Antonio cut it to 22 late in the quarter, but it was 93-65 entering the fourth.